Readers Exchange

Note from IRS: Please direct creativity elsewhere

Though not yet filed, my tax documents are on track to easily fulfill the deadline.   Otherwise, there’d be reason for soul-clouding dread each time I visit irs.gov to help customers track down forms or tax tables.

No, happiness is the order of the day.  The four colorfully-clad individuals headlining Internal Revenue‘s homepage all bear smiling countenances ranging from pleased to downright giddy.  Taxes–nothing we’d rather chat about!

Contrast their pleasure with the black-and-white, sedate visages regarding you at the Academy of American Poets site.  And yet Emily Dickinson and T.S. Eliot would be delighted to learn of your interest in National Poetry Month: nothing I’d rather talk about today.

Among 30 Ways to Celebrate, the Academy recommends “attend a poetry reading”.  The Baca Center’s Great Books discussion group and Round Rock Public Library are co-sponsoring just such an opportunity, on April 16 at 1:00 in the library’s meeting room B.  Imagine: you can celebrate compliance with the data-driven mandatory reporting of your tax share by nourishing your creative spirit.  You’re invited to read a favorite poem (original or otherwise) or simply enjoy selections brought by others.

If I can get away from the reference desk to attend, I’ll bring a favorite from a former U.S. Poet Laureate.  However, this week’s glorious rains did prompt me to scribble some haiku-like reflections.  These seasonal musings were expressed around my household–different voices, but all with attitude:

Admonition from the new rain barrel  sitting in our garage, as yet uninstalled

Lovely rain this week:
But not here, ‘midst cars and tools.
I missed my calling.

What will the neighbors think?

Audacious, mid-yard
A lone but soaring weed spear
stains our good repute.

My rain-hating dogs, when I directed them outdoors for a very good reason

In what universe
do you dream that we’d abet
your torrent-fraught scheme?

Leafing Crape myrtles, aspiring to a very good season      

So disappointing:
Bluebonnets, this droughty year.
Well, just watch this space!

Pair of doves, minimally concerned with nest-building technique

Are you kidding us?
No empty hanging baskets?
Look–five nice twigs! Done!

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