2026 NaPM 5 April

[RiverNotch]

Write a poem for National Poetry Month based on the topic described....rather, write a poem set in, pertaining to, or inspired by the given region, whether its entirety or just some part of it, as this year's prompts are going to be unified by the theme "Around the World" like last year's prompts were unified by the theme "Esoterica". Each poem should appear as a separate reply to this thread. There are three levels of participation:

Bronze. Participated at least once.

Silver. Participated every day.

Gold. Participated every day, with all entries either being the same form (e.g., every one a sonnet) or being distinct forms (e.g., no two haiku).


Today's region is Central America and Mexico.

[dukealien]

Rejection


Mexico’s Porfirio Diaz named his
country’s curse: propinquity to El Norte
(and her distance from the Lord God she honored).
Yet can it be, that

Mexico’s real problem is not her closeness
to her weighty neighbor but that the two, while
sharing one small continent never learned to
love one another?

[CRNDLSM]

Sometimes I'm just a lucky fool
I managed forming a career
without the need to finish school.

A restaurant waiter through the years
just hanging out and drinking beer.
They voted me, for speaking Span-
ish, 'honorary Mexican'.

Now that was all so long ago
Like thinking of a different man
What happens next I'll never know

[Mark A Becker]

World Cup '26

All eyes will be on
North America in June,
and ICE may have a field day
deporting players from teams
who dare to hurt the chances
of the US Men's National Team.

If the other host countries,
Mexico, or Canada try
to spoil the party for the USA,
we'll just have to add them
to the list of nations
to bomb.

USA! USA! USA! We'll let nothing
stand in our way.

[RiverNotch]

Acapulco


Here was another giant: a cruel frame
of bulging forehead, crooked eyes, and lips
perennially drooling, yet housing a tender soul.

Often he sat on the shore, dreaming of boats
that came in from the ocean laden with riches
his vision could only sketch, could only shape

and color as fuzzy forms, as mere abstractions,
for which he would offer the singular treasure he thought
he had in hoards: silver and precious stones.

Often was monthly turned weekly turned daily turned hourly
turned every waking minute he'd rather spend
by the sea---he no longer slept---he was the shore,

his friends found moss and ferns and grass on his back
give way to shrubs and trees, the bones exposed
as an incoherent scaffold of white sand,
until all that was left of himself was his mad dream.

[JohnS]

I crossed to Matamoros
to pick up my visa,
which meant a stay overnight.
I thought while there
I ought to partake of
some Mexican fare.

I was pleased to return to Texas next day,
the fajitas are much better there.

[Truerenigma]

we were sitting on the balcony
watching the Blackwater River
and having a quiet conversation
when we heard a splash, a dock or two away
and a dog barking urgently

fearing a child had fallen in
from a neighbor's dock
we scrambled to the railing, craning our necks
to look over and see a bald eagle
with a large fish in its talons
performing a fly-by along the shoreline
behind our house

I don't remember our conversation
or which way the eagle went when it left
at a lazy pace
unfazed by the dogs
and its prey trailing half behind
in an easy grip

[ilovewomenandbeer]

La Liga

Riding bikes
down brick
and dirt
roads.

Bottled roars—
cheerful screams—
cops and robbers

on our way,
past the cane,
for a bottle of Coke
and the game.

waving by
faded colors—
our country’s
pride.

fútbol
underfoot—

boys roar,
enjoying
bottled pride.

[Magpie]

Mexico '86

I remember my first world cup -

An optimistic wall chart
that mapped the route
to an Anglo-Celtic final.

The hypnotic ripple of 
a Mexican
wave
that swirled
around vibrant swaying 
stadiums.
(we tried one at school...
it was shite)

The quarter finals and
Maradona mesmerising
equally rascal and genius.

I remember my first world cup,

broken by 'the hand of God'.

[fastmarshmallow]

The Temple of Kukulcan

When the Sun meets equator and
light and shadow dance,
Kukulkan descends
and leaves ajaws in trance.

Gaze into its gape
and hear old gales blow.
But beware its blackened tongue,
tempered -- hail and snow.




The science behind the 'Descent of Kukulcan' at El Castillo, Chichen Itza during the Spring and Fall Equinoxes explained here.

[Wjames]

Ometepe double bass
howler monkeys giving chase
jungle hostel with the mates
lava under rock.