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The Poetry Post Box Project

S Cowing-Poetry Box.jpg

In 2020, during COVID shutdown, I watched my neighbors and their dogs and children walking around and around the neighborhood to get some exercise or to simply get out of the house. We were just realizing then that this could go on for a very long time, and that vaccinations were a long way off, so there was a lot of uncertainty and boredom and stress in the air. 

 

To distract us all, I had a friend build this waterproof post box by the sidewalk in front of my house, where walkers and bikers would pass it every day. Three times a week I have been posting poems in the box, some of my own, some I like by other people, and some accompanied by photographs I have taken. I try to choose poems that people who might not ordinarily read a lot of poetry might enjoy. 

Sure enough, this has become a neighborhood thing.  People check it regularly like the mail and comment to me and each other—not just neighbors but workmen on the street and surfers and biking buddies passing through. I’ve had lots of good conversations with people I only exchanged “hellos” with before. 

 

Here are a few poems and photos of mine from among the 200+ posts so far:

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