Welcome to National Poetry Month in the US! Q&A with poet Stephanie Burkhart

It's National Poetry Month in the US and this month I'll be sharing various poems and poets with you so I hope you enjoy. 

From http://www.poets.org:  Started by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Starting in 1999, Canada began celebrating National Poetry Month in April.  In 2000, Great Britain began celebrating National Poetry Month in October.  It was inspired by the success of Black History Month and Women's History Month in the US.

The Current US Poet Laureate is: Natasha Tretheway.

Enjoy this Q&A with me as I share some of my poetry with you.

Question: How long have you been writing poetry?

Steph: Since I was a teenager. (Close to 30 years now!)  I had a poem, a sonnet, called "The Storm" published in my High School Literary Magazine, The Oracle.

Question: What is your favorite poetry style to write?

Steph: I like the Quatern, but I also enjoy the haiku and villanelle.

Question: Who is your favorite poet?

Steph: One of my all time favorites is Emily Dickinson. I find the exploration of her themes involving flowers and morbidity fascinating.  Not only that, her poetry is easy to read, expressive, and the word play stimulates the senses.

Question: What's one of your favorite Emily Dickinson poems?

Steph: I heard a Fly Buzz When I Died.

Question: Can you share some of your poetry with us?

I'd love to. This is a Quatern poem, French form of poetry similar to the Kyrielle.

 There are 16 lines, 4 quatrains

 A refrain is in a different line each quatrain. In the 1st quatrain it is in line 1, in the 2nd quatrain, it is in line 2. in the 3rd quatrain, it is in line 3, in the 4th quatrain, it is in line 4.

 There are 8 syllables per line.

 It does not follow a set rhyme scheme.

Shattered by the light of the Moon

Shattered by the light of the moon,

I dropped to the forest ground.

His words were icy and bitter.

Heartbreak's cold arrow would not come out.

I shivered, stung, pricked by ice,

shattered by the light of the moon.

Once done, my nocturnal lover

walked away, no compassion

splayed upon his face, no cold grace.

My brittle bones ached, my skin quaked,

shattered by the light of the moon.

Rejection, so coolly done rent.

Dark hours past, sunrise's twilight peeks

out over an obsidian cloud.

My doomed heart, beating still, was

shattered by the light of the moon.

A VILLANELLE

This is a French form of poetry called the Villanelle.

This is a 19 line poem with the following rhyming scheme: aba, aba, aba, aba, aba, abaa

The 1st and 3rd lines are repeated in alternating order and appear together in the last two lines.

THE VINES (a villanelle poem)

The grapes grew wild and free.

He walked through the spiny vines,

Knowing the sun and soil were key.

The sunlight pierced the broad canopy.

He laid out his plan along careful lines.

The grapes grew wild and free.

The wind came, rattling the tree.

With deliberate precision, he placed his signs.

Knowing the sun and soil were key.

Frost brought his land to it's knees.

He blew heat on the readying vines.

The grapes grew wild and free.

Clouds covered the insects and bees.

He watched and waited in the lines.

Knowing the sun and soil were key.

The rain drove away the frost until he could see.

Round bulbs of fruit proved a hopeful sign.

The grapes grew wild and free,

Knowing the sun and soil were the key.

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. She's published paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance. She's also a published children's author. She adores chocolate and two cups of coffee to start off the day. You can find her at: 

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

You can find a list of her poetry at writing.com here: http://www.writing.com/main/portfolio/item_id/958683-The-Poetry-Shelf