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Welcome to
But Does it Rhyme?
We're a small, but
hopefully growing, band of poets who like to
talk about our craft and share what we've
written. We'll highlight favorite poets, review
new books, and explore the process of writing
poetry from inspiration to conclusion. (We might
venture into essays and short fiction, too.) We
hope you'll like our blog — and contribute your
own thought and poems.
Sally Zakariya, Poetry Editor
Richer Resources Publications
Charan Sue Wollard
(LivermoreLit)
Kevin Taylor
(Poet-ch'i)
Sherry Weaver Smith
(SherrysKnowledgeQuest)
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Let the Poem Breathe
I don't often go to poetry readings, but I recently took part in an open mic at a bookstore not far from my house. Years ago I used to host a poetry night, and the one I just attended reminded me of something I had noticed way back when.Many poets have a tendency to read their stuff at lightening speed. I’m sure they don't do that when they read to themselves, but they do in front of a crowd. Perhaps it’s nervousness. At any rate, it deprives people in the audience of the chance to create the poem in their own minds. I read at a snail's pace in comparison. The poem breathes. It lives. It actually thinks.
I am a poet, but it requires an audience to create poetry. And an audience of one or many needs time to create. Imagine watching a movie at double speed. Not good. My recent reading had the audience sitting with their jaws dropped. Whether they got the poetry or not, I knew I had their undivided attention. Anyway, I know they got something because they crowded the table to talk to me at break. So if you don't already, make the time and take the time. Your work will arrive better.—Kevin Taylor
The Morning Rush
For a different look at speed, grab your coffee and read this poem:
Rush Hour
By Hajjar Amr
Eight o’clock in the morning and the sun is up
the morning rush has filled the streets
nose to nose vehicles so wildly colorful
the throes of glares—blares—weaving and
streaming
I love all of it and get high grazing on
flocks and flocks of people rushing to unlock
the day
the crisp collars—the sleek skirts—noses stuck
in air
ah! a burst of laughter here
oh! you so grim now—grin now!
stop and go at the changing green—orange—red
lights
the coffee stores on the side streets steaming
with
aromas of hairspray—eau de cologne—shower gels
yet the coffee beans confidently over and above
brewing hot strong caffeine spouting delicious
aroma of
the wake-up nectar of gods of all good things
for the day
waking sleepless minds—tired bodies all in a
rush
Hajjar Amr is a Virginia-based lecturer, spiritual leader, and published poet.
Grow a Month of Poems
Happy National
Poetry Month! Instead of April's flowers, why
not grow a poem a day as spring takes hold? If
this seems daunting, perhaps consider trying to
write haiku, only three lines. While haiku
classically had five syllables in the first
line, seven in the second, and five echoing in
the third, as writers in different languages
have adapted the original Japanese form, poets
have not necessarily followed this rule.
So take a spring walk, look for nature's
inspiration, and pen some lines. Finding a poem
can be as simple as watching your son or
daughter, a moment that struck me:
early spring morning
running up the hill to see
the mountain beyond
You might even find that it’s habit forming.—Sherry Weaver Smith
Read a Poem-a-Day
For even more
poetry inspiration during National Poetry Month,
sign up for publisher Alfred E. Knopf's
Poem-a-Day. Just enter your email in the left
sidebar at this
link to make poetry a daily habit in
April.
The publisher is even running a haiku contest,
so if you do create a portfolio of haiku, pick
up to five of your best. Then, send them to
KnopfHaikuContest@gmail.com along with your
email address by the end of April. Winners will
receive Knopf's latest compilation of classic
haiku poet Basho's work, Moon Woke Me Up Nine
Times: Selected Haiku of Basho, translated by
David Young. For details
see this site. Check out the great artwork
on the cover of this volume.—S.W.S.
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What Are You Writing?
Why should we get all the bylines? Submit your
latest poem—just one for now—and we’ll publish
the poems we like best in an upcoming blog post.
Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please
let us know if the poem is accepted or published
elsewhere. Send your poem, plus a few lines
about yourself, in the body of an e-mail message
to:
poetryeditor@RicherResourcesPublications.com