As I strive to become a better listener and to connect more with my
sense of hearing, National Poetry Month 2026 finds me writing daily,
handwritten, index card poems inspired by sounds and listening.. I have begun a new
notebook to collect the sounds I notice throughout the month, and I will
reflect on them in short poems. My ears - and my heart - are open wide.
I invite you to join me in this project, on any of my projects from the past 16 years,
or on a project of your very own. To do so, simply write a
poem each day of April in any way you wish. Share or don't share, as
you wish. Your poems are your poems. Your projects are your projects.
And if you wish learn a bit more about writing poetry, I welcome you to
the short lessons in the tab above: COAXING POEMS VIDEOS - 2024.
National Poetry Month 2026 Poems
Here is poem 6 -
Students - Yesterday I was visiting my mom who lives in a busier neighborhood than we do. I found myself pausing on her front porch, listening to the sounds of traffic and people going to and fro. This made me consider writing a poem about car sounds, but then, in the night I began thinking about other people-moving sounds, and loved the idea of writing about a train. We have friends who live right near the tracks, and they know the trains' schedules. Where we live, we only hear a long old sigh from time to time, when the wind and air are just right. I am thankful for this tuning of my sound-attention, to the habit my April project is developing inside of me.
I did have a writing helper today...Winnie of the clicky picky heels! Here she is atop my desk, such a good furry poet.
Photo by Amy LV
To
learn about many of the wonderful National Poetry Month projects
happening online this April, visit the generous Jama Rattigan at Jama's Alphabet Soup.
Don't forget to listen to sounds that are close by...and sounds that are far away. All sounds are a part of your listening landscape.
xo,
a.
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Amy, I am catching up with your current poem project and LOVE this one! Listening takes in so many forms, depending upon where you are. It has me thinking about what listening means in schools forcing learners, what listening means when we listen with our hearts, what it means for those who are deaf, and so much more!
ReplyDeleteThis train poem took me back to West Falls and Jewetville, NY where a train used to surround the street where our family of 12 grew up. Those tracks held so many memories and have long since stopped running. I learned that someone there is trying to refurbish the old train ‘station’ house at the end of that road, Old Glenwood Road, and it might be fun for you to check that out as it isn’t too far from where you live. Thank you for sharing your gifts, my friend! Sheila