At the Georgetown Library, poem on

by LARA GULARTE, EDC Poet Laureate, 2021-2023, Diamond Springs
Mountain Democrat

A salute to our libraries serving everyone in the community in the best and worst of times. Thanks to Sara Schwartz, library patron, and C. R. Kendall, library commissioner, District 4, for their letter to the editor, “Libraries are more than reading,” dated Feb. 14.

The Georgetown Library hosts a poetry group where participants discover that words have power. The Thursdays at Two poetry workshop is led by Taylor Graham, EDC poet laureate, 2016-18. Graham shared that she leads a similar workshop in Placerville and wanted to bring the same approach to the Divide. Participants read from a list of notable poets and bring poetry to share. There is a “word can,” where participants pull a word or phrase from a can and use what they pull as a prompt to write a poem.

Poetry can reveal a new way of seeing the world you thought you knew. By sharing what you write you may find that others will connect with your words and relate to what you are saying. There are different reasons why people join the Thursdays at Two group. From Bobby, “I need something to push me along. I love to write and need challenges.” From Sarah, “This is a way to get out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons.”

In our libraries, poetry can be a catalyst that gathers people together promoting an environment for writing about who we are and where we live. Throughout history people have used poetry as a form of self-expression by reflecting their own lives and what they observe. Poetry groups give us voice and our community is the better for it.

Many thanks to the libraries that host and support groups such as this.