Apparently, April is National Poetry Month. A friend suggested a challenge to write a poem every day of this month. A challenge indeed! With how much I overthink my poetry, such an attempt would likely do considerable harm to my brain and my marriage. Yet, the challenge inspired me to loosen up a little more and practice not agonizing over my poetry – to write a few smaller poems.

So here are two such poems that I wrote the first week of April while at Lake Ontario with my wife for our anniversary. I am hoping to write more as the time allows, but I will post these ones while they exist.

April Poem I

Someone cut the earth in two,
I see its bleeding, blurry edge
Of blended blues and billowed clouds
And blustered crowds of endless waves
Streaming from the planet's side
As blowing wind or brashy tide,
Crash, crash, splashing wide.
Yes, I see you're sullen, sir,
And so would I so sliced inside,
But your horizon lines are sweet
To me who sits so far away,
So crisply cut with colored light
And marbled clear in blue and white.

April Poem II
Seeing an Otter on Good Friday

We saw one swimming, long and sleek,
Small and long with earthy fur,
Returning from a morning search
Successfully, it seemed to be.
A silver slip of helpless fish
Was bouncing in its little jaw,
And all I saw upon that mammal,
Friend of both the land and water,
Was a love, a rescue-love,
A love to save a fish from sea.
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