Welcome to the 13th 30 for 30 Poetry Celebration and National Poetry Month

It’s hard to believe that 13 years have gone by and that 30 for 30, a project I started on a whim, is still going strong. Every year, there are poets who tell me that they look forward each year to this event. And every year, in addition to the returning poets, there are always new ones showing up: new voices in the panoply of poetic expression.

This year’s theme —  Suddenly, a flower in a snowfield — comes after what was, for many of us, a hard winter. Not only was the weather horrendous, at least here in the mid-Atlantic, but the national deluge of disturbing news — from tariffs to ICE to the now unfolding war on Iran — left us with an insatiable desire for hope. And that’s what this year’s theme attempts to address.

Poetry, like all art forms, is an expression of humanity’s response to the events that surround us. War, peace, love, hatred — these are all emotions that find their way into the songs and poems, the sculptures and paintings that make up the human oeuvre. But, above all, it is hope that keeps us going — hope for new life, hope for a better tomorrow, hope for our children and grandchildren n a world where uncertainty seems to rule the day.

I hope that this year’s presentation of poems from far and wide brings you joy and helps you face the disturbing issues that seem to come to use each day with a sense that “this too shall pass.” This year, our poets range from North Carolina to Connecticut, from Wisconsin to California and places in between. Our sponsor, Potomac Review, is located in Maryland, And our esteemed judge, Michael Palma, originally from the Bronx, resides in Vermont.

Beginning tomorrow, you can enjoy a new poem each day by connecting to www.mikemaggio.net. Comment as you see fit. And, in the words of the late Jesse Jackson: “Keep Hope Alive.”

30 for 30 is sponsored by Potomac Review