27 years ago the Academy of American Poets launched National Poetry Month in April 1996. National Poetry Month celebrates poets’ integral roles in our culture and the fact that poetry matters. The success of Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March led to the initiation of this month long celebration of poetry in April. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K–12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, families, and—of course—poets, marking poetry’s important place in our lives.
I enjoy poetry. One of my favorite movies is “Dead Poet’s Society,” and John Keating, the teacher extraordinaire in this movie shared these words to his students:
“We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
Poetry, like music, painting, sculpting, is entirely human. It is carving your emotions, your life, your story into something that is entirely your own. It is a condensation of language which demonstrates an exceptionally high amount of skill and presence of mind.
I recently stumbled across this poem, “Purple,” by Kwame Dawes. It spoke to me immediately. When little grandson gets bigger, I plan to take him on walks around the neighborhood, in parks, through the woods, around the city, wherever the wind takes us, and teach him about plants and birds and flowers, the sun and sky, the wonder of the big beautiful world in which we live. With his little hand in mine, he will learn from me and I will see the world through his wonder-filled blue eyes.
We need professionals with the soul of a poet, who can reach out and touch the heart of the people they are working with, for, or serving.
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