I found inspiration to come back from my long and unannounced blog vacation thanks to one of my fellow kid lit bloggers, Gregory K. at GottaBook.

 He is hosting the 2011 edition of  30 Poets/30 Days  in which he will feature a previously unpublished poem (or two!) each day for the month of April.

I can’t think of a better way to expose our children to a little bit of poetry this month. I have already printed out today’s poem and have placed it by the spot where the girls will sit for breakfast.

If you want to do the same, check out Greg’s blog. And here’s today’s entry (by one of my favorite poets!) to get you going…

April is the Coolest Month
by Douglas Florian

It’s said April’s the cruelest month,
But I say it’s the coolest month.
The grass grows green.
The flowers bloom.
Most all the outdoor sports resume.
The weather warms.
The terns return.
On nature walks we talk and learn.
There’s no more ice.
There’s no more snow.
The creeks and brooks and rivers flow.
It’s time to fish
Or climb a tree.
It’s when we worship poetry.
And April’s when
Our tax is due.

Perhaps it is the cruelest, too.