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6 Perfect Ways To Say, “Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day”

April is National Poetry Month, and what better way to celebrate than by observing Poem in Your Pocket Day? Poem in Your Pocket Day is celebrated every April; this year the official date is April 29. This day strives to celebrate the beauty of poetry and the impact it has on our lives and communities.


Poem in Your Pocket Day was established in 2002 in New York City. The event picked up traction in 2008 when the Academy of American Poets extended the movement to include all fifty states. In 2016, the League of Canadian Poets also joined the movement and brought the celebration to Canada (“Poem in Your Pocket Day,” 2021).


To participate, select a poem to keep with you throughout the day. You can take this one step further by sharing it with family members, friends, coworkers, or fellow students in a virtual classroom. On social media, you can let others know you are participating and see what others are sharing by using the hashtag #PocketPoem (“Poem in Your Pocket Day,” 2021).


Poem in Your Pocket Day serves as a beautiful opportunity to allow the healing power of poetry to spill over into our everyday lives. It allows us to share our favorite poems with people who may otherwise not receive much exposure to poetry. It also reminds us to have a deeper appreciation for the impact that poetry has had on our lives.


Here are some ways that you can celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day:


1. Share your favorite poem on social media. Don’t forget the hashtag #PocketPoem.


2. Write your favorite poem on a sticky note to put on your fridge or cubicle at work. Or, if you’re working from home, add a poem to your email footer for the day.


3. Make your pocket poem the background on your phone or share it in a group message with others who may also want to participate. This can create a fun and exciting dialogue with other poetry lovers. Everyone can share their favorite pieces throughout the day.


4. Create a video of your favorite spoken-word piece or have a virtual poetry night where everyone shares their favorite poems aloud.


5. Plan a poetry exchange with your household, or virtually with a group of friends. For an in-person exchange, everyone writes their favorite poem on a piece of paper and puts it into a bucket. The poems are shuffled, and you draw a poem at random. For added personalization, each person can write a brief explanation as to why they chose their selected poem and what it means to them.

If you’re social distancing, try using a virtual name generator, like Draw Names, to draw names from a virtual hat, and send selected poems to each other via email, text, or snail mail.


6. Embrace the artist within. Type up your favorite piece using a typewriter or typewriter app. You can make calligraphy or word art that showcases your chosen poem to share with a friend or family member. If you’d like your pocket poem to be a more permanent display, you can even decide to turn it into wall art! Create your word art on canvas or find a fun picture frame and hang up your poem for everyone to see.

Consider making this an annual tradition with friends. You can create a new piece of wall art every year for your pocket poems. This could create a truly beautiful picture collage in a few years.


However you choose to celebrate, don’t forget the reason behind the day and National Poetry Month: appreciation for the written word and how it has shaped our lives. Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day, readers!


Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on April 18, 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.