The March of the Guerrilla Poet

Did I do it? Yes. I did. I began right here, in the town where I live. I had a few errands to run before I left on Friday, so, when passing a bookshop, I nipped in, and deposited a poem in a copy of one of the secondary (high-school) poetry textbooks. My photo is of the exterior of the shop, but you can take my word for it that a Denise Levertov section also contains a copy of my poem, "Why I Love Poetry"

Then, I moved to the post office, to send off a package to my son, and left a poem on the counter. Here, I got braver, and actually took my camera out to capture the deposit:

Having completed my errands, it was time to begin the 200+ mile drive to visit my family. There were a few stops: At a petrol-station for a loo-break:

At the tea-rooms just by the churchyard where WB Yeats is buried (I left a poem on a table in the tea-rooms... couldn't bring myself to leave one at his grave)

In my home-town, shopping in a health-food store for some nice relaxing music, I found a magazine for sustainable-living, and tucked in a poem there:

And, on the return journey today, at the ladies' room in a pub called 'The Yeats Tavern':

What I've realised: I can do these things. It's taking the photographs that pose the most challenge for me, and, if I was disseminating someone else's poems rather than my own, I'd be much braver. Anyone want to do a swap?

Am I proud of myself? Yes, I am.

Will I do it again? Yes, Yes, Yes.

Now Look What You've Done!!!!!

Inspired by the adventurous, the brave, the clever, the poetic participants of Poetry thursday, I've decided to strike out, to make a mark on behalf of poetry, and participate in guerrilla warfare of the gentlest kind: to deposit word-bombs in a number of locations down the length of the country as I drive south to visit family tomorrow (thereby avoiding the dreaded "local poet" scenario alluded to in My earlier post). Photos and full report will be posted on Tuesday/Wednesday (unless I'm languishing in a prison-cell, awaiting some kind person who will bail me out).



Am I serious? Am I really going to do it?

Am I READY?

Yes!!!!!

I am.

Guerrilla Poetry - Poetry Thursday

Life is busy, and I wasn't going to post anything for Poetry Thursday today, and then I realised it's been two weeks already, and the next few weeks will be even busier ones for me, so I thought, OK, let's look again at what the prompt is.

Uh-uh. It's that Guerrilla Poetry thing. Oh. Now what? Here's my tuppence worth:


Why I am not (yet) a guerrilla poet

Because there is an image in my mind
of standing before the supermarket-manager’s desk,
and his finger pointing at the CCTV monitor,
and his shaking voice saying “We have the evidence.
We know you contaminated the frozen food section.
Don’t deny it!”

Because I can see the headline:
Local Poet fined €400 for wanton
littering at bus station.

Because I have a picture of the notice
that will appear on the library notice-board:
Before returning books, please check that you have removed
ALL bookmarks, etc. Library staff’s time is precious!

Because I am a scaredy-cat.
Because I am a big scaredy-cat.
Because I am a big, big scaredy-cat.
Just Because.
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But, but, but..... I really, really look forward to seeing what others have done, where they have deposited poems, and hope that maybe it will inspire me, en-courage me, make me a warrior in the path of poetry. Go Guerrilla Poets! Find them HERE