April is National Poetry Month. I love this month because it gives me a chance to slow down, to read some of my favorite poems, and to discover new poems—because so many writers and organizations are sharing all things poetry, on Twitter and elsewhere. (And of course the great thing about the internet is that nothing is gone at the end of the month: check out #NationalPoetryMonth whenever you’re looking for inspiration.)

Sometimes society (and that high school English teacher who missed the point) tells us that reading poetry is hard. An academic exercise. But good poetry is actually for all of us. It’s powerful, elemental music that connects us, grounds us, and makes us look at the world with fresh eyes.

Here are a few D.C. area events, opportunities, and a new book to check out in this last week or so of National Poetry Month.

• National Poet Laureate Joy Harjo of the Muscogee Creek Nation, the first Native writer to serve in this post, is finishing her third and last term as Poet Laureate. Two days of celebration are planned in D.C.: a reading at Coolidge Auditorium on Thursday April 28, at 7 pm; and a dance party the Library of Congress on Friday April 29. Find free tickets online or check out the livestreams on the Library’s YouTube channel and Facebook page and learn more here!

• The D.C. Public Library is holding a haiku contest, open until April 30 to D.C. residents ages six and up. Individual libraries will select winners in three categories: children, teens, and adults. Check out details here.

• Zeina Azzam, one of our featured poets for DCTRENDING’s Covid Poetry & Art Project, has just been named Alexandria’s Poet Laureate. For National Poetry Month, Azzam will host the Poem in Your Pocket celebration on April 28 at the Athenaeum. (Free but RSVP to save your seat.)

• The Great World of Days, a new anthology from local arts nonprofit Day Eight, features poems from D.C. area writers. Edited by poets Jeffrey Banks, Anne Becker, and Gregory Luce, the book includes poetry from online magazine Bourgeon, which showcases local artists and poets, and provides space for under-represented and young writers (and is another project by Day Eight).

And check out the Library of Congress’s amazing Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature online collection and tons of poetry and resources from the American Academy of Poets.