National Poetry Break Day!

Stop what you’re doing! It’s time for a poetry break!  If you’re one of those folks who had less than pleasant experiences related to poetry while in school (which likely included a well-meaning teacher telling you what kind of poem to write and what it had to be about)… take heart! You are not alone!  And now it’s time to “do” poetry the way you want!

January is the perfect time to dig into poetry until you find something that moves you … makes you think, makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you angry, makes you wonder.  In the words of one of this country’s most notable poets, Dylan Thomas, “Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toe nails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own.”  Indeed!

So, head to the library and make your way to the 808 and 811 sections of the adult and juvenile areas. There’s no shortage of poems and poets to enjoy.  From Rumi to Silverstein and hundreds in between, we have the breadth and depth to inspire and move you.  So, take a break … find a poem of your own today!

Kathleen Ahern
Children's Librarian