Is that a poem in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?

I keep poems I’ve copied and can’t use for my blog the way some people keep slices of meatloaf in the freezer—-why throw away what can be consumed later?   I had dozens of poems leftover from my niece’s recent wedding (link here), two or three extra copies of poems I’d already written about, as well as a handful of poems that were either too long to post or were written by poets I’ve already posted a poem from.

So when I received two emails reminding me that today is National Put a Poem in Your Pocket Day, I knew my re-use and recycle moment had arrived.    I spent last evening wrapping a shoebox and taping signs to it.  Here’s the result:

Either my crafting skills stalled around fourth grade or I took Emily Dickinson’s dictum to “tell all the truth but tell it slant” a little too literally.  In my defense, I was hurrying because Revenge was coming on soon.

Anyway, my box does the job. A nice clerk at the post office okayed my display in the lobby.

I wish I had the dolphin-shaped surveillance camera that Revenge‘s Nolan uses so I could watch my box to see if anyone participates in this national whimsy.

Next on my list of tasks related to Poem in Your Pocket Day is to change out of my yoga pants (which I have no business wearing in public anyway) into clothing with pockets.

Deciding which poem to pocket could take me half the morning.