And you to may contribute a verse...

It took memorizing a Shakespeare monologue at summer camp, reading the fault in our stars, and listening to enough Joni Mitchell on vinyl to permanently destroy my hearing, but a few months ago I finally developed an appreciation for poetry. There's some sort of emotion that comes out in poetry that can come out in nothing else. I would have thought doodling song lyrics all those years I could have loved it sooner, but there were certain things that really led me to it. I have especially began to find a love of poetry written by musicians. Here are some of my favorite poetry recommendations:

Grapefruit, Yoko Ono ($14, Amazon)

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Grapefruit is classic Yoko. It reads more like an instruction manual than a book of poetry, but in a way the things recommended within the pages make one think more than traditional poetry. With an introduction written by John Lennon, this is truly a fascinating, thoughtful book.Gathered Light: The Poetry of Joni Mitchell's Songs ($25, Amazon)http://www.threeoclockpress.com/sites/default/files/images/covers/9781927513125.jpgAlthough The Gathered Light isn't technically a book of poetry, it is an anaylisis of the philisophical and lyrical sides of Joni's music. I have always had an appreciation for Joni's skill with words, and this book only shows how much can be taken from her lyrics.