Love this timely poem by Mary Oliver, which can be found in:

What Do We Know: Poems and Prose Poems
Mary Oliver

Paperback: De Capo Press, 2003.
Buy now:   [ Amazon ]  [ Kindle ]

 
*** Other Books by Mary Oliver

One of our most anticipated new book releases this week (see our list for more recommended books coming out this week) is:

Belmont: Poems
Stephen Burt

Paperback: Graywolf Press, 2013.
Buy now: [ Amazon ] 

Which hits bookstores today…

Here is a short video clip of Burt reading poems from this new volume (Courtesy of the LA Review of Books).

*** Other Books by Stephen Burt

Read our review (by Brett Foster) of
The Art of the Sonnet by Stephen Burt and David Mikics

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Today is the birthday of poet Nikki Giovanni…

A poem from

The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni

Hardback: Wm. Morrow, 1996
Buy now: [ Amazon ]

*** Other Books by Nikki Giovanni

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I love the imagery of “June Wind” by Wendell Berry, what a fitting poem for this time of year!

Found in the collection

Given: Poems
Wendell Berry

Paperback: Counterpoint, 2005.
Buy now:  [ Amazon ] [ Kindle ]

Free MP3 downloads of Wendell Berry Reading Seven Poems!

*** Other Books of Poems by Wendell Berry

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I Hear America Singing
Walt Whitman

Today is the Birthday
of Walt Whitman, born 1819

 
 
 
 
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand
       singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as
       he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning,
       or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work,
       or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day–at night the party of young
       fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

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NATURE
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tomorrow is the birthday of Ralph Waldo Emerson, born 25 May 1803

I

A subtle chain of countless rings
The next unto the farthest brings;
The eye reads omens where it goes,
And speaks all languages the rose;
And, striving to be man, the worm
Mounts through all the spires of form.

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A TIME TO TALK
Robert Frost

*** Books by Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven’t hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.

From the collection Mountain Interval, available here as a FREE ebook (Kindle/Nook/other formats) through Project Gutenberg.

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On this final day of National Poetry Month, we offer the following recap of posts in this month’s series of poets reading their work…

ALSO be sure to check out our list of 15 poetry classics that are available as FREE ebooks for Kindle/Nook…

• Allen Ginsberg Reading his Poem “A Supermarket in California”

• Mary Oliver Reading Four Poems

• Seamus Heaney Reading 3 Nature Poems

• Wendell Berry Reading an Untitled Poem
  

• Louise Glück reading her poem Crossroads

• Ted Kooser reading his poetry

If you enjoyed these, you might also be interested in last year’s recap of National Poetry Month…

For National Poetry Month, Former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser reading from his work…

***  Books by Ted Kooser

The latest in our series of poets reading their own work, former US Poet Laureate Louise Glück in honor of her 70th birthday today.

Crossroads

from the collection

A Village Life: Poems
Louise Glück
Paperback: FSG Books, 2010.
Buy now:  [ Amazon ]