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By now you know that April is National Poetry Month, but do you know that today is Poem in Your Pocket Day? This special day to celebrate poetry was begun in April 2002 in New York City. In 2008, The Academy of American Poetry shared this initiative with the rest of the country and encouraged participation.

This year, more than others, I believe it’s important to honor the place of poetry in our country, our homes and our hearts. We find ourselves sharing a common enemy, trying to survive in a unique historical time, searching for ways to navigate a “new normal”. Words have power. Poetry has a magical way of communicating deep feelings in a concise, clever manner. Poems can uplift, explain, reveal, unravel the breadth and depth of our experiences and feelings. Poems can tell stories, save memories. Poems can touch our hearts and ease our minds. So, today, won’t you take a few minutes to celebrate the gift of poetry in your life and encourage your family to do the same? Here are few suggestions…

Participating in Poem in Your Pocket Day

• Write a poem
• Share a poem you love or a poem you’ve written
• Read a poem aloud to someone special
• Record and share yourself reading a poem and post it online
• Create a drawing to accompany a poem you love.
• Play a game: Give each player a certain amount of time to find or write poems. The one who comes back with the most poems, wins the game.
• Use your creativity to come up with other ideas.

In the spirit of day, I am proud to share a poem written by my grandson, Patrick…

Even though we are in this mess,                                                                                                  We can still find things to play, like chess.

I know the Quarantine is getting boring.                                                                                        But at least we get to do some extra snoring.

Right now, I know, we have to distance.                                                                                          But I guess this is kind of a good experience.

Just a reminder that tomorrow I will announce the two winners of this book. Anyone who has become a follower of this blog during the month of April will be eligible to win a copy and another copy will go to readers who have followed this block prior to April. FOLLOW by midnight tonight to participate.

Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day, Everyone!