i believe that poetry is the most beautiful form of human creativity. every month i select my five favourites of the poems that i’ve read. they are often about hope and wonderment, the beauty of nature, and love for the world.

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ january

• this new year's morning, jane hirshfield ⟡
• little stones at my window, mario benedetti ⟡
• imaginary conversation, linda pastan ⟡
• gaining my self back, julia alvarez ⟡
• to begin with the sweet grass, mary oliver ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ february

• in time of daffodils, e.e. cummings ⟡
• the sun kept rising, louise glück ⟡
• you never hear the garden grow, lilian moore. ⟡
• let’s live suddenly without thinking, e. e. cummings ⟡
• there will come soft rains, sara teasdale ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ march

• in march the earth remembers, mary oliver ⟡
• bread and wine, friedrich holderlin ⟡
• bee! i'm expecting you, emily dickinson ⟡
• to an unread poet, david lessard ⟡
• if ever there were a day so perfect, billy collins ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ april

• april morning, jonathan wells ⟡
• spring comes quickly; overnight, louise glück ⟡
• they say that plants don't talk, rosario castellanos ⟡
• early morning; my birthday, mary oliver ⟡
• song of a second april, edna st. vincent millay ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ may

• the peace of wild things, wendell berry ⟡
• catbird, mary oliver ⟡
• we manage most when we manage small, linda gregg ⟡
• the continuous life, mark strand ⟡
• bloom is the result to meet a flower, emily dickinson ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ june

• in perpetual spring, amy gerstler ⟡
• this is what was bequeathed us, gregory orr ⟡
• the leaving, brigit pegeen kelly ⟡
• how happy is the little stone, emily dickinson ⟡
• when the green lies over the earth, angelina weld grimké ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ july

• out for a walk, friedrich holderlin ⟡
• on the grasshopper and cricket, john keats ⟡
• there is a gold light in certain old paintings, donald justice ⟡
• two mockingbirds, mary oliver ⟡
• this is my letter to the world, emily dickinson ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ august

• august of another summer, mary oliver ⟡
• small kindnesses, danusha laméris ⟡
• the world has need of you, ellen bass ⟡
• orchids are sprouting from the floorboards, kaveh akbar ⟡
• a bird came down the walk, emily dickinson ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ september

• one september afternoon, leo dangel ⟡
• i know someone, mary oliver ⟡
• chamomile tea, katherine mansfield ⟡
• the patience of ordinary things, pat schneider ⟡
• from blossoms, li-young lee ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ october

• in the wood, sara teasdale ⟡
• daisy time, marjorie pickthall ⟡
• the raspberry room, karin gottshall ⟡
• in defense of our overgrow garden, matthea harvey ⟡
• amor fati, jane hirshfield ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ november

• misty, rosemerry wahtola trommer ⟡
• i ask percy how i should live my life, mary oliver ⟡
• eagle poem, joy harjo ⟡
• november, esther m. clark ⟡
• the beginning of speech, adonis ⟡

— ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ december

• december, ina donna coolbrith ⟡
• oranges, gary soto ⟡
• burning the old year, naomi shihab nye ⟡
• winter morning, james crews ⟡
• the poem waits at its own core, john fox ⟡