- Brewed in April, good all year round

 I think this counts as me at my raw, unpasteurized best.

April is national poetry month in Canada and the USA. Understandably, another token month of celebration might not mean much to you but I take poetry month very seriously (or at least as seriously as I might take mango appreciation month if that was a thing). Partly out of devotion to the craft and partly to distract myself from the lingering remnants of winter, I like to set myself a personal challenge for poetry month. This year I wrote 30 in 30.

Writing this many poems in a month entails working too fast to edit, avoid repetition, style properly or to rein in on the experimentation. That last sentence is basically my disclaimer that while I feel accomplished now, I might hate most of these poems in a month's time. Maybe I won't. I call this Chicken Scratch since my handwriting is often illegible and these are quick scribbles of poems. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy them. There are already a few that I've read over and over and still remain entertained.

In a sense, April and I have teamed up to give myself a gift and I'm going to enjoy it. Even though the month is done and it's supposed to be too late, Care to celebrate with me?