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Back to letter-blogging!  Yes, April is National Poetry Month!  I know I’m a couple of days early with this post, but I thought I’d share some of my favorite poems so that you get inspired to think about YOUR favorite poems this coming month.

My all-time favorite poet is Shel Silverstein.  Laugh if you will, because that’s what his poems are all about!  Good stories, great rhythms, captivating imagery, and lots of giggles… I find him fabulous after all these years.  One of my favorites has always been "Sick".  Any child (or adult) who’s had the urge to skip school (or work) for any reason will appreciate this one.  I also love "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout" (listen here).

Some good sites for poetry, silly or serious, adult-oriented or kid-oriented:

Poets.org

Poetry 180 

LION: Literature Online: Poets Onscreen (limited to people affiliated with a subscribing library - check at your local library)

Happy National Poetry Month! 

Amy and I, much to our surprise, made an offer on the first house we walked into.  It’s in a good location, has a big yard, and most importantly to me, has everything that was on our "must-have" list.  So we made an offer, it was accepted, and now we’re just waiting for the last inspection to be done (radon) so that we can execute the official purchase and sales agreement and set our closing date. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that all goes well from here on out. 

Photos of the place are in my Flickr account.  Check them out.  This is one of my favorites:

Last year, almost one year ago right now, my friend Sam was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer.  She’s a really amazing person - I knew this well before she was diagnosed.

What is most amazing about Sam is the amount of work she has done in the local (Philadelphia) area to raise awareness of ovarian cancer among younger women like her.  Because of her connections to her climbing gym, to Phillyknitters, and to the LJ community, she’s been able to get a lot of young women thinking about the symptoms of ovarian cancer.  She’s been instrumental in getting many women I know to go in for regular gynecological exams.

Later this year, Sam will be doing a benefit climb in Utah for the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation.  She’s trying to raise $7000 in donations.  If you know a woman who has had ovarian cancer, I urge you to donate any amount you can to Sam’s cause.  If you know a woman who might get ovarian cancer, I urge you to donate any amount you can to Sam’s cause.  If you know a woman who has had endometrial or uterine cancer, I urge you to donate any amount you can to Sam’s cause.  Your donation is 100% tax-deductible. 

Please help Sam raise this money - for her, for me, and for all the women and men out there who are touched in some way by these diseases.  Click on the button, follow the link, and give what you can today. 

And after you do that, come back here, and read about some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, and explore a whole website on understanding ovarian cancer.  Then go call your doctor and schedule your annual gynecological exam if you’re due or overdue for one.

First, the governor of South Dakota signed legislation to ban all abortions in the state.  Apparently a bunch of right-wing ya-hoos think it’s their right to decide what happens in women’s bodies.  Because, of course (note sarcasm), women can’t be trusted to make any sort of complex, moral decisions of their own.  I’m not sure if my desire to throw up is from my migraine or from my disgust at what’s happening all over the U.S.

Arlen Specter, I’m looking at YOU if Roe v. Wade somehow gets overturned.  You - one of the ONLY pro-choice Republicans out there - you will be responsible for abdicating your responsbility to not only your constituents in PA, but to all those people who are pro-choice but happen to live in predominantly Republican states with senators (men) who also think they have the right to tell me what to do with my uterus.  I will lay at your feet, Sen. Specter, the rise in unsafe, illegal abortions that will inevitably happen should South Dakota’s ban on abortions lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.  I don’t remember what it was like before 1973, but I have read the stories and accounts, and I have seen photos, and I know that where we might be headed is a dark place.  A very dark, scary place for women - women who will continue (as women always have) to decide to terminate pregnancies for their own personal reasons.  Only, if Roe v. Wade gets overturned, Sen. Specter, these women won’t be able to turn to places like Planned Parenthood - places where women are treated as the fully human moral agents that they are.  Instead they will have to sneak around like criminals.  For shame, South Dakota!  For shame, Sen. Specter!  Shame on all of you for potentially setting us on this path.

The second piece of sad news is in a completely different category.  One of my favorite baseball players, Kirby Puckett, died today of complications from a stroke at age 45.  He was a brilliant player, and despite his troubles after he retired from the Twins, I always held a little place in my heart for him, for giving all Twins fans a few reasons to cheer.  RIP Kirby Puckett.  1987 and 1991 will live on in my heart forever!