It’s the first of April. I’ve been anxious for this month. Not only does a certain Immigration Reform march occur in 9 days, but today marks the beginning of a beautiful month. And baby, I’m talking National Poetry Month.

Last year, I spent the month writing poetry nearly every day as part of an every-day challenge at Simon’s Rock. This year, as part of a personal challenge, to poetry I go. Dearest-reader, you cannot fathom what pleasure poetry gives me. Performance poetry such as spoken word in particular is my favorite. Spoken word is poetry of these times: short, emotionally charged, and captivating. Spoken word must be heard, preferably live, but when an artist (like my beloved Andrea Gibson) is talented enough, the poem works on paper too, following tradition.

Adam Gottlieb explains my poetic love perfectly in his performance from the “Louder Than a Bomb” (2010) documentary, “Poet Breath Now.”

“poet breathe now because you might have something to say.”