April is drawing to a close, a month proclaimed as the month of poetry in the USA almost 30 years ago, and it was not merely an empty declaration relegated to the pages of a newspaper. Throughout April, as all of America blooms with cherry trees, apple trees, magnolias, forsythias, and dogwoods, hundreds, if not thousands, of poetry-related events take place, including meetings with poets, poetry readings, open mic nights, contests, and more. This year, the Polish community in New York has had numerous opportunities to celebrate poetry even before April. Julia Fiedorczuk visited our city, followed by Tomasz Różycki, and finally Jerzy Jarniewicz – all three outstanding poets whose verses resonate deeply within the minds and hearts of their audience. Those who had the opportunity to attend gatherings with these three poets know that each was a true celebration of poetry.
A few years ago I was asked to write a few words – what poetry means to me and how I understand it. I didn’t want to limit myself to the ever-handy cliché. I wrote something personal that I hope doesn’t come across as kitsch…
How To Be a Poet
Many years ago, in the distant 1970s, an outstanding Polish poet of the postwar generation, practically unknown to the American reader, Edward Stachura, wrote:
“Everything is poetry, everyone is a poet. To grasp this truth, I was slowly led by what I had seen, heard, recognized, noticed, or sensed, what was cursed and blessed, and what I read here and there. Everything is poetry; everyone is a poet.”
Czwarte Miejsce 