Look Around—Here Is a Poem!

Welcome.VerseLove is Ethical ELA’s celebration of National Poetry Month each April—an invitation to write, read, and reflect together. New to VerseLove? Learn more: https://www.ethicalela.com/verselove

Our Host: Leilya Pitre

Leilya lives in Ponchatoula, LA, a small town celebrated for its strawberries and kind, generous people. She teaches and coordinates the English Education Program at Southeastern Louisiana University. Preparing future English teachers, she hopes they become caring, competent, and effective educators. She is an editor and contributing author of Where Stars Meet People: Teaching and Writing Poetry in Conversation. Her other books are devoted to teaching young adult literature in high school. Leilya loves people, cultures, and their rich traditions. She reads, writes, listens to music, visits her children and grandchildren, and enjoys traveling with her husband.

Inspiration

Welcome to Day 2 of VerseLove 2026! Some of you may already be wondering if you can write a poem every day this month. If that thought has crossed your mind, you’re not alone. But here’s the beautiful truth: poetry is everywhere, and I am not the only one who believes in this statement.

Last year, poet Mo Daley shared how the first week of daily writing felt daunting. But by week two, she began to notice poetry all around her: on walks with the dog, in car rides, at restaurants, and even in the kitchen.

If you’d like some inspiration before writing, here are a few of my favorite poems that find meaning and poetry in small, everyday moments:

• “A Blessing” by James Wright – a simple roadside moment with ponies becomes a moment of joy and connection.
• “Directions” by Billy Collins – a playful, tender reflection using the language of road directions.
• “Mindful” by Mary Oliver – a meditation on paying attention and honoring the ordinary world.

Process

Today’s invitation is to look at the world around you—from your immediate surroundings inside to outside of your window or on your path. Somewhere close a poem is waiting for you.
It might be:

• a road sign that made you laugh or pause
• a billboard with words that stuck with you
• a snippet of a conversation overheard
• a recent email, text, or phone call

Find the poem that’s hiding in plain sight. Let a road sign, billboard, or passing phrase spark today’s writing. Look for the poetry in the everyday little routines, your (or someone else’s) habits. You don’t need to go far—it might be right in front of you.

Write in any form that calls to you today: free verse, haiku, sonnet, or a list poem of signs and slogans that capture a moment, mood, or memory. As always, you are welcome to write about anything that feels true for you today.

Leilya’s Poem

Slow Down, Curve Ahead

Merge gently
the sign alerts,
as if it knows
how hard it is
to fold one life
into another.

Stay in lane —
as if we always could,
as if the heart didn’t wander,
signal flashing for exits
we’ll never take.

Caution: falling rocks
and yes, isn’t that life?
The loose edges,
the unexpected breaking,
the sudden heave
of something crashing
into your quiet drive.

Rest area, 2 miles —
and you think,
maybe that’s all we need:
two miles more
before we pull over,
before we let ourselves
breathe.

Your Turn

Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers.