National Poetry Month

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events. You may click the title of this article to go to their web site!

Here on my blog, I'll be showcasing various poets I have met online. No, I'm NOT a poet, but I enjoy reading those who can put beautiful words together in such a fashion. And, sometimes, just sometimes, I am inspired to write in response to those words.

To kick off the month, in addition to using his latest poem as an introduction to the month (see yesterday's poem - write a responsive poem, if you wish and I'll post it along with mine sometime this month.

Thomas Kemp, known online to many as YourPoetIs has written both a novel and a poetry book and is now working on his next poetry book. I met Thomas online and bought his book. He now claims that I fell "in love with his words." I suppose I did, because he's been sharing his words with me for many years and I've worked to ensure that his spelling is corrected and his manuscripts are prepared for submission! I'm his poem depository! LOL

Anyway, today I'm sharing two of his poems from his first book, Your Poet Is... These are two of my favorites...I chose, since I have all of his poems on my computer! But he has given me permission, so don't worry, he gets the credit!

A Picture or Two

I fell in love with a picture or two,

a smile and two beautiful eyes

I fell in love with a woman

and then discovered

it was you.

I fell in love at a distance ...

thank God.

I knew that if you were any closer

it would be so hard to dream and write
And heal the old ridges and wrinkles
left over from loving another woman
who left me wounded and beaten.

Some of the sages say

love is a savage who decrees portions

of starry nights and warm hands

and snow and ice to cling to our lips.

I fell in love with a picture or two

I fell in love with you.

refrain...

~~~

A Woman’s Mind

I shamefully discovered late in life
The area between a woman’s legs won’t speak.
A woman’s mind must tell of her passions,
First to her inward self,
And, when it’s understood, then
The intercourse of all pleasure becomes new
For both her and me.

~~~

Copyright Thomas Kemp