In 6th grade

one of our class assignments was to memorize as much of Casey at the Bat as we could. I’m not a baseball fan and I already had my own favorite poems, so it felt like an unfair assignment. Decades later, I still remember pieces of the poem, but remain unconvinced that forced memorization has ever been the way to someone’s heart.

Music, on the other hand, has been able to open my heart and mind in incredible ways. And have you ever considered that song lyrics are poetry, too? (You’ll never persuade me that John Lennon isn’t equal parts poet and musician.) I’m always surprised by how many songs I know by heart. When it comes to expressing how I’m feeling about anything, there’s always a song to go with my mood—and it’s usually because of the lyrics instead of the notes. This April, for poetry month, let’s just agree that poetry can rock.

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