April is National Poetry Month, and I am going to spend this month sharing some of my favorite poems and poets, as well as some original poetry of my own. I cannot guarantee something new every day, but a concerted effort will be made. Because words are power. And words strung together create more and more power. And with that power comes inner strength. With that power comes the courage to share our stories. With that power comes more connection, more community, and more power.
April 1: Nobody’s Joking
Nobody’s joking when the news shows
horror after horror after horror
Stories we won’t read because they scare us
unfold every day across our screens
Death and destruction
Murder and chaos
A never-ending cycle of images
stark red against a black background
Inner inhumanity at war with fragile souls
lurking and waiting to be pieced back together
Nobody’s joking when the winds howl
uprooting ancient trees and with them ancient dreams
Memories lost forever in the moonlight
whipped away by forces we cannot withstand
Nature finds a way nature found a way
despite our attempts to pave away the wildness
Cracks form in streets in homes in lives
small at first but ever-widening as time takes its toll
Nobody’s joking when their heart is breaking
from neglect from misuse from misunderstanding
The strongest muscle beats against a fragile soul
setting the pace for whatever is next
Risk and reward await just beyond the fear
beyond the winding curves where you can no longer see
The rubble left in the wake of rebirth becomes
the stones gathered to stand atop and find the path
-emilybedwell 4/1/23