Poetry Month 2026
April is National Poetry Month
National Poetry Month in the U.S. turned 30 years old this April. The event’s longevity was inaugurated with a 1996 ceremony featuring former and future U.S. poet laureates and Pulitzer winners. Thank you to the poets who chose to share with our Smith Mountain Arts Council this year! Enjoy their creativity.
Poetic Themes
We invite you to choose one or two of the prompts provided by our Lake Writers’ Team to help your poetic juices flow.
1. Getting older/getting younger
2. A vending machine that dispenses the wrong item
3. The worst business idea imaginable
4. The lottery
5. Picture this
6. Rhyme time
The Power of Poetry
We would love to share your creativity.
Submit your entry (no more than two please) using one of the prompts provided (above). You may record yourself reading the poem and allow us to post it on our SMAC-TUBE channel and/or copy and paste your original poem into an email to PresArtsCouncil@gmail.com to share with other members and on our social media sites. Include your name, email and poem.
Submissions accepted through April 24. 2026.
Through the art of poetry, we can tap into our deepest emotions and experiences, giving voice to our thoughts and feelings in a way that is both personal and universal. By sharing our stories and perspectives through poetry, we can create a sense of community and connection.
