Both my parents were architects who designed their own house in Mexico. The focal point of our living room were floor to ceiling bookshelves on two long walls they custom built to house books and musical recordings. I remember the excitement exploring second hand bookshops and weekend flea markets with my father to discover treasures that others had left behind. At home I spent endless hours at that bookshelf traveling to distant places through words and images. Part of the thrill of travel is trusting your instincts and getting lost sometimes. Lucky me it was in the poems of Octavio Paz and Pablo Neruda. April is Poetry Month where tens of millions of readers, students, teachers, librarians and booksellers recognize the importance of poetry in our culture and lives.