We're not related, unfortunately.  Billy Collins, former Poet Laureate of the United States, put together a volume of 180 contemporary poems -- one for each school day -- to launch a nationwide mission.  His goal was to remove the shackles literary criticism has placed upon poetry and get students to understand that poetry doesn't have to be incomprehensible to be good.  In the introduction, he quotes from a student newspaper in which the teenager wrote, "Whenever I read a modern poem, it's like my brother has his foot on the back of my neck in the swimming pool." 

Now there's a poet in the making.

With his usual wit, Collins introduces both the program Poetry 180 and the book, and calls the collection "a big bouquet of poems that I happen to like."  The first poem, "Introduction to Poetry" is quintissential Billy Collins, and to me as a poet, the absolute truth behind my art.  Familiar names such as John Updike bump up against people I've never heard of, but that is partially the point -- to expose readers to new writers.  If you've ever wanted to treat yourself to a contemporary poem a day, a poem easy to understand the first time through and enjoyable as well, pick up Poetry 180.  Maybe you'll find yourself turning back to something you didn't know you were missing.