Eliza Geer of Williamsburg, Va. says, “I love poetry because it helps describe an object or person in a fun, creative way.”

She is an almost 12-year-old blessed with a talent for poetry and teachers who have encouraged her. Not only does she write poetry, she understands the various kinds of poetry and can write in most genres. Her example of a Haiku verse:

Chameleons

In damp rainforests,

Its’ dart-like tongue eats bugs –YUM!

Cold blooded lizards.

Poetry is probably the most misunderstood type of creative writing. For some of us, our early experience with poetry was having to memorize and recite a poem every week. That doesn’t do much to endear students to delve into the magic of poetry.

Poets are among my favorite people.They look at the world in such a different way and try to help us see there is lots of fantasy and truth to brighten our days. Poetry rarely gets its just due. Mention poetry in a social setting and see how quickly the subject changes. Few realize that it is so much harder to write poetry than prose and that the special talents of poets should be hailed and revered. Using only a few critical words to illustrate a point is many times harder than a 500-word essay.

I use a Shel Silverstein poem in my caregiver classes and ask caregivers to remember it:

“There’s a light on in the attic,

Though the house is dark and shuttered,

I can see a flickerin’ flutter,

And I know what it’s about.

There’s a light on in the attic, I can see it from the outside,

And I know you’re on the inside – lookin’ out.”

I hope it helps caregivers remember there is a real person inside a failing physical shell. I’m not sure that’s what Silverstein meant, but poetry gives you permission to make your own interpretations.

Another favorite is Bronwen Wallace, a Canadian poet, whom I told when I met her that I thought she was living my life. Her “Signs of the Former Tenant” resonates with anyone who has moved around a lot. Bronwen wrote a series of “Cancer Poems” for a friend who was dying of cancer. Within two years, Bronwen, 43, died of cancer. She was not widely known when she died, but now her books are selling for huge amounts on Amazon. She would be happy that her son is economically comfortable.

I absolutely love Judith Vorst’s work. She is about my age, and thus I definitely identified with her chronicles of life in the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and now the 70s. Only someone who has lived though some of these stages can appreciate, “Where is it written that Dads get to take business trips to Brazil and Moms get to take third graders to the fire station?” Her poem, “If I were in charge of the world,” is lots of fun and very true.

We are very lucky in North Carolina to have a plethora of poets.

Eliza is by no means a poetry nerd. She is a mutli-tasker, math club member, piano and flute player, a prize-winning essayist, star salesperson for Girl Scout cookies and volunteer at Colonial Williamsburg. She, her sister and her brother are the triplet grandchildren of Betty and Don Winslow of Whispering Pines.

A suggestion from Eliza for Poetry Month:

“Poetry. Oh, I love poetry. Expressive. Terrific. Read some! You’ll like it.”

E-mail Robson at outreachnc@connectnc.com.