Poem in Your Pocket Day

Apparently, seven years ago today was declared "Poem in your Pocket" Day in New York City. Last year, the event apparently went national. Our librarians have been going nuts about it, chalking it on the sidewalk and offering brownies to anyone who can produce a poem from his or her pocket to recite for them.

I started my day with a brownie, then, for sharing with them three poems (I've always been an over-achiever):

• "Words' Worth" by David Lee Garrison (which I would share, but I'd hate to step on any copyright laws--it's a humorous little poem about what happens when an obscure Wordsworth poem gets entered in the 6th grade poetry contest)
• "Doves" by C.K. Williams
• "Breakfast" by Wilfred Gibson, reputed to be one of the former headmaster's favorite poems--I remember him reciting it from memory over coffee one evening (an incident which fits rather nicely with one of the lines--and the overall meaning--of "Doves").

I also foisted off "Terrence, this is stupid stuff" by A.E. Housman on one of my singing groups and some Coleman Barks' translations of Rumi onto a colleague.

Anyone else doing this today? Anyone have a poem to share?

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit