Fueled a poem by Marcie Hans
from the book The Green Earth
Debra Oldenburg
Preschool Outreach Coordinator
Fueled
by a million
man-made
wings of fire---
the rocket tore a tunnel
through the sky---
and everybody cheered.
Fueled
only by a thought from God---
the seedling
urged its way
through the thickness of black---
and as it pierced
the heavy ceiling of the soil---
and launched itself
up into outer space---
no
one
even
clapped.
April is National Poetry Month. How long has it been since you pondered a powerful poem? Perhaps you have not even considered reading poems since your last school assignment! How many years ago was that? Poems have a unique way of touching our emotions and of bringing visual imagery to our minds. Poems also tend to stay with us. When you see rain in April do you remember the short poem from your youth about April showers bringing May flowers? I do. My imagination goes so far that I even see night crawlers along the sidewalks and people walking with dripping umbrellas.
When searching for a poem to use in this article I looked in many poetry books at the library. You can find them in the adult and children’s departments in the 800 section. There were poems of all lengths and styles and written about more topics than you can imagine. I was looking for one with reference to Spring. Earth Day is also celebrated in April so something about the wonder of our planet would fit in also. Poets seem to be prolific; there were a lot of Spring poems to select from. The one I selected touched me and seemed to reflect the miracle and glory of spring. It also reflects upon the majesty of the earth that we tend to forget, the sheer power of creation.
Why not spend some time brushing up on some poetry? Refresh your spirit with the beauty and play of words. You will find some poems that are just plain silly and will make you laugh. Others will tell a story or share a memory. There are gushy, mushy love poems, tragic epics, funny limericks and short little haikus. Share them with someone and read them aloud. When you are finished reading, take up a pencil and write your own. You may be a poet and not even know it!
