In honor of World Poetry Day on this beautiful second day of spring, I would normally sing the praises of daffodils from William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” with something like “And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.”  But, not today.  Instead, I will reveal some of my very own personal (and hesitantly shared) poetry from my private world.  Please be gentle with my unversed verse.

Ducking Laundry on this Second Day of Spring

Dirty Dishes in the sink from yesterday’s dinner
piled high,
wait for me.
Oh formidable Laundry Mountain,
you smirk,
and wait for me.
Defiant, I go about my day,
ignoring your stares.
Rather, I inhale the swirling perfume of
meandering jasmine
from the garden.
Rather, I gaze upon the soft dancing ripples
of the lake,
nudged just so by a gentle murmur from the wind.
Its ripples reflect and dance
on the ceiling
as I sip jasmine tea.
I wonder about the ducks
floating lazily there.
I wonder about the geese
waddling across the close cut grass.
I wonder if they see me,
sipping my tea,
ignoring the dishes and laundry.

—  Yen Graney

How will you honor World Poetry Day?  Will you recite your favorite Shakespeare line such as “to thine own self be true” or give a nod to Walt Whitman as you “sound (your) barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world?”  Or, dare I say, go outside your comfortable world and create your own original verse?  Be brave.  Be you.  Be poetic.