Shhhhh! don't tell anyone....

....but guess what's coming up?  Yup - here, in this little corner of the universe, I will be celebrating the 5th annual Poetry Challenge!!!!!!!!!!!
I know, I know - it's hard to believe that there have been five years of this going on, and just in case there are a couple people out there who don't know what I'm doing, Here's the explanation:

Every day of the month of April, I have to create and share an original poem.  If circumstances mean that I have to miss a day, I have to make that day up.  Very rarely, I will simply share something that I wrote a long time ago, but has never seen the light of day.  I try to NOT make that happen very often.

What's the point of this?  I'm glad you asked.  Writing is a journey - whether it's poetry, journaling, blogging, noveling, or what have you.  The point is that it's a journey for the writer.  I publish it here because it's a small way in which I can invite you, the reader, to journey with me.  But it's more than that.  If you're reading this, you are now cordially invited to not only read along with me, but to write and participate along side me as well.  No, I do not ask that you take up the same challenge (though it WOULD be rather neat, yes?)  But maybe once a week, or at least share a poem or two that you enjoy.  Since most people will likely be connecting through facebook to this blog - post a poem on your page.  Fill yourselves and the world up with good things - like poetry!

I can hear it now:  "But, dude, I just don't "get" poetry."  If you like any words to any song - or at least know any - then you get, and possibly like, poetry.  If you've ever been in awe of something, you understand poetry.  Poetry is about emotion, the senses, and just getting in touch with the world on both the physical and philosophical planes.  It can be serious, silly, disgusting, sappy, enlightening, mysterious, inspirational....the list goes on.  If you've ever had any feelings like this, you not only "get" poetry - you've lived it!

But, not everyone is a writer, and not everyone wants to take up this challenge.  So, I offer you another alternative.  Challenge me.  Give me a category, an emotion - whatever - to write about, and I shall do my darnedest to include it this year's batch of poetry.  Please not, this is NOT a "stump the writer" challenge, where you say, "Write about a smurf, coffee, international phone rates, and the price of gold futures." I mean - I COULD - but that's extraordinarily silly.  I've had requests for lullabyes before, and a few general "moods"...let's keep it to stuff like that, shall we??  Thanks!  I look forward to any requests you may have!!!

Thanks for reading,
The Fat Kid