March 21 is World Poetry Day. Take a moment to enjoy your favourite poem or poems. Write a few of your own. I was inspired to write a poem about poetry today by one of my favourite poems—How to Eat a Poem, by Eve Merriam. This is just one of many favourite poems in the book, Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle…, (Scholastic, 1966).

What is a Poem?

It is
     The hanging moment
          before the roller coaster plunges.
     The intake of breath
          as you drop a dozen free range eggs.
     The band around your heart
          at a friend’s funeral.
     The comfort
          of rain on a roof that does not leak.
     The burn in your thighs
          as you reach the mountain peak.
     The roar
          of fans at the football game
     The wind in your hair
          on a Sunday drive to the beach.
     The silence
          of a starry night sky.
     The rest
          at the end of a long day.