April is National Poetry Month and the Brentwood Arts Commission is offering a variety of ways in which this can be celebrated. Read on for some creative ideas:

Read a book of poetry.

Pull one off your book shelf, go to the local library, stop by the local book store, or pick one up online.

Memorize a poem.

Learn a poem or prose passage truly "by heart."

Attend a poetry reading. Read a poem at an open mike. It's a great way to meet like-minded individuals in your area and find out about your local writing community. Readings have been occurring for decades around the world in universities, bookstores, cafes, corner pubs and coffeehouses. This is a great opportunity to hear poetry out loud. Come to the open mike poetry reading on April 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Gabby's Grind, 729 First St.

Put a poem on the pavement. Go one step beyond hopscotch squares and write a poem in chalk on your sidewalk. Challenge the kids in your neighborhood to write their own on the sidewalk or driveway.

Google a poem. Many people carry single lines of verse with them, sometimes for years, as a kind of personal slogan or mantra.

Hear a poem. Hearing authors read their own work can clarify questions surrounding their work's tone.

Revisit a favorite poem. America is a country of second acts, so today, why not brush the dust off these classics and give them a fresh read?

Put poetry in an unexpected place. Print out a poem or leave a book somewhere unexpected - a friend's front porch, your child's lunch box, at your spouse's or partner's chair or on the dinner table for everyone to enjoy and discuss.

Bring a poem to your place of worship. Bringing the art of language in contact with your spiritual practices can deepen both.

Donate a book of poetry to your local literacy program. Poetry is a wonderful way to learn the creative aspects of language.

Subscribe to a literary magazine. Full of poetry, short fiction, interviews, and reviews, literary journals are at the forefront of contemporary poetry.

Put a poem in a letter. It's always a treat to get a letter, but finding a poem in the envelope makes the experience extra special.

Take a poem out to lunch. Adding a poem to lunch puts some poetry in your day and gives you something great to read while you eat.

Recite a poem to family and friends. You can use holidays or birthdays as an opportunity to celebrate with a poem that is dear to you, or one that reminds you of the season or the person.

Promote public support for poetry. Every year, Congress decides how much money will be given to the National Endowment for the Arts to be distributed all across America. Contact your local representatives and encourage them to support additional funding for the NEA.

Start a poetry reading group. Select books that would engage discussion and not intimidate the reader new to poetry.

Buy a book of poems for your library. Many libraries have undergone or are facing severe cuts in funding. These cuts are often made manifest on library shelves.

Start your own "commonplace book." Since the Renaissance, devoted readers have been copying their favorite poems and quotations into notebooks to form their own personal anthologies called "commonplace books."

Start a notebook on Poets.org. Poets.org lets users build their own personal portable online commonplace book out of the materials on the site.

Add a poetic verse to your e-mail signature. Many e-mail programs allow you to create personalized signatures that are automatically added to the end of every e-mail you send.

Ask the Post Office for more poet stamps. To be eligible, suggested poets must have been deceased for at least 10 years and must be American or of American descent.

Sign up for a poetry class or workshop. Colleges and arts centers often make individual courses in literature and writing available to the general public.

Subscribe to Poets.org's free newsletter. Short and to the point, the Poets.org Update will keep you informed on Academy news and events.

Celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day. Brentwoodians are encouraged to carry a poem in their pocket and share it with friends, family, coworkers and classmates.

For additional information on National Poetry Month, contact the Brentwood Arts Commission at 516-5376.