What we experience in our national parks can sometimes leave us at a loss for words, but park-inspired poets prove that finding those words can be nothing short of extraordinary.To honor the National Park Service centennial in 2016, the Academy of American Poets commissioned 50 poems to celebrate national parks in every state. Today, we’re taking a closer look at five of our favorites, including:Ada Limón | Notes on the BelowNathalie Handal | Accepting Heaven at Great BasinArthur Sze | White SandsMeg Day | The Permanent WayMajor Jackson | Song as Abridged Thesis of George Perkins Marsh’s Man and NatureEpisode 17, “A Collision of Breaths,” was produced by Todd Christopher Original theme music by Chad FischerAudio clips courtesy of the American Academy of Poets. For the complete collection “Imagine Our Parks with Poems,” please visit: https://poets.org/imagine-our-parks-poemsThe Secret Lives of Parks is brought to you by:Todd Christopher – Producer & Host Jennifer Errick – Producer & Host Bev Stanton – Online Producer Vaness Pius – Social Media ManagerThe Secret Lives of Parks is a production of the National Parks Conservation Association. With more than 1.6 million members and supporters, NPCA is the nation’s only independent, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to protecting national parks. Learn more at npca.org