"Required reading" for today's smart writer.

"Required reading" for today's smart writer.
Information & inspiration to hone your craft and increase your cash...Since 2009

Friday, April 3, 2020

April is National Poetry Month* Read Some of Mine


Greetings, readers!

So significant in its impact, April marks National Poetry Month.
Established originally in 1996, by a proclamation from former President, Bill Clinton, National Poetry Month seeks to recognize the artistic contributions of poets and "spoken word" artists around the world.

Educational workshops, library readings, creative contests, and awareness activities will be sponsored throughout the month. You can learn more here:
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month.

According to the National Arts Endowment, poetry is more popular than ever before, with readership practically doubling in recent years.
It cites that “Poetry readers in the United states has nearly doubled from 6.7% in 2012 to nearly 12% in 2017.”

Though I have enjoyed a good deal of success penning pieces in various genres, poetry remains my first literary love. Today I'd like to share a few selections from my collection.
Hopefully you'll find them interesting or enjoyable.
Feel free to comment. Thanks for reading.


ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS…

BY: JENNIFER BROWN BANKS

On the other side/of this pandemic
There’s a message that persists
Perhaps
A divine lesson that exists
Beyond logistics?

Is it a wake up call
For us all?
A curse
For living outside
Of God’s laws?

A reminder 
To love kinder?
A warning to repent?
 Prelude
Of an apocalyptic event?

The dawning of a new day?

No one can clearly say…

But what I believe
For sure,
If we are to endure
And overcome this,
God must be the “cure”

For this situation 
Is truly demanding,
And exceeds our human capacity
For understanding,

So at the end of the day
Let us bow our knees
And humbly pray
This virus away


THE CORONA MANDATE




Stay at home,
Don’t be dumb,
Or to this virus
You might succumb--

Unless out buying
Tissue
Then 
Bring me some!



M.I.A. IN MAY!

(a Haiku)



Spring on hiatus
Mother Nature has forgot
To return from break




 FOR STRANGERS WHO LOVE BOOKS

We have never met
And yet are
Intimately connected,

Strangely,
Inextricably
Bonded

By the ecstasy
We share
Whenever words
Meet page

And our hunger
To know,
Explore,
Understand,
Escape,
Relate
Feel,

Is fed



Your turn.
Thoughts? Comments?



Image credits: Pixabay.com

10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Ingmar! It means a lot coming from you. :-)

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  2. Jen,
    These poems are right on point. Poetic excellence!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deb,
      Glad you enjoyed! Thanks so kindly for taking time to comment.

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  3. You do have a knack for poetry, Jen! Thanks for sharing with us. Btw, I scored some tp at the grocery store AND Dollar General this week. Since I'm shopping for my mil and us, that was a huge win. Feel free to stop by for a few rolls. :) Oh and congrats on your article in this week's Writer's Weekly! Good stuff. Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You scored tissue? Winner, winner chicken dinner!
      Leave my rolls in the guest room.
      Thanks dear. :-)

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  4. Love that little humor tidbit at the end of your first poem, so relevant for these days. Your words speak volumes.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jennifer,
    On the Other Sideof ..... spoke to me directly as I struggle to find, to understand the lessons in this unprecedented experience.
    Every day brings with it many lessons to learn and at times some confusion.
    In this tangled web, I accept that indeed God teaches us letter by letter, line by line and lesson by lesson and that I cannot progress to the next level if I fail to pick the lessons.
    Thank you.
    Jane Nannono

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great to hear from you all the way from Uganda, Jane.
      So true: each day brings new lessons. I felt compelled to write this poem in hopes of inspiring thought and introspection. My prayers are with you and yours. Take care.

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