Reflection: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of National Poetry Month
My Books · My Thoughts · Nature · poetry

Reflection: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of National Poetry Month

Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

As the final week of April 2026 unfolds, we find ourselves at a significant milestone—the 30th anniversary of National Poetry Month. Since its inception in 1996, this celebration has grown from a national initiative into the world’s largest literary event, reminding us year after year of the vital role poetry plays in our culture and our personal lives.

A Month of Connection and Creativity

Throughout this April, we’ve seen incredible engagement across the globe. From the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day series to virtual events like Poetry & the Creative Mind, the reach of the written word has never felt more profound. This year’s official poster, designed by Arthur Sze (the 25th U.S. Poet Laureate), beautifully captured the spirit of the 2026 celebration. Isn’t it beautiful!

Final Week Highlights

As we close out the month, there are still ways to immerse yourself in the craft:

  • Poem in Your Pocket Day (April 30th): The month concludes with its most beloved tradition. I encourage you to select a poem that resonates with you, keep it close, and share it with a friend, colleague, or even a stranger.

Download this foldable from Poem in Your Pocket of three poems

It contains three poems:

  • Do not trust the eraser by Rosamond S. King
  • O Small Sad Ecstasy of Love by Anne Carson
  • This Morning I Pray for My Enemies by Joy Harjo

Featuring Three Videos of My Poems & Mary Oliver’s

What a rich month we’ve shared with the videos of my poetry and Mary Oliver’s. Listen to my last two and Mary Oliver’s which has become my motto:

A Storyteller Forever

Childless

Instructions for Living a Life

Carrying the Spark Forward

While the official month ends this Thursday, the practice of poetry shouldn’t. Whether it’s through a daily haiku, attending local readings, buying one of my poetry books or simply pausing to appreciate the rhythm of your own thoughts, let the inspiration of this 30th anniversary carry you into May and beyond.

How are you celebrating the final days of National Poetry Month? I’d love to hear which poems of mine or others stayed with you this year.

Larada Horner-Miller photo - National
Sit outside this week and read one of my poems. Then tell me about it!

If you missed the videos of me reading my poetry, you can find them all at the following places:

Professional Reader

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

is my truth universal? book cover

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream? book cover

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

 $3.99

Hair on Fire book cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

National Poetry Month: Does a Video Make Poetry Come Alive?
Memories · My Books · MY LIFE · My Thoughts · poetry

National Poetry Month: Does a Video Make Poetry Come Alive?

Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

Does a video make poetry come alive? Poetry is meant to be read out loud. Does a video of a poem make it come more accessible? Here’s what I’ve done.

2025 Videos

As I prepared for April, National Poetry Month in 2025, I recorded twenty-five videos of me reading poems from my different poetry books and one from my favorite poet, Mary Oliver. Originally, I planned to post one each day of April, but I got sick and wasn’t able to do all thirty days, but I ended up posting only twenty-five days.

As a poet, I loved reading my poetry and creating the short individual videos. I have posted them all on my YouTube channel, so they are available all year.

2026 Videos

So, this year, I had planned to get a jump on National Poetry Month, but I spent March in the states and forgot about it. I let the first few days of April slip by—I returned to Panamá on April 1st and it took me several days to get adjusted to being here again. Sadly, I didn’t start sharing my poetry videos until April 9, but I doubled up and got all of the missed days shared.

Also, I recorded the missing five days’ of poetry that I hadn’t recorded last year. These are the five poems I recorded this year:

  1. Self-Care Redefined in 2020 from Coronavirus Reflections: Bitter or Better?
  2. Childless from Was it a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry
  3. The World I Knew – Villanelle poem from Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey
  4. Christmas at the Horners from Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir
  5.  A Storyteller Forever from Was it a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry

So, now I have thirty poems recorded from nine of my books (one book hasn’t been published yet) and I added a Mary Oliver excerpt that has become my motto.

This year, I have posted my videos on the following social media sites. Check ‘em out!

You Haven’t Seen All of the Videos

Because you are on my email list, I have not inundated you with daily emails of my poetry video for the day. Last week, I shared three videos of poems in my blog, so you saw them.

This week, here’s three more:

Canyon—A Sleepy Time for Me from This Tumbleweed Landed

Time Measured Out from Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry

Age Crept Up on Me! From book #5 in the poetry series, Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry. This book has not been published or given a title yet. You are getting sneak preview!

Finally,

During April for National Poetry Month, I love putting my poetry out there for everyone to see and hear. Do you watch videos of poems read by the poet? Does a video make a difference to you in accessing poetry? Do videos attract your attention? Which poetry video from this week do you like the best? Which one from last week?

Believe me when I say that poetry is for everyone. See the topics above—all over the place, and just maybe a topic of interest to you!

Larada Horner-Miller photo - video
Yes, tell me which poem & video you like the best! I have so many!

Professional Reader

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

is my truth universal? book cover

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream? book cover

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

 $3.99

Hair on Fire book cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

Let’s Celebrate Poetry: April National Poetry Month
haiku · My Thoughts · My Writing · Nature · poetry

Let’s Celebrate Poetry: April National Poetry Month

Larada Horner-Miller2 Comments
National Poetry Month meme - celebrate

Let’s celebrate poetry because it’s National Poetry Month. I’ve written poetry since 1986–forty years!  Lin just told me he’s been avoiding poetry for over eighty years.  Which camp do you fall into?

Disclaimer for Lin

Even though he doesn’t care for poetry, Lin has read all of my poetry books. In fact, he inspired my five-book poetry series.

If You Don’t Like Poetry

In school, so many English teachers assaulted curious minds with bad experiences with poetry.

I remember not reading much in school but when we did, the teacher’s interpretation was the only correct one—no room for me or anyone else to interpret the many nuances any poem offers.

Later, at the university when I got my English degree, professors opened up possibilities after they offered prescribed interpretations. But I had the opportunity to see myself in the poem. That’s when the magic happens, but so many students/readers never had that. They got shamed or totally discouraged and become anti-poetry.

Maybe rhyme seemed silly. Maybe you couldn’t figure out iambic pentameter. If that’s all you saw, you missed a whole different world of possibilities: free verse.

If You Do Like Poetry

Bless You! Someone in your life opened a door to all the possibilities out there. The good news is “According to data from the American Booksellers Association, poetry book sales saw a 7% increase in 2023 compared to 2022.”

Poetry Statistics (2025): A Snapshot of a Growing Art Form

When I read poetry, I have to suspend my logical mind and let the images, the tone, the nuances speak to my heart. Then I feel wrapped up in the words and know something I have never known before—because of that poem.

And writing poetry has become my go-to genre for many years. Here’s a haiku I wrote about the wonderful mixture I am:

Who am I really?
Manure and paper clips.
Earth and words mingle!

So, no rhyme but fitting a form: 3 lines: 1st line – 5 syllables, 2nd line – 7 syllables, 3rd line – 5 syllables.

When I taught my poetry unit to my students, they wrote haikus and blew me away with their images and thoughts. Yes, a three-line haiku is poetry. Having to be selective about word choice forces the poet to work through words and language to arrive at the correct count per line and for it to make sense. What a challenge!

Is a Horse Poetry?

Dad & Child on horse - celebrate
Beige horse - celebrate
Black horse pracncing - celebrate

Today I shocked Lin, my husband, that I wasn’t writing my whole blog about the amazing Horse Parade we attended —100s of horse—to celebrate the 115th Anniversary of Boquete, Panama. Another observer told me, “No, at least a thousand horses.” Can I write a poem about a horse, horses? Can a horse be poetry?

Here’s a haiku I just wrote about that experience:

Horses everywhere!
Bridles, saddles, quirts and bits!
A black horse prancing so!

So does it work? Does this haiku give you images about horses or a horse?

Lastly,

Poetry has always been meant to be read out loud. Because this National Poetry Month, I have and will be sharing videos of me reading some of my poetry. Hearing the poet read her own work has its own magical power too!

Here’s some samples:

From my newest book which is book #2 in a five-book poetry series, Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, listen to “Spirit Coyote” about an experience I had:

From the first book in the five-book poetry series, Was It A Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, I play with thoughts about words in “Playing With Words.” Listen here:

From my multi-awarding winning book, A Time To Grow: A Daughter’s Grief Memoir, listen to “What Words Capture My Loss?:

If you would like to hear more of me reading my poetry, go to my YouTube channel to all that I have recorded so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QML0Xl_VAk8&list=PLVTJuKpv4RZd0Uv7A1ZVaBP5YmZAT2Bik&pp=sAgC

More are coming soon!

Larada Horner-Miller reading her poetry
I love reading my poet!

Professional Reader

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

is my truth universal? book cover

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream? book cover

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

 $3.99

Hair on Fire book cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

My Thoughts

Happy Easter, He is Risen & My Travel Day: How Do These Connect?

Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment
A Traveler's Woes - Happy Easter
A Traveler’s Woes
He is Risen! - Happy Easter
He is Risen!

Happy Easter to all my readers. I’ve read several times on Threads today “He is risen.” We said it in my church service today. What does that really mean in my day-to-day life, like traveling home to Panama from Albuquerque?

Being A Christian

I am a Christian and not reluctant to say it, but today it has such negative connotations. I’m a Christian who celebrates my God. I adhere to all of the Scriptures and know that because Jesus died for my sins and rose again, I am free of any sins of my past. My first mother-in-law told me back in 1973 that when God looks at me, He sees perfection because He looks through Jesus, if I have accepted Him. And I did back in the quaint Branson Community Church during Vacation Bible School when I was seven or eight!

After my divorce, I went crazy. I justified my actions because I had married young and felt I had the right to “sow my wild oats.” During this time of drinking and acting out, I piled up sin after sin. Today I know I am forgiven for it all.

My Travel Day Began at 6:00 AM

You may wonder how a travel day connects to Easter and my Risen Lord. It does! On March 31, 2026, I arrived at the Albuquerque airport at 6:00 AM for my 8:00 AM flight to Houston. The United agent told me it was delayed by two hours because they needed a part that was being flown in from Denver. She did something unusual—she offered me a wheelchair. Yes, I’m 72 years old. I have an injured leg, so I can’t walk distances—how did she know I needed one The Houston airport is massive and with the delay would the walk to the next gate or concourse be too long? My Lord guided her to help me with this life-saving gesture!

Wheelchair - Happy Easter

Immediately I called my husband, Lin, and he suggested I call United and see if they could delay the Panama City flight in Houston. So, I did, and they said air traffic control would have to do that. They couldn’t, so that didn’t work.

At this point, I had looked on the United app and it suggested a convoluted route through Newark, New Jersey arriving in Panama City at 4:03 AM. I faltered—this 72-year-old lady couldn’t imagine staying up twenty-six or twenty-seven hours. It also offered I spend the night in Albuquerque and go out the next day—the problem for me: I had a flight to David from Panama City at 8:00 AM on April 1, so that wouldn’t work.

At First, I Wrestled with Her Offer

The delay extended to three hours, and there was no way I’d make the connections in Houston to my Panama City flight. So, the attendant at the gate, Patricia, went above and beyond her duties to help me, but originally, I didn’t like her offer—Houston to Newark, New Jersey then Newark to Panama City, arriving at 4:03 AM! She suggested we wait to see if the crew and pilot would arrive early and maybe we would get off in time. What a Godsend she was!

They didn’t, so I took Patricia up on her itinerary. I’m glad I worked with her, because she arranged different flights than the United app had suggested.

When I arrived in Houston, there was a wheelchair waiting at the gate for me, so she wheeled me to my next gate which was quite a walk for sure. I had enough time to eat a midday meal because I wasn’t sure when I would get to eat again.

Flying to Newark!

My whole attitude changed somehow when I talked to my husband. He helped me reframe this experience. I could do it! In the end, I would do it! I laughed deeply—flying all the way across the United States to Newark to go to Panama City, Panama. How absurd!

Once again, a person met me at the plane with a wheelchair. Thank God, because I arrived right when they were loading my next flight.

Because the plane wasn’t crowded, we had an empty seat between us and I stretched out my bad leg and slept some.

Woman sitting on plane - Happy Easter

I arrived in Panama City before 4:00 AM. Once again, someone met me at the plane and wheeled me to baggage claim with one carry-on suitcase underneath and one between my legs. Then he retrieved my two large suitcases. Then he got me through customs quickly. I told him I had a flight to David, so up the elevator he took me and I landed right at the Copa Airlines agent to check in.

My Lord’s presence permeates this whole experience with the wheelchair, the helpful agents and the amazing people who man the wheelchairs in our airports.

Happy Easter

He is Risen - Happy Easter

So here we are at Easter. I celebrated with my church in Albuquerque, New Mexico via Facebook Live. I sang the familiar songs but felt “He is Risen” so deeply this year. There is no way I could have maneuvered that travel day without His hand on every leg of it. That’s the way my God works.

But over the years, I realized I had to be aware of His hand on the specifics of my life. For years, I walked through life, not seeing it. Today He’s everywhere!

Finally,

so yes, there’s a variety of Christian experiences out there. I had to share this one on this Holy Day! Many times during my day, I see my Lord’s hand on my life in subtle ways—I call them “God Things.” How about you?

Larada Horner-Miller photo - Happy Easter
Happy Easter—He is Risen indeed!

Professional Reader

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

is my truth universal? book cover

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream? book cover

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

 $3.99

Hair on Fire book cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

This Tumbleweed Landed audiobook cover

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Let Me Tell You a Story audiobook cover

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover