The Poetry Tree

​While in San Diego speaking at a conference on the use of of poetry in the treatment of trauma, a friend of mine who lives in South Park took me to the Poet Tree that was coincidently only a few blocks from the airbnb I rented for my stay. The creators of this Poet Tree placed poems on there that those passing by can read and even take with them.
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This was such a wonderful and compelling idea that I decided to create one in Vancouver and have done so. The only difference is that in my Poetry Tree, I also invite others to share their poems whenever they wish. in addition to offering a variety of poems for the taking. My hope is that this becomes an opportunity for community engagement and an antidote to the fragmentation of society that I see all around me. I have already had some positive interactions.

​Given the wetter and windier weather in Vancouver as we head into fall, I had to laminate and double clip the poems… but so far so good.
I hope to expand this project a little more simply by pinning poems to trees throughout the city.
If you would like to contribute a poem to the poetry tree send it to me or tell me which one and I will add it. My only criteria is that, at least for now, the poems focus on themes that are uplifting, inspiring, tranformative, and/or challenge one’s fragmented mindset.

Perhaps some of you will be inspired to start poetry trees in your own communities as well.
HistoryI searched the web for poetry trees or poet trees and found two key references that may indicate an older and more modern take on this idea.

History
From wikipedia I found The Poem Tree was a beech tree with a poem carved into it by Joseph Tubb in the 1840s, located on Castle Hill at Wittenham Clumps in Oxfordshire, England.
In more modern times, 2011 to be exact a A. E. Housman‘s poem: LOVELIEST OF TREES was pinned to a Cherry tree in a university Campus by a student who then recreated the idea as an activity for poetry month. Others have also created poetry trees of various sorts in community based exercises that often involve writing poems on paper cut out as leafs and then placed together as a community project.

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