April 2025 National Poetry Month: A Shared World

By Ardent Brownfield

The month of April brims with new beginnings. It holds space for every creature to slough off that which no longer serves it. It bears witness to the cycles of nature. The seed sprouting, the breaking of the earth. The anthesis of a flower, a singular pop of color. The migration of grey whales along the pacific coast of the Americas. Brown bears rising from their deep slumbers like the heads of rhododendrons in the Himalayan foothills. The melodious cry of the Wood Thrush. It is a welcome respite of rebirth and renewal after a lingering winter’s darkness. Poetry has often been considered the perfect salve for such brumal times and, like April, has a unique way of ushering in the light.

This year, in celebration of nearly 30 years since National Poetry Month’s denomination, the Academy of American Poets invites us to reflect on the cozy artwork of New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Christy Mandin and the gorgeously rendered poem, "Gate A-4" written by former Young People's Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye. She writes,

And I looked around that gate of late and
 
Weary ones and I thought, This

is the world I want to live in. The shared  

World. Not a single person in that  

gate—once the crying of confusion

stopped—seemed apprehensive

About

Any other person.

Nye’s humanitarian spirit bleeds through these lines. Her voice, a call in the dark: “Not everything is lost”. She reminds us that we can choose to be open in a world that sometimes feels as though it’s closing up around us. A world that is segregating itself. That we are still here, we are still human, and we are still capable of immense tenderness and compassion in the face of hardship.

“April” is thought to come from the Latin word aperire—meaning “to open”. It calls forth the image of the opening, or blossoming, of the flower and the tree. But perhaps there is more to it than that. Perhaps it asks of us to open ourselves as well. To open our minds and hearts to the suffering and the kindness of others. To find beauty in the quotidian. To find wonder in our shared world. 

Happy National Poetry Month, Chattanooga State!

Celebrate Poetry Month and the art of openness with us by:

• Sharing your favorite poem on our National Poetry Month Instagram post @chattstatelibrary.
• Checking out a book of poetry from our library in person or online.
• Taking a walk on the River Walk and writing a poem about something you see.
• Getting involved in different community led literary events.
• Learning about your state poet laureate.
• For more ideas check this out!