Poets Anonymous

During my junior year in high school, NPR ran a story about a group in Los Angeles called Poets Anonymous who rented billboard space for poetry. The idea was to spread bits of poems throughout the city – the boards didn’t necessarily show an entire poem.

Intrigued by this story, I started a club called Poets Anonymous. We met once a month to share favorite poems. They could be written by ourselves or by published poets. We would pick segments of our favorites, type them up, copy them on colored paper, and post them around the school. Every month, poetry would be taped to lockers, walls, and doors, signed “Poets Anonymous.” Surprisingly, the club gained enough popularity to continue for a few years after I graduated.

I thought it would be fun to recreate Poets Anonymous here. I try to read a poem every day and enjoy how much can be said in a small space. So, on the 15th of each month, I’ll post a poem. If you have a blog, post a poem on yours and share your link in the comments. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to share part of a poem in the comments. Or, I encourage you to simply read a poem on the 15th of each month.

To kick it off, I’m sharing one of my favorite ee cummings poems. While Frank and I were dating, I sent this to him on a postcard.

i thank you god
for the most this
amazing day; for
the leaping greenly
spirits of trees
and a blue true
dream of sky;
and for everything
which is natural
which is infinite
which is yes.

ee cummings

Share a favorite poem (or segment of one) in the comments!