April is National Poetry Month: Good Poems

The tradition around here in April has been to celebrate National Poetry Month by posting a poem a day.  This year I am going to change that up just a bit. I have an ever growing collection of poetry anthologies  to share.  This month I will share a book recommendation and a poem each day.  If you ever need or want even more poetry, check my April archives or click poetry on my subject cloud. If you want to learn even more visit the National Poetry Month part of Poets.org here.

The first anthology I chose is Good Poems selected and introduced by Garrison Keillor. This anthology is a collection of poems he has shared on The Writer's Almanac on Public Radio. It is a nice mix of classic poets side by side with contemporary poets. The book is divided into categories which include Music, Day's Work, A Good Life, Trips, and Snow. The poem I chose to share today is in the section called Oh Lord.

Welcome Morning

 There is joy
in all:
in the hair I brush each morning,
in the Cannon towel, newly washed,
that I rub my body with each morning,
in the chapel of eggs I cook
each morning,
in the outcry from the kettle
that heats my coffee
each morning,
in the spoon and the chair
that cry "hello there, Anne"
each morning,
in the godhead of the table
that I set my silver, plate, cup upon
each morning.

All this is God,
right here in my pea-green house
each morning
and I mean,
though often forget,
to give thanks,
to faint down by the kitchen table
in a prayer of rejoicing
as the holy birds at the kitchen window
peck into their marriage of seeds.

So while I think of it,
let me paint a thank-you on my palm
for this God, this laughter of the morning,
lest it go unspoken.

The Joy that isn't shared, I've heard,
dies young.

~ Anne Sexton ~