Yes National Poetry Month arrives on April 1st. The most common way poets honor this time is to write a poem a day, every day throughout the month of April. It is exactly the challenge as it sounds it is. Or as my friend Danielle Reed poetically known as Girl Genius says: “It sounds like omg… What kind of hell suicidal mission is this?!?!?!?!?!”
Poetry groups and websites create prompt list, some poets use this time to try new writing styles. The challenge complete 30 poems in 30 days. Attempts to complete this challenge happens every year, some poets are able to complete it some can’t. I think my best year I completed about 15 pieces but the point is to write and create. As I encourage all poets to take the challenge this year, please count the pieces that you don’t complete as part of your 30/30. One of the best pieces I created in 2009 called Superman, the opening line is “What happens when we learn that Superman can’t fly…”
This poem was started during the challenge but at the time I only had two stanzas. When I posted it in my writing group as my contribution for the day I said “I have no idea what this is, but I know it’s not done.” My friends in the group were in love with the piece, thought it was complete and move onto the next day’s challenge.
On June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson died. The news reports of his passing they mentioned all the charity work he had done, how wonderful an entertainer he was and how we he was accused of child molestation. Four days later I posted the completed version of that poem. The piece addresses how the media creates heroes/stars and then goes about destroying them. I tell this story to encourage every poet to take the challenge and count the pieces you don’t think are complete as part of it, you never know when the spark to make it something come out of it.
Useful links:
Learn about the history of National Poetry Month
Need a spark: Writing Prompts from Girl Genius
Try a new style Poetic Forms
Other ways to celebrate
Let’s get to writing
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