April is National Poetry Month and the Town of Collingwood’s Poet Laureate Claudia Ferraro invites you to celebrate with a few ways to work poetry into your day.
Take a stroll through Harbourview Park near the Arboretum and you might just come across a poetic installation. Built out of old, found books and new, original poems, PoeTree visually connects art and nature to foster a symbiotic relationship between the two and enact the theme for National Poetry Month – resilience. All the hanging poetry has been penned by community members during the pandemic, inspired by the prompts found along the Boardwalk Trail.
“This past year has certainly reminded me of the importance of our relationships with the natural environment and our neighbours,” says Claudia. “Not just as things to enjoy, but things to engage with, consider, and conserve. My hope is that the PoeTree offers people this chance to be in communion with the voices of nature and the poetic voices of our own, inspiring community members in a mutually beneficial way.”
On April 21, join Claudia for a free, virtual discussion and reading with four incredible published Canadian poets. Titled Telling Our Stories Through Poetry, the event will explore the theme of resilience and how the telling of our personal stories – and keeping them alive – through writing can be challenging, moving, uplifting and healing. Guest authors are Phoebe Wang, Laura Ritland, Randy Lundy and Michael Fraser. The time is 12 noon to 1:30 and everyone is welcome to join.
“I am definitely fan-girling over the poets joining us on the panel, and am so excited to hear their poetry and writing advice!,” says Claudia. “Everyone has the ability, and to an even greater extent the need, to understand and share their own stories. These upcoming events will provide everyone in attendance with more tools and tricks to do so – as well as a chance to just be in the company of great storytellers!”
Lastly, Claudia will present a virtual All Ages Blackout Poetry Workshop in collaboration with the Wasaga Beach Library on April 26 from 6:30-8:00 pm. A form of ‘found poetry’, suitable for all levels, in Blackout Poetry words are selected or redacted from a page of text to create a poem or phrase.
To learn more about these activities for National Poetry Month, visit www.collingWord.ca. Follow Poet Laureate Claudia Ferraro on Instagram @poetry.by.collingwood. Write an original poem to be added to PoeTree by emailing Claudia at poetlaureate@collingwood.ca.
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