National Poetry Month has come to an end for 2014 but the poetry lives on. It has been an interesting and fun month for me, with the 30 for 30 Project providing me daily poetic sustenance. A poem a day – each day a different voice, each voice a difference perspective, each one a different approach. From the very formal to the somewhat experimental. From the sestina to the cento .What better way to celebrate poetry! To read, to listen, to explore. And to share.
One of my goals in this project was to keep as much distance as I could. Rather than choose what poems to publish here, I let each poet choose for themselves what they wanted to present. Rather than “reject” something for some editorial reason (subject matter, style, etc.). I allowed each poet to present what he or she wanted to. Length did not matter. Nor did political perspective. Nor did the poetic approach. What mattered to me was a mingling of voices that shared in a common purpose. The only guidelines were: nothing racist, nothing sexist. Because poetry should and does, in most cases, transcend hatred.
I thank the poets who so graciously agreed to participate. I don’t know how to repay their generosity. It was a simple idea but one that was met with enthusiasm and gratefulness. I can’t tell you how many thanked me for doing this. But it is I who must thank them for entertaining my whims.
And for those of you who stopped by daily to see what was going on, I also thank you. I hope you have appreciated the variety and quality of the poems I was privileged to present. And I hope you will continue to stop by, to participate in future projects, to contribute as you wish.
I have displayed the titles of all the poems published during the month of April on the side bar of this page. With the exception of “The Twa Sisters” (Child #10), they are all original pieces. Please take a moment to review the poems and then vote for your favorite.
Thank you and best wishes.
