If you enjoyed “Letters from Two Gardens,” Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s and Ross Gay’s poetry collaboration in Orion’s January/February issue, we’ve got a great opportunity for you.

To celebrate National Poetry Month in April (just a few days away!), we’re announcing the inaugural Orion Poetry Exchange, open to all readers and friends of Orion. The theme for 2014 is “The Growing Season.”

How does it work?

If you can commit to writing three poetry exchanges between now and April 30, send an e-mail to {encode=”eglaser@orionmagazine.org” title=”eglaser@orionmagazine.org”} with:

Your name
Your location
Whether you prefer to collaborate via snail mail or digitally

Orion will pair you up and introduce you and your Poetry Exchange partner via e-mail. Please note that by signing up to participate, you give Orion permission to share your e-mail address with another reader (we promise not to give it to anyone else).

If you’d like your work to be featured on Orion’s blog and Facebook page, please send us a physical or digital copy of the poems by April 30, and we’ll post them online. After that, you’re free to continue collaborating.

To get matched up with a fellow poet, or if you have questions, please e-mail {encode=”eglaser@orionmagazine.org” title=”eglaser@orionmagazine.org”} by Friday, March 28. To get inspired, hear Aimee and Ross discuss their project and read the poems in “Letters from Two Gardens.”

Image via Flickr.com/TM Weddle.