POET FOR A DAY

In the madness of rush hour, pushing past so many anonymous bodies, wouldn’t it be nice to slow down and exchange some words with the people around you? But what would you say? How about something from Pablo Neruda: “I do not love you except because I love you” . . . And after you whisper those sweet lines, invite them to Bryant Park for Poem in Your Pocket Day, which features poets from Urban Word NYC, Cornell University, and New York University, among others. Part of National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day—hosted by writer, composer, and director Elizabeth Swados—celebrates “the versatility and inspiration of poetry” by encouraging New Yorkers of all ages “to carry a poem . . . to share with friends, classmates, coworkers and family.” And anyone who arrives armed with their favorite poem will take home a free book of poetry. Now that’s poetic justice.
Thu., April 17, 11 a.m., 2008