MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And next, the latest in our series Muses and Metaphor.

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MARTIN: This week, we kicked off our National Poetry Month celebration by hearing your poetic tweets. We've been asking you to send us poems that are 140 characters or less. We've heard tweets from students at Hart Middle School in Washington, D.C., an administrative assistant from Bandera, Texas, and a director/writer who Skyped his poem from Sydney, Australia.

Today, we hear a tweet from poet and storyteller, Anne McCrady of Henderson, Texas. Anne says she has always been fascinated by language, and the power of poetry in particular, since every word must be carefully chosen. Anne's poetry appears internationally in literary journals, anthologies, liturgical texts and art magazines, and her Texas-inspired poetry collection has been recognized by the Poetry Society of Texas.

Now, remember, these are short, only 140 characters each. So listen closely. Here's a tweet by Anne McCrady.

ANNE MCCRADY: Into cloud currents that slip past the floating sun, cast the fly of your heart. Rest as you wait for blessings to take the bait.

MARTIN: And we know that went by pretty fast, so let's hear it again.

MCCRADY: Into cloud currents that slip past the floating sun, cast the fly of your heart. Rest as you wait for blessings to take the bait.

MARTIN: That was a poetic tweet submitted by Anne McCrady of Henderson, Texas. Next week, we'll hear tweets from Phoenix, Arizona, Norfolk, Virginia and Worthington, Ohio.

And, if you'd like to help us celebrate National Poetry Month, tweet us your original poetry - using fewer than 140 characters, of course. If your poem is chosen, we will help you record it for us, and we will air it in the program this month. Tweet us using the hashtag #TMMPoetry. You can learn more at the TELL ME MORE website. Go to npr.org and click on the Programs menu to find TELL ME MORE.

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MARTIN: Up next, the Supreme Court has given law enforcement the green light to strip search people, even after minor crimes like not paying a traffic fine. It was a split decision, but is it a slippery slope? The Barber Shop guys give their verdict. That's in just a few minutes on TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.