Greetings, readers!  April is a very special month.  Since 1996 it has been designated as National Poetry month.  What is poetry?  Poetry is one of those simultaneously almost indescribable and altogether wonderful expressions of humanity.

Like visual art (graphics design, pastel, charcoal, paint, sculpture, ink, and more), poetry comes in many different shapes and forms.  Some are very formulaic and require a precise and meticulous formation.  But often master poets and amateurs alike adopt a more free flowing style.

You don’t need an English literature degree to appreciate poetry.  Like art, to the expert eye a poem may hold additional meanings, but much of interpretation is a personal journey.

Poems are best enjoyed out loud.  Though some may be embarrassed at first, you will find that they are the perfect accoutrement for your journeys to the coffee house, your nights camping in the woods, etc.

You can write your own poems.  But you can also find great meaning and self expression in the poems of others!  Much like you may be drawn to certain quotes, certain poems can sum up a indescribable sea of emotions in a careful procession of prose.

Detroit Chic is looking for volunteers who would like to share a poem of their creation with our community in honor of National Poetry Month.

As it would be unfair to hold you to a standard I can not fulfill my self, I’ll act as your first volunteer and try to contribute on a weekly basis.

For me poetry is something very near and dear to my heart.   I’ve been writing poems since my teenage years.  I still remember going to poetry workshops at my local library.  As I grew older in my teenage years, I felt embarrassed by those experiences.  ”Poetry” wasn’t exactly a cool thing to be into like “music” or “sports” — not at my high school, at least.

But as I grew older I came to appreciate how truly “cool” personally connecting with and celebrating poetry is.  There’d be no music, without a sense of poetry, and no one can deny music is about as cool as it gets!

I’ll admit I don’t always make time for poetry any more.  But I’m very grateful for its impact on me, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without it.

To kick off the celebration of poetry month, I will share with you a poem I wrote today.  I wrote it soon after driving by a melting patch of snow, while listening to NPR’s discussion of Libya and the transition of leadership…