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 23 -
Students - It is funny to think about how different foods make different sounds. Milkshakes and soup and spaghetti are slurpy, potato chips and pretzels and certain cookies are crunchy. This poem celebrates the crunchiness of potato chips and also how LOUD potato chips are in my head. I thought of four different words to describe the sound of the chips (onomatopoeia), and I took the photograph with a pile of veggie chips as this is all we have in the house right now.
Today's poem ends with a question. Have you ever ended a piece of writing with a
question? It can be an interesting way to leave a wonder hanging in the
air. The wonder might be a serious wonder, or the wonder might be a bit of a silly wonder as mine is here.
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.
Listen to your food. What is your food telling you?
xo,
a.
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