Yesterday was Poetry at Work Day, a space in the calendar when we encourage folks around the globe to reflect on the poetry in their workplace. Sometimes that means a person brings along a poem, or reads a poem to their colleagues, or even writes a new poem while at work.
And sometimes that means finding the poetry that’s already there. The rhythm of the file drawers (do people still have those?), the ticking of the time clock, the organization of the cubicle or the words that find their way into departmental communiques.
This year, we noticed, in addition to the usual run of Roses are Red poems set to a workplace beat, an effort at blank verse. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say Fill in the Blank verse.
Happy "Poetry at Work" Day! Roses are Red, Violets are Blue. My job is
— NSA Ohio (@NSAOhio) January 10, 2017
Today we would like to say is Poetry at Work Day (well ok, we are better at tanning than poetry) https://t.co/KoG4ACR2oP
— SunWerks (@sunwerks) January 10, 2017
Today is National Poetry at Work Day! Stop by the office and we'll make you a Haiku. "Lease with us now/We have a great dog park/…"
— Eagle Creek UNT (@EagleCreek_UNT) January 10, 2017
And if you needed some words to fill in the blank, there were folks that knew where to find them:
"Lessons in Colouring". The masterpiece created from the words used in an Angry Birds colouring book by Kaiken. #poetryatworkday #AngryBirds pic.twitter.com/dzxiabBoEc
— Kaiken Publishing (@kaikenpblshng) January 10, 2017
#poetryatworkday pic.twitter.com/6HxTFT9ViX
— Jim Samsel (@tejastani) January 10, 2017
Seems like our space and medical fields are quite good at finding (and sharing) poetry at work, from asteroid-mission limericks to neurological rages against the dying of the light:
on #PoetryAtWorkDay, read #medstudent Aishan Shi's poem about her #Neuroscience/Neurology block for the @The_DiffDx: https://t.co/t5pMNiwU6m pic.twitter.com/n8IfoMHT2N
— UA Medicine-Phoenix (@uamedphx) January 10, 2017
Wrapping up #PoetryAtWorkDay (and #TravelTuesday) with a simple #cinquain. #ToBoldlyGo pic.twitter.com/2zRS2GTA7N
— OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) January 10, 2017
This #limerick goes out to anyone who dreams of adventure or strives to understand the universe around us. #PoetryAtWorkDay #ToBennuAndBack pic.twitter.com/wdwnZUmiS7
— OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) January 10, 2017
Me? Oh, just reliving my launch on #PoetryAtWorkDay. #Limerick #AtlasV #ToBennuAndBack pic.twitter.com/p1I8DkpSWb
— OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) January 10, 2017
MT @statnews Surrounded by pain, doctors turn to poetry, writing to cope with loss https://t.co/tUGX1x0O7a #Medicine #PoetryAtWorkDay
— Inspire (@teaminspire) January 10, 2017
#poetryatworkday #haiku @boltonhospice
a patient's work story in three haiku #hospicepoet pic.twitter.com/zfxwZiNDTC— Phil Isherwood (@poetrymeta4life) January 10, 2017
#poetryatworkday #haiku @boltonhospice
Though they are unwell
It makes my job worthwhile
To receive a smileA #volunteer 's poem
— Phil Isherwood (@poetrymeta4life) January 10, 2017
Some folks couldn’t wait to get off work…
It's Poetry at Work Day. Drop by for brew and share your silly poems about work!
When the office gets murky, … https://t.co/yKsadzoRHn
— Gillette Brewing Co (@gillettebrewing) January 10, 2017
And some maybe got off a little earlier than expected…
?
Roses Are Red
Violets Are Blue
Nobody's Fired
Well, Except For You#PoetryAtWorkDay https://t.co/FQR4DpEytm@DLoIndustries said I can ?— ☠ Bonnie ☠ (@bonrex) January 10, 2017
Which was all good if you got to take your Poetry After Work hike in a place like this…
Today is Poetry at Work Day, but around here it feels like everyday is filled with poetry! pic.twitter.com/rufxbT9c3U
— Midpen Open Space (@mrosd) January 10, 2017
For most people the weather was nothing like that; rather, it seemed Minnesota-type weather was blustering all about:
Who in Minneapolis is perturbed at winter right now? Here's how we learned to love the season. #Minnesota #Winter #PoetryAtWorkDay pic.twitter.com/A8mlC3GoLr
— Olive & Company (@oliveandco) January 10, 2017
Our mantra today…
It's snowing a lot.
Stay inside and be cozy
or drive carefully.#PoetryAtWorkDay #Haiku #PoetryAtWork @tspoetry— Olive & Company (@oliveandco) January 10, 2017
#poetryatworkday @boltonhospice
Words for Today- Malcolm, a #hospice #volunteer, writes a meditation poem today in #haiku pic.twitter.com/jiQ7MrAJXJ— Phil Isherwood (@poetrymeta4life) January 10, 2017
#poetryatworkday #poemhuman #writersresist pic.twitter.com/RvaPctJmID
— tabeenawani (@tabeenawani) January 10, 2017
“Poetry at work?
Well, I will write a haiku.
It is cold outside!”— MacPhaidin Library (@macphaidin_lib) January 10, 2017
Which makes some people happy to just work from home…
Working from home,
my uniform will be
a pink, fluffy robe,
and slipper-booties.#poetryatworkday https://t.co/EGmnbfUQgV— Cat Russell (@ganymeder) January 10, 2017
Working from home. Brought Anne to work for #poetryatworkday HT @malcolmguite pic.twitter.com/qsOeuZ43xH
— Jody Lee Collins (@jodyo70) January 10, 2017
Some of our favorites made it to the office…
Happy National Poetry at Work day! John Keating: "No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world" #CarpeDiem pic.twitter.com/LKulGlhKml
— (((Cathy))) (@chouinardphoto) January 10, 2017
It's National Poetry Day at Work
so @chrishon3 wrote Brian a poem
she'll read it at 8:10ish#GiantMornings w/ Brian, Chrishon & Chuck pic.twitter.com/EZfZT4WrCt— 91.7 GIANT FM (@917GIANTFM) January 10, 2017
#poem #poetry #poetryatworkday #writerslife #WriterMemeMonday #writer #writing https://t.co/FgXTd27zLS
— P.S. Outcast (@brokenwerds) January 10, 2017
#poetryatworkday
Have fun with words today..
Poems are just a verbal feast..enjoy
(PS you can replace the dishes at Oxfam?)#Oxfam #Hexham pic.twitter.com/0pbShUjV0I— Oxfam Hexham (@OxfamHexham) January 10, 2017
For poetry at work day, a little Jack Kerouac. https://t.co/vtlQKmAjC8 @OakParkGirl @RobbieQT
— (((Ed Wisniowski))) (@eeeThree_ed) January 10, 2017
#poetryatworkday
Let's start the day with inspiration
from poets up and down the Nation..
Let's tweet!#Oxfam #Northumberland #Hexham pic.twitter.com/7vp35N6kb7— Oxfam Hexham (@OxfamHexham) January 10, 2017
And just plain old honest-to-goodness finding the poetry…
Insurance people always have the best poems…
Give us a call and we'll check all the facets. Because at NuStar Insurance, we cover your assets! #poetryatworkday 🙂
— NuStar Insurance (@nustarinsurance) January 10, 2017
An attorney, too…
"I don't write poems, " the old poet told us, "I just find them, then set them free."#poetryatworkday
— Dr. SunWolf (@WordWhispers) January 10, 2017
Of course, when sports folks do poetry, it can’t be missed…
It's National Poetry at Work Day… Chop drops a poem about #Clemson beating #Bama. #nationalchampionship… https://t.co/lYfA6H1CEe
— 750 The Game (@750TheGame) January 11, 2017
Don’t ever say bookstores write spineless poems…
I'm at work and made a #bookspinepoetry, so it counts for National Poetry at Work Day! ? #nationalpoetryatworkday pic.twitter.com/jUM5Q9VFCY
— B&N Saratoga (@BNSaratoga) January 11, 2017
But? Not to be outdone by ANYBODY, Alexa got in on the day…
And best of all, Philip Levine was kind enough to be born on this date so we could celebrate his poetry too…
Who knew? A #poetryatworkday. Nice for the late great Philip Levine to get this attention @latimes @latimesbooks https://t.co/l0A2H9mOsh
— Thomas Curwen (@tcurwen) January 10, 2017
Photo by LongitudeLatitude, Creative Commons via Flickr.
___________________________________
Get Poetry at Work, the book, by a Fortune 500 leader
Poetry at Work, by Glynn Young, foreword by Scott Edward Anderson
“This book is elemental.”
—Dave Malone
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- Adjustments: A Belated Bicentenary Party for John Keats - March 4, 2021
- The Reindeer Chronicles Book Club: You’re Cutting a Tree in Almería and Getting a Storm in Dusseldorf - February 17, 2021
Jody Collins says
So nice to see my poetry book photo here. Anne Ridler is a remarkable poet! Also rejoicing that I recognized some other bloggers’ names- Dawn, Michelle and #she reads truth joining in the fun. Well done, Tweetspeak!
(and a sportscaster making up a poem about that football game? Look what you started.)
L.L. Barkat says
Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue.
My job is amazing.
Yours is too.
***
Today we would like to say
rivers—and the train rides long them—
and drinking green dragon tea,
sipping solace from Gelman,
looking to turn the page
and find kindness
is Poetry at Work Day.
***
Lease with us now—
we have a great dog park
where tea cup chihuahuas
and pit bulls
and golden retrievers
and shepherds (German)
can drink happily
from the same
fountain.
Donna Falcone says
What a treasure trove of tweets!
I have to say, the one by Inspire w/the forward to the article “Surrounded by Pain” just touched me so deeply -especially that last poem, Rose, and the story that surrounds it.
SimplyDarlene says
Poetry is always at work, is it not?
Thanks for including me in this round-up!