National Poetry Month 2026

April is National Poetry Month, a time to recognize the power of words to reflect, process, and connect us to ourselves and others.

At Triple C Housing, we often talk about stability in terms of housing, support, and services. But stability also creates something less visible, and just as important. It creates space. Space to think, to reflect, and sometimes, to create. For Neil Naughton, that space became poetry.

Neil had a way of noticing the world around him. The small details. The quiet moments. The things many of us pass by without a second thought. Through his writing, he captured those moments and gave them meaning.

Today, in honor of National Poetry Month, we share one of Neil’s pieces:

A Sort of “Still Life” in Writing

I look upon the little crick
And at a building made of brick
Inside of me there starts a flow
I note the trees, their limbs are low

 

It brings a ripeness to my psyche
As autumn comes upon me like
A special moment in a play
And I thank God for this Tuesday

 

I view another leafy bough
I have for aught to do right now
I’m not loathe of the passing time
It favors my love to make rhyme

 

I’ve found in me an appetite
To survey what comes into sight
And a sight if it I recall
To mark it down giving my all

 

Eventually I’ll take my pen
To render nature once again
And should I do, as tried I will;
A painting in words, actually, “a still”

There is something powerful about the way Neil slows everything down in this piece. He isn’t rushing. He isn’t looking ahead or behind. He is simply present, taking in what’s in front of him and giving it his full attention.

That kind of presence is not always easy to come by.

For many of the individuals we serve, life before stable housing can feel uncertain and overwhelming. The idea of slowing down, reflecting, or creating can feel out of reach when basic needs are not secure.

That is why the work we do matters.

When people have a place to call home and the support they need, something shifts. There is room to breathe. Room to think. Room to rediscover interests, passions, and talents that may have been set aside.

Sometimes, that looks like writing.

Sometimes, it looks like simply sitting with a moment and appreciating it.

Neil’s words remind us that a meaningful life is not only built through big milestones, but also through quiet observations and personal reflection.

This National Poetry Month, we honor Neil not only as a writer, but as someone who showed us what becomes possible when people are given the space to live with dignity, care, and choice.

His words continue to speak. And through them, so does his legacy.

About Triple C Housing, Inc.

Triple C Housing, Inc. (Triple C) is a 501c3 non-profit community housing development organization (CHDO) focused on expanding affordable housing opportunities complimented by supportive services to individuals, families and veterans impacted by a disability, who are experiencing homelessness or long term hospitalization. Our objectives are to empower individuals and families to improve their quality of life, promote self-sufficiency, and engage in meaningful, gainful relationships, careers, educational advancement opportunities and wellness activities while contributing to their neighborhoods and communities.

Media Contact
Leslie Stivale
President / CEO
Triple C Housing, Inc.
(732) 658-6636 ext. 211
lstivale@triplechousing.org