When I was younger, I used to love reading poetry and used to know a few of them by-heart. I believed that to be an under appreciated skill to possess. Over time though, I forgot that this was something that I truly enjoyed. During this period of social-distancing and remote working, I decided to use my time more efficiently and read as many poems I can over a span of 13 Days. I called it the "13 Days of Poetry" Project.
During this time, I re-read a lot of my favorite poems from my past. I encouraged my friends and family to share their favorite poems with me. I came across some old forgotten ones and a few new poems that I did not even knew existed. It opened up a whole new avenue to me, to continue to seek new and powerful poems that can imprint onto me.
The whole of the 13 days were dedicated to reading and sharing poetry, re-living old memories, being nostalgic, and connecting with people and discussing poetry and its impact on us and our life.
I thoroughly enjoyed this Mini-Project of mine and encourage you also to embark on a journey of reading poetry for a specific set of day.
Rules of Engagement.
1. Decide on the total number of days that you would like to commit yourself to this project. It could be a 10 Day Project or a 30 Day Project. Work around what best suits your lifestyle.
2. Use your social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook or Whatsapp to let your close ones know of the project and how it works. i.e: Sharing each other favorite poem and discussing how the poem left an imprint on their life. And encourage them to also read poems and share them with you as they read it. Thus leading to a project that is shared between many people. You could share the new poems that you read with others, who may be equally interested to join along with you on your poetry journey.
3. Initiate conversations with your friends or family members and ask them for their favorite poem. And the impact that poem had on them, and the footprint that it left behind. Encourage dialogue and discussion. Make a connection. That shared poem would be something that you will always share in common with one another.
4. A few friends of mine even send me voice notes of them reading poetry, encourage this too from your close ones.
5. Listen to poetry readings online. There are a lot of them on Youtube. My personal favorite so far is a channel called 'RedFrost Motivation'. They have poems and quotes to listen to as you drift off to sleep or as you start the day.
6. Watch documentaries on poetry and about classic poets and their journey. TED-Ed by Melissa Kovacs called "What makes a poem...a poem? and a TED-Ed By David Silverstein "The Pleasure of Poetic Pattern" are two short interesting videos that I recommend you watch.
7. Explore More. Search More and find poetry to read and cherish.
At the end of the project, you will come out with a sense of renewed energy. Your mind would have been fed with words and emotions in a compressed manner and it is totally up to you if you wish to continue on with this journey of poetry reading moving forward.
Share with me some of your favorite poems, and if you do decide to initiate this project yourself, let me know such that I can participate in it with you.
I enjoyed my 13 days of poetry. I was intoxicated with the beauty of words and the influence of these words on my emotions. And it led to me to understand all the friends and family members who participated along with me in this project from a more deeper perspective. Certain impressions I had of them were also visible in better clarity, leading me to be a better person and a better friend. It is true what they say, we do not always know the journeys others have been on. Some profound thoughts that we as a person may not be able to articulate could be better defined in a poem that we once read in passing and held on to for years. The words of a stranger who created sentences making us and our emotions feel better understood is truly the beauty that exists within poetry.
I goes without saying but these 13 Days Of Poetry made be Richer By The Experience.
