Poetry Speaks for Us is a program that uses writing and spoken word as a way to empower and connect individuals of all ages and abilities to themselves and to each other via writing and spoken word. We see evidence in the communities we write in, from homeless shelters with adults and children to Community Access Supportive Housing, to NYC Crisis Respites, to Community Youth Groups, public high school libraries and in our local bookstore, that the power of writing and spoken word has the ability to bring people together and generate greater understanding and support for each other.
Poetry Speaks for Us brings poetry writing and spoken word workshops that foster a highly supportive healing atmosphere that helps to disarm fears about writing, grows confidence and public speaking muscles at once, and is often generative of extraordinary publishable writing.
Poetry Speaks for Us engages all ages and abilities with writing prompts that intentionally invite us to explore emotional complexity as we write about everything from feelings, to concerns and experiences. For example, the prompts, To understand me, you should ask… or, A Good Day Is/A Bad Day Is… inspire writing but also deeper understanding and connections between us throughout our conversations and the listening to each other’s work in progress.
Poetry Speaks for Us includes exploring standard poetic forms and devices, such as Haikus, List and Sensory poems as framework. Writing and spoken word often becomes an empowering vehicle for personal and social change. Poems written and shared in safe supportive spaces naturally build social emotional support and help us navigate challenges. Reading our work aloud grows stronger connections to ourselves and our community as we grow better together.