They might prefer blank verse to ballads, but increasing numbers of Tristate young people are putting their thoughts into poetry.

        Librarians say they have seen attendance grow at teen poetry gatherings in recent years. And because April is National Poetry Month, several special events spotlight teen bards.

POETRY MONTH EVENTS

• Teen Poetry Coffeehouse, 6:30 p.m. jazz and refreshments, 7 p.m. open mike; Friday (grades 7-9), April 27 (older teens). West Chester Library, 7900 Cox Road. Information: 777-3131.   • Teen Poetry Night, 7 p.m. April 24, 2:30 p.m. April 29. Cincinnati Public Library, 800 Vine St. Information: 369-6900.   • “The Names of Things” poetry workshop. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Groesbeck library, 2994 W. Galbraith Road. Information: 369-4454.   • “The Names of Things” poetry workshop, 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 26, Hyde Park library, 2747 Erie Ave. Information: 369-4456.   • Teen Poetry Contest/Open Mike, 7 p.m. April 27, Green Township Library, 6525 Bridgetown Road. Information: 369-6095.   Poetry is for adults, too, and programs in the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County's third annual Poetry in the Garden series are scheduled for Wednesday and April 25 in the main library's reading garden. Poets John Brury and Dallas Wiebe will read their work this week; on April 25 poets Maureen Bloomfield and Robert Hudzik are featured.

        The West Chester Library plans two Teen Poetry Coffeehouse sessions because previous programs have been so well attended. The gathering April 20 is designed for grades 7-9; the April 27 coffeehouse is for older teens. Both begin with a half hour of jazz, and then the mike is open for anyone who wants to read an old favorite or an original work.

        “We're going to two nights simply because of the volume,” said Sharon Kolatalo, West Chester's young adult librarian. “The programs have been very well received by kids. Poetry seems to appeal to a broad spectrum because it's an outlet for self-expression.”

        Cincinnati libraries will hold several programs to celebrate National Poetry Month. Two teen poetry night sessions will take place in the reading garden of the main library. The Hyde Park and Groesbeck branches have scheduled workshops, titled “The Names of Things,” at which young people can write and perform.

        The Green Township branch library is sponsoring a teen poetry contest through April 22. Original poems should be typed and bear the name, address, phone number and school of the author.

        Entries may be mailed to the library or submitted at any Cincinnati library location.

        Poetry rather than prose seems the preferred means of expression for many teens these days, said Eugenia Beecher of the Lane Public Library in Hamilton. Ms. Beecher serves as the library's liaison to Butler County's Riverbank Poetry Project.

        Ms. Kolatalo, who is one of the few adults allowed at the kids-only West Chester coffeehouses, said that she's been surprised at how personal some of the poems are.

        “You can see what matters, what touches their soul.”

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