One of the ways that Merriam-Webster definesย random is “a haphazard course; lacking a definite plan, purpose, or pattern.”
I suppose, for many things (like asteroids hitting the earth, for instance) that definition works. I would be sad to learn that asteroids crashed into the earth in a more systematic way, and with particular targets in mind. With intention we could say. But in other cases, I like to think that random is not so random. That comes to be with a little less haphazard, a little more intention. Like with poetry, for instance.
Random Acts of Poetry Day.
Every year, people around the world, whether poets or readers or this-is-the-first-time-I’ve-been-near-a-poem kinds of people, take a little less haphazard, though still quite random in its way, approach to poetry. And they find ways to infuse the world around them with it in some of the most unexpected ways.
The world celebrated this random day last week. Here are a few of our favorite random acts:
Bethany left poetry just lying around. More or less randomly.
Loved seeing the fun folks had on #RandomActsofPoetryDay! My daughter wrote a little poem as we drove to school. After lunch, my son and I read a sonnet together and chatted about it. I left a copy out for my husband to find. (Thanks, Elizabeth Barrett Browning.) @tspoetry
— BethanyR (@BethanyR__) October 3, 2019
The City of St. Louis called in the Poet Laureate for what was, I’m sure, a random appearance.
Did you know today is #randomactsofpoetry day? We just had a guest visitor in the COR sharing poems from St. Louisโ own Poet Laureate, Jane Ellen Ibur! Here is one of the poems for your enjoyment. pic.twitter.com/e6DfwEewkX
— Gregory FX Daly (@gregoryfxdaly) October 2, 2019
OEV Grocer made poetry from (does it get more random than this?) celery.
Slender stalks, leafy
and glistening from rainy
day arrival. Pink.Happy #RandomActsofPoetryDay #haiku #tinyperfectgrocer #ReadWellDoGood
Get pink celery (or write your own haiku) at @630Dundas in the @OEVHub.
More about RAoPD here: https://t.co/YAlHLmJmc3 pic.twitter.com/LpyiivTmIN— OEV Grocer (@OEVGrocer) October 2, 2019
I’m not sure if I’d rather go with the randomness of sheep reciting poems, or the randomness of one more iteration of a William Carlos Williams fan “just-saying.”
We have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive us
we are adorable
so sweet
and so floofy#RandomActsOfPoetryDay@D3Demes pic.twitter.com/3pDYceSc4o— dailysheep (@dailysheep1) October 2, 2019
While over in Ireland, randomly opening a page turns out to be anything but. Or does it?
We opened this for #randomactsofpoetry day…to find ourselves looking at our Facebook Group's favourite poem for #PoetryDayIreland 2019! #spooky pic.twitter.com/CUETGZSWhb
— Irish in France (@Irish_in_France) October 2, 2019
And a (possibly random) airport in Wisconsin pulled haphazard travelers into their random plot.
Stop by and read, write, or share some poems on Random Acts of Poetry Day! Our Short Story Dispenser will also be giving out poems all day! #RAOPoetryDay @ShortEdition_EN pic.twitter.com/NBoEAGV6Cr
— MSN Airport (@MSN_Airport) October 2, 2019
Speaking of pulling, um, travelers into a plot web, the poetic spider was spinning.
#randomActsOfPoetryday #TheBook by ๐ท๏ธ pic.twitter.com/9WP0p6RZqR
— Albino_Spider (@spider_albino) October 2, 2019
"The Spider" written by ๐ท๏ธ#RandomActsOfPoetryDay pic.twitter.com/91FZkDeZwj
— Albino_Spider (@spider_albino) October 2, 2019
But, for my random part, I’m partial to the tarts (all the way from Hong Kong).
Photo by Simon Matzinger, Creative Commons license via Flickr.
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- Poet Laura: Difficult to Forecast - August 26, 2020
- The Book of Delights Book Club: Listening by the Lake - August 5, 2020
L.L. Barkat says
The airport participation makes me so happy. We’d always envisioned some kind of “transport” element (in the 5 Vital Approaches). This is perfect!
And the sheep are too cute. ๐