Last month I had the delightful surprise of an email from David Cooke, founder of Poetry Boxes. He built the first poetry box back in 1985 and now his work—and idea—can be found across the country, including on our front curb.
He was in Austin and wanted to visit my poetry box. An hour later we were having a drink on my front porch and swapping stories. What a treat.
Also a treat is sharing David’s poem this week, which captures some of the mystery of interacting with words tucked in a box in the midst of what might have been an ordinary walk, if there ever is such a thing. Enjoy!
“But this
this is the walk you’ve taken.
It untangles you.”
For two weeks before this, the box held “I have learned to live simply, wisely” by the Russian/Ukranian poet Anna Akhmatova. I never got that one posted, but it’s a wonderful poem.