April Activities and 2 FREE Poetry Books for National Poetry Month (Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing!)

Every year around this time I feel like a CPA (not that I can crunch numbers or anything) because April is to me like I guess it must be for them: CRAZY BUSY. Only I earn no fat paycheck. My reward is way better, though. It's the satisfaction of knowing that I did everything I could as a poet to honor National Poetry Month. And it's fun, too. Here are a few things I'll participate in this year. Read to the end and learn how you can win 2 free poetry books.

1. The Found Poetry Review's PoMoSco. Each day, poems found in different ways will appear on the PoMoSco site under my name. I hope to move up to top rank by the end of April. Maybe I can fulfill my Girl Scout Laureate Scout dreams.

2. Poetic Asides Poem-a-Day (PAD) Challenge. I always love this. Guest judges will select top poems for each day, which will then be compiled into a book courtesy of Words Dance Publishing.

3. Kelli Agodon's Big Poetry Giveway. This one is new to me and I'm thrilled about it. You can read the details below this picture. You can also participate if you'd like. Go to Kelli's blog and find out how. 

So everyone who signs up is giving away 2 poetry books. I'm giving away Helen Losse's Seriously Dangerous and my complete collection of poetry, Upon the Blue Couch. No matter where you live, if you win I'll ship these books to you for free! You must leave a comment with your email address to enter.

If you are reading this post, the giveaway has begun. Again, all you have to do is leave a comment below with your name and email address. You have until midnight April 30. I will draw a winner the first week of May. If you are interested in participating in the big poetry giveaway, check out this post or this one.

A little about myself now with borrowed interview questions from Kelli and Allyson Whipple.

Welcome! As you can see from the banner, my name is Laurie Kolp. I am a wife and mother of three children. I'm the president of Texas Gulf Coast Writers and am involved with the Poetry Society of Texas.

Last year I: Ran over 100 miles in 6 weeks.

I believe in UFOs and mermaids because I watched some documentaries that have me convinced!

I am always looking for chocolate.

People think I am sweet.

I recently cursed the oak trees in my yard (while bagging oak pollen) even though I LOVE them.

If I could live anywhere it would have to be tropical.

I do not do cartwheels anymore.

I am thankful for this sunny day.

I cheer for my alma mater Texas A&M... gig 'em.

To me, success is being happy with less.

My writing sometimes overpowers everything else.

I am most like a river.


Oh, yeah. In April, I'm also taking a poetry class, attending a week-long poetry retreat, speaking at a writer's meeting, attending readings, along with all the end-of-year activities for my three kids. Maybe I will feel as tired and drained as a CPA when April is over. It's so worth it, though.

What do you have planned for April?

Beyond Green

You can sit by a green river flowing 

beneath tourist-packed streets 

drink green beer, share stories 

about kissing the Blarney Stone

and four-leaf clovers 

found in fields of green 

stretching on and on and on 

like the depth of your green eyes 

luring me in with unspoken words of love

words I know I can make you say, change

the feelings you hide. When I look deep enough, 

I see a faint spark lurking in those green eyes. 

It calls to me, begs for me to pull it out 

from places deep within, the light 

before a train appears 

in a tunnel-vision mind

your mind, the spark 

I know is there.