The first Wednesday in October is Random Acts of Poetry Day. (This begs the question: Is there any day that is just, you know, that day, and not national Eat a Pickle in Public Day, or whatever?) I learned about this admirable day through the excellent tweetspeak, a site for poets and those who love poetry. They sponsor several days a year to encourage more poetry in public.
- Poetry at Work Day • 2nd Tuesday in January
- Take Your Poet to School Week (and Poet in a Cupcake Day) • 1st week in April
- Poem on Your Pillow Day • 1st Tuesday in May
- Take Your Poet to Work Day • 3rd Wednesday in July
This day in October is dedicated to sharing Poetry in the Public Sphere—getting it off the page and visible/shared with others. The idea reminds me of the public poetry in my former town of Charlotte through Wall Poems. The good news is you don’t have to display poetry in a permanent way in order to participate. Print out a poem and post it in your home today. Share a poem on your social media (if it’s working today!) Chalk one on a sidewalk, or read one in a meeting or to a friend.
Here is my contribution. A poem for paying attention during these shortening days of sunlight, by Jane Hirshfield.
a writing prompt
Take a look around for an ordinary item you see regularly. Can you see and appreciate something new and beautiful about it today? Start by describing it, and see where your words take you.
