April is National Poetry Month, when we celebrate the world of poems and poets, including our very own Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low. Besides being a skilled painter and sculptor, Daisy also wrote poems, like this one from her 1911 diary:
The road which led from you to me
Is choked with thorns and overgrown We walked together yesterday But now—I walk alone I count the footsteps one by one Where love once guided us—for though We never saw how love had come Alas—we saw him go The magic of the road is dead The millstones marking memories Are moss grown and our feet must tread Onward the separate ways For Life hath roads that lead to power So high they cannot walk abreast You chose the high road—I the lower God knows which road is best
How will you celebrate National Poetry Month? Here's six fun things to do with your Girl Scout sisters or on your own:
3. Take part in Poem in Your Pocket Day! It’s simple: On Thursday, April 18, select a poem you love, carry it with you, then share it with your family and friends whenever the mood strikes.
4. Take it outdoors and write a poem in chalk on your sidewalk.
5. Create a group poem. On a sheet of paper, one person writes a word, folds it over to conceal it, then passes it to the next girl for her contribution. Make sure to agree on a sentence structure beforehand—for example: adjective, noun, verb, adjective, noun. Articles and verb tenses may be added after the poem is written.
6. You can even write your own poem! Try writing something short such as a Japanese Haiku which is a three line poem divided by syllables. The first line is five syllables, the second is seven and the third is five again. Traditionally, Haikus are about nature and different seasons.
"Dare to love yourself
as if you were a rainbow with gold at both ends." -Aberjhani
For some final inspiration, Birdsall Otis Edey served as Girl Scouts National President from 1930–1935, and was also a talented poet with several published collections to her name. Here’s something she wrote for Golden Eaglet Award recipients (now known as the Gold Award):
Lines to a Golden Eaglet I would wish you the range of the eaglet’s eye, The strength of his wings that your spirit may fly Over all of life’s turmoil—your purpose held high. I would wish you the courage to walk unafraid Wearing proudly the symbol of your accolade.