Ross Gay reads
Poet Ross Gay reading at CSU in May, 2018

Thank You by Ross Gay

If you find yourself half naked
and barefoot in the frosty grass, hearing,
again, the earth’s great, sonorous moan that says
you are the air of the now and gone, that says
all you love will turn to dust,
and will meet you there, do not
raise your fist. Do not raise
your small voice against it. And do not
take cover. Instead, curl your toes
into the grass, watch the cloud
ascending from your lips. Walk
through the garden’s dormant splendor.
Say only, thank you.
Thank you.

We’ve loved having monthly themes here on the blog. February was Black History Month, an opportunity to profile amazing authors, scholars, educators, and speakers who enrich our studies, our understanding, and our lives. Then March was Women’s History Month, a chance to honor the wisdom, innovation, determination, creativity, compassion, humor, and strength of female authors, scholars, educators, and speakers.

April is National Poetry Month. The Academy of American Poets started the party in 1996, and it’s become the largest literary celebration in the world. The Academy of American Poets hoped it would:

  • highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets,
  • encourage the reading of poems,
  • assist teachers in bringing poetry into their classrooms,
  • increase the attention paid to poetry by national and local media,
  • encourage increased publication and distribution of poetry books, and
  • encourage support for poets and poetry.

We couldn’t agree more with those goals, and plan to help the cause by featuring poets and poems here on the blog for the whole month of April. If you can’t wait for our first post tomorrow, here are some places you could go right now and find out more about poetry and poets, as well as read some great poetry: