Poetry Pole

When we were in Portland, Oregon in August, we discovered the local phenomenon of Poetry Poles: boxes mounted outdoors for the quiet purpose of displaying poems or photographs. People share their own poems or favorite classics, change them daily or weekly or monthly, and enjoy comments from neighbors and passers-by. Some of these structures are quite elaborate and qualify as art pieces all by themselves. I'm guessing there are hundreds of these offerings scattered all over the city.

It took me a few months, but I finally got this little stand up on the front fence, and today I put up my first display, this poem by Mary Oliver, which I printed over one of my insect photos:

Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

by Mary Oliver

So far there are no crowds of people elbowing to read the poem, but I hope one or two folks notice sooner or later.