Powerful Prose and Poetry

If I had been more on top of things last month (and had kept up with my blogging friends), I would have known that it was National Poetry Month. I believe I did hear of it briefly and thought it might be fun to write a poem (especially given the incentive from Lucy's fabulous venture into poetry as a new experience for 2009). However, I quickly nixed that idea, since poetry for me is something that only comes when I am really beset by strong emotions and then it is usually not something I am ready to share with the world at large.

Tonight, I have been catching up on my blog-friend, Amy's blog. She calls herself the English Geek and I feel a certain kinship with her. When I visit her blog, it often reminds me of why I was a literature major in college and why I wanted to be an English teacher. It is also a plus that now she is a librarian and I am feeling a tug in my heart to lean that direction instead of returning to teaching when my little ones enter school full-time.

I have been blown away by her posts from the month of April. I can't even direct you to just one post. I want you to share in all of them (although, if pressed for time, I've narrowed it down to five: April 6, 7, 8, 18, 23). My favorite thing about her April posts is that so many of them reflect on her own personal experiences and then tie in with an outstanding poem. I had forgotten how much I love reading poetry (I'm really not too good at writing it, although I did love writing poems when I was in high school). Amy's prose, discussing the poetry, is every bit as much a fine literary experience as the poetry. Thanks, Amy, for reminding me of the power of poetry, even if I am a month late to the ball game.