5 DARING WAYS TO TAKE ON NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

Take National Poetry Month by surprising storm, with one of these five unconventional approaches. From chocolate to chickens, roses to racy jeans, dare to make NPM delicious, decadent, or just plain fun.

Michelle Ortega / Via imagesbymichelleortega.com

Why should National Poetry Month be oh-so-predictable? It's time to take it into your own hands and spice up April. Here are just 5 daring ways:

1. GO FOR THE ROSES

Did you know the Romans used to drop loads and loads of rose petals onto partiers' heads? One guy (so sorry!) even drowned in roses.

Now, nobody wants you to drown in roses. But how about rose poems? You could fill April with the scent of funny-to-serious readings of rose poems. You could sketch a rose daily, to go with your chosen verse.

Why not learn more about the mystery, scandal and romance of roses—and gather ye sultry rosebud facts while ye may?

Or make some rose desserts. And buy yourself (or your lover) a few roses each week in April. Go for the poetic this year, not just for poems. (Sure, you could pretend to be Cleopatra and scatter rose petals by your bed, although it might get expensive to do so to a depth of half a meter.)

2. REVEL IN RED

While the rest of spring is paling in pastels, you can set yourself apart with red. Start with red poems and add to taste...

• red velvet tea, to accompany reading poetry aloud with friends

• a secret red ribbon you carry in your pocket, for a poetic feeling of passion

• red love, red sneakers, red bags

• a stash of red rose petals, a few of which you can leave with small poems in fun places (the subway, your lover's bedside table, the tip tray in your favorite restaurant, a good neighbor's mailbox, etc.)

3. CHOOSE CHOCOLATE

Believe it or not, chocolate partly got its start with prim Quakers in Europe. What followed was a story of failures, spies, and even a mistake that made all the difference. Today, we enjoy the decadence of chocolate, without much thought for all that came before.

This National Poetry Month, why not learn about the intriguing history of chocolate? Bring along your chocolate poems, of course.

And, if you're feeling really daring, try out some new chocolates every week in April. You won't regret the melt-in-your-mouth confections from L. A. Burdick, for instance.

People will thank you, too, if you leave a few chocolates with your poems—on a co-worker's desk, at the dinner table, or with your favorite librarians, teachers, or students.

4. DARE TO DIVERGE

National Poetry Month is often oh-so-serious. Why should you stand for that? Go the whimsical way instead this year. Focus on funny poems. Kick it with comics (or chickens!). Color your way to poetic Nirvana. Dare to diverge!

5. WEAR YOUR POEMS

Start by getting inspired with delicious jeans poems and photos. But then, take your poetry to a whole new fashionable level.

From poetry jewelry, to poetry shirts, to poetry tights and leggings, the world is full of poetic possibility. Don't just read and write poems this year. Let yourself be a poem, from head to toe!

Claire Burge / Via claireburge.com

Bruce Guenter / Via Flickr: 10154402@N03

Chocolate Reviews / Via Flickr: chocolatereviews

LW Lindquist / Via tweetspeakpoetry.com