Except, Sing! Happy World Poetry Day

Posted on March 21, 2018 by Ryan Van Lenning

It’s World Poetry Day!

It’s a day to celebrate poetry, to read poetry, and to write poetry. We’ll be sharing a few of our favorite poems and poets throughout the day on our Facebook and Instagram channels, starting with our very own Katie Baptist. Poetry is often part of our programs and core to what inspires Wild Nature Heart. We love earthy poems, love poems, sad poems, angry poems, curious poems—whatever speaks the truth.

What are some of your favorite poets? Better yet, what are your poems?

EXCEPT, SING!

Can we please do nothing ever except sing?
like musicals, where there’s a song for when
he breaks your heart and there’s a song
for when you lose your shoe or when you
get lost in the woods, or when you narrowly
escape becoming dinner for a woman eating plant

whatever happens, there’s a song because
some things just can’t be spoken
can be sung

so can we please do nothing ever except sing?
like cowboy ballads, where the stars get in your eyes
and someone guns you down but you keep singing
even when the hangman tightens up his noose
and love is lost forever you’ve still got
your horse, your boots, your voice, and your guitar

can we please do nothing ever except sing?
like hymns, a song’ll carry you to heaven
on the wings of angels in the arms of Jesus
in the harmony of saints a song is all you need
eternity is in the melody, the voice is my
salvation, please! I’m asking

Can we please do nothing ever except sing?

—Katie Baptist (For more raw, earthy poems from Katie, see her poetry site, Bleeding Key)