First off, let me say that I believe poetry matters. It distills human experience and serves it up in the best language it can find. It may make us slow down in order to really get the flavor of the words, but in return it pulls back the curtain and gives us a glimpse into the mystery of being alive or lets us see something ordinary in a whole new way.

The Academy of American Poets recently shared this poem by an 11-year-old from Michigan named Charlie.  Charlie already knows something about the lure of poetry and its rewards.

Poems open your eyes
Secret things become visible
Another world waiting for you to explore
Tell
Me what you find
Let curiosity take over

And if Charlie will share his, so will I.  I wrote this whimsical little poem on an April day some time ago. It’s called “Spring Fling”:

Your turn. Go ahead. Write a poem.  Share it with someone.  Or read some. You’ll find plenty on-line. Or go browse the poetry section of a good bookstore and treat yourself to a book that speaks to you. Savor it. Read your favorites to somebody you love. Memorize one.

Don’t be a stranger to poetry.  It’s your birthright.

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Have you ever looked at something ordinary–something you’ve glanced at hundreds or thousands of times–and suddenly seen it as extraordinary? It’s almost as if I’ve just landed on this planet from some far-away galaxy and I see something as common as the trunk of a tree–in this case it’s a crape myrtle tree–and I think, “How lovely!” I understand for a moment just how miraculous it is to be alive. My friend Jose would say, abandoning himself to the moment, “Que bueno!”

If it’s happened to you, let it happen again today, maybe even right now.  If it’s never happened to you, hold still, take a deep breath, and look at something or someone familiar, as though you’re looking for the very first time.  Stay with the experience for a few minutes.  Enjoy.

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