Three Poems to Celebrate National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. The Faulk Central Library is celebrating with a 1st floor poetry book display announced by a large computerized image of Walt Whitman, who said in Leaves of Grass:

Thou reader throbbest life and pride and love the same as I,
Therefore for thee the following chants.

I chose three 2006 collections of poetry from Central’s new book shelves, and found three short poems or “chants” to share with you. Please see the catalog to place a hold on the titles.

The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea by Mark Haddon 2006 Vintage

Midas

You rarely hear the prologue-
Where ants are marching from the window
to the crib, each one carrying
a grain of wheat to feed the infant king.

the meaning of the story still unwrapped,
the picture fresh as water in a clay jug
or a hot loaf not yet frozen solid
by the king’s greed.

The Republic of Poetry by Martin Espada 2006 W.W. Norton

Advice to a Young Poet

Never pretend
to be a unicorn
by sticking a plunger on your head


The Wanton Sublime by Anna Rabinowitz 2006 Tupelo Press

from THUNDER, SWEET LONGING

Love me loudly or in whispers,
Love me so long, deep night
Is aware of me
And breaks
Into day with a seamless song…

Please visit APL’s Online Database page to find your favorite poem full-text in Litfinder.