The Year of the Poet IX April 2024 - The Year of the Poet: Poets Create Bridges of Cultural Understanding Poetry

Foreword
Renowned Poets

William Butler Yates

Each month, the Year of the Poet features a themed poem, and it gives me pleasure to invite readers to peruse the poems in this, the April 2024 issue.

Members, by name, The Poetry Posse, are invited to submit three poems, the first being a poem inspired, this month by the poet, William Butler Yates. We each, also submit two additional poems each month. These poems may or may not be inspired by the current issue's theme, whether penned in the poet's style or not. Or simply inspired by researching more about personal life of William Butler Yates.

Be assured that there is a wealth of poetry awaiting your perusal in this month's Year of the Poet.

Elsewhere, in this magazine, you will find an Introduction providing more and pertinent information about the Irish poet, Yates. I encourage you to avail yourself of that information.

Further research will provide you with his poetry, that, to this day, inspires other poets. Yates, encouraged younger poets, for instance, Ezra Pound.

As a child, I remember hearing that my ancestors hailed from Ireland. As yet, that is not proven. At least to my knowledge. Nevertheless, living in southwestern Virginia, confined in Appalachia, by the Cumberland Mountains and snaking roads, no sidewalks, the sun arriving only at noontime, the moon, the size of a skinny, slivery slip of pale ivory, I longed for that which was not within my reach.

And poetry, to some extent, satisfied that need. It has taken me, then, as a child to places that my mind had never known! And, it still does!

I applaud you, the readers who hold this book in your hands. As you read, may you discover more about the poet William Butler Yates. And as you do, may you, possibly, discover something about yourself from the additional poetry contributions of The Poetry Posse! Could it be that there is a poetic voice within you, calling out, awaiting invitation to express itself?

Jackie Davis Allen
Poet, Artist
Northern Virginia