In many adults’ minds, poetry is always associated with high school. William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson were shoved down our throats for four years (if not more) and just like I avoid Algebra, the average adult avoids poetry. For many, poetry was traumatizing, and boring, and not everyone was good at it. One of the perks of graduation is that you have control over what you learn, so why learn poetry?
I work at a library, and poetry is a part of my daily life. Celebrating the second Thursday of each January isn’t so big a deal when creativity is a major part of your job. But for the larger society, who was forced to read Robert Frost and hated every second of it, why would they want to read poetry at work?
My mom says creativity is a habit, not a trait. Habits are like muscles, and muscles need to be worked to be strong. If you want to think outside the box, you have to work those muscles. It doesn’t have to be poetry. Brainteasers, meditations, books, music, movies- anything that makes you think of something you’ve never thought before helps you stretch your creativity.
Every workplace has boring parts. The same jobs, over and over, while they can be fulfilling, don’t always spark creativity. So when I asked my coworkers for their favorite poems, I was hoping to bring them some joy. My coworkers who responded were happy to share something they loved. And I was happy to read something new. Since we work in member services, I wanted to share these poems with you.
This year for Poetry at Work Day, I hope you like our favorite poems and that they inspire you to share creativity at your own work! Share your own work on our Facebook page.
#socialliteracy #YCL
-Alex Mezza, Technology Specialist, Martin Library