Limerick Ode To National Poetry Month

April 1st is coming. Are you excited yet? No, I’m not talking about April Fool’s Day, although that’s pretty cool too. But April 1st is also the start of a month-long celebration of poetry in the U.S.A. — National Poetry Month (not to be confused with World Poetry Day.) Many online poets celebrate by writing a poem each day, and they announce their poetic participation over at NaPoWriMo.

So will I be writing a limerick a day in April? Damn right … with the occasional haiku, tanka, quatrain, or butterfly cinquain thrown in to spice things up. And of course I’ll be posting my weekly Limerick-Offs and Limerick of the Week contests every Sunday or Monday.

Here’s my Limerick Ode To National Poetry Month:

Limerick Ode To National Poetry Month (April 2011)
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Dear poets, it’s time to prepare
For our April-long poetry fair.
We’ll write verse ev’ry day.
Not on Tax Day? Okay.
Just be sure that you read, write, and share.

Here are some good poetry sites that plan to celebrate National Poetry Month in a big way with daily prompts: Big Tent Poetry and Poetic Asides. Additionally, Writers Island will be providing a daily spot to post your April poems. And if that’s not enough, some sites offer daily prompts all year long, such as The Teachers Corner and Dodge Writes.

Moreover, New York City is holding two poetry contests in honor of National Poetry Month: NYC’s second annual Twitter poetry “Poetweet” contest and its “Poem In Your Pocket Day NYC” Facebook page “Envelope Project.”

If you know of any other National Poetry Day events, contests, and/or prompts, feel free to post them here in the comments section. Thanks!

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13 Responses to “Limerick Ode To National Poetry Month”

  1. Amanda says:

    Thanks for the news I am shooting for a poem a day! Also cool on the butterfly Cinquain never tried one looks like tremendous fun!

  2. Thanks for all those great links. I will ahve to check some of them out.
    Thank you to Madeleine for stopping by and saying hi and leaving a post. I apperciate it.
    Blessings

  3. wolfsrosebud says:

    Celebrating the poet in all of us…

  4. brian says:

    nice…hooked up with a group for accountability on a poem a day in april…should be a fun month!

  5. Mama Zen says:

    Tax Day calls for a whole different kind of creativity.

    Nicely done!

  6. Versebender says:

    Great call to arms…or pens, or whatever. Not prolific enough to write one-a-day, but looking forward to reading yours. Write on, sister! Vb

  7. Josie says:

    A great limerick letter announcing a wonderful month-long campaign to promote poetry! Poetry feeds the soul!

  8. pamela says:

    Madeleine, love the limerick, it is going to be a crazy month of writing poems and look forward to reading some wonderful verse.
    Are you from NY? I am a New Yorker, now south of the border.

    Pamela

  9. Olivia says:

    yay!!!
    Very well said lady!! yay!!

    Your limericks are so much fun to read.. I almost forward to taste yet another creative delight..

    Very well- let’s celebrate thenn.. Hugs xx

  10. Victoria says:

    I’m so grateful for the info on the challenges available for April. Now I just have to decide which one to take. Thanks, Mad

  11. madkane says:

    Thanks everyone for your kind words! I hope everyone has a great National Poetry Month! I’m really going to try to write a poem a day. :)

    And Pamela, I live in New York City (Bayside Queens) and grew up on Long Island (Massapequa Park).

  12. JL Dodge says:

    Great post Mad… We look forward to each !
    JL&B

  13. madkane says:

    Thanks, JL!