Tomorrow, Thursday, April 30, is “Poem in Your Pocket Day,” celebrated internationally (well, in the U.S. as well as Canada!) each year during National Poetry Month.
Typically, when there’s not a pandemic on, lovers of the written word are encouraged to type or write a poem on a piece of paper and then carry that poem around with them during the day. The idea is to share the poem over the course of one’s travels—with family, friends, strangers in a parking lot—to help spread the spontaneous joy of poetry.
As we’re all currently at risk of spreading something much more nefarious, the Academy of American Poets has some suggestions for participating in Poem in Your Pocket Day tomorrow from a distance of six feet or more:
- Select a poem and share it on social media using the hashtag #pocketpoem.
- Simultaneously participate in the Shelter in Poems initiative, and select a poem that brings you solace during this time of distance and solitude. Share what it means to you and use the hashtags #pocketpoem and #ShelterInPoems.
- Print a poem from the Poem in Your Pocket Day PDF and draw an image from the poem in the white space, or use the instructions on pages 59-60 of the PDF to make an origami swan.
- Record a video of yourself reading a poem, then share it on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or another social media platform you use.
- Email a poem to your friends, family, neighbors, or local government leaders.
- Schedule a video chat and read a poem to your loved ones.
- Add a poem to your email footer.
- Read a poem out loud from your porch, window, backyard or outdoor space.
For more about National Poetry Month, click here.
So, what poem will you share tomorrow?