April is National Poetry Month!  Organized by the Academy of American Poets, it is about increasing both awareness and appreciation of poetry.

National Poetry Month is described as the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, bloggers, and poets acknowledging poetry’s important place in our culture and lives.  If you would like more information, visit the National Poetry Month Site.

Accordingly, Little Red Bear and I thought that we should step up and do our part to help foster awareness and appreciation of poetry.  Such as it is here, of course.

Growing up years ago on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri, during breakfast every morning the kitchen radio was tuned in to the dominant, powerhouse AM radio station in the city at that time — “KMOX – the Voice of St. Louis”, with a mostly news, weather, sports and all-talk format. The morning radio show, “Total Information A.M.”,  featured a pair of men who were stellar in their jobs and radio institutions throughout the area, Rex Davis and Bob Hardy, both still remembered and well-known, though now passed.

One of their ongoing features was a fun and highly popular little segment in which they invited listeners to send in their own original short poetry works to be read live on the air by them each morning.  They in turn sent the chosen submitter back a Thank You note on KMOX stationery which read – “From listeners like you, we both take heart. Here’s our dime and our thanks, for doing your part.”

An accompanying dime was taped to the note.  The daily radio segment was, of course, called — “Dime Rhymes.”

There are some longer poems for reading pleasure here on my writing blog, but I frequently come up with much shorter little verses and wonder what to do with them.   Then the answer came to me — set up a “Dime Rhymes” page in honor of these gentlemen who brought us so much entertainment on the radio years ago.  A page simply for fun, shorter and quick little verses to build up over time.  And perhaps to include some guest contributors along the way, as well.

So under the heading of “Short Works & Free Reads” at the top of the page, you will now find in the drop-down menu a heading entitled “Dime Rhymes.”  Free for personal enjoyment and reading pleasure, as are all things here. I have added a few poems to get it started, and here is a link to help you find it the first time — Dime Rhymes.  Hope you enjoy!

Thanks as always for visiting!  And if you feel moved to create a Dime Rhyme yourself, please send it in.  Who knows?  Little Red Bear might even send you back a dime.* — Jim  (and Red!)

*Legal Stuff– Submission of a Dime Rhyme constitutes permission and rights to share on the blog. The dime remuneration is not guaranteed or promised, and entirely dependent upon the financial status of the blog holder at any given moment, which is never really that good, in forma pauperis.  All submissions must reflect the “G” rated status of the blog, no exceptions.  Not that it matters because it wouldn’t be selected anyway.  All questions or concerns to be addressed to our esteemed attorney, Bob the Badger, Esq., handwritten in triplicate.  Submission does not guarantee selection or use.  Yada, yada, yada, actori incumbit probatio, animus contrahendi, not excluding casus fortuitis, assuming compos mentis of submitter, all offers voided by malum prohibitum not excluding malum in se , in perpetuity and nonsense forevermore.

Family Times — Together Times — The Best Times!