Most offices could use a little more lyricism and a lot less “leveraging” and “going after the low-hanging fruit.” In fact, we shouldn’t limit sharing poetry – at work or elsewhere – to just one day. Poetry should be shared often – and especially in places devoid of beautiful words.

Chances are, you didn’t know that January 12 is National Poetry at Work Day.

Don’t worry. Even the three Charlotte poets we interviewed – Kathie Collins, Ph.D., Kia Flow and Jay Ward – hadn’t heard of it.

That’s no reason we all can’t embrace it. After all, businesses are always looking for ways to “surprise and delight” employees and customers, enliven meetings (particularly on Zoom) and create connections among workers who are now, most likely, phoning in from home.

If your Zoom meetings have gotten a little routine, you could have everyone change their background. But we have a suggestion that would be even more engaging and might have lasting impact. Let’s bring poetry into the workplace. Or, let’s “onboard it,” to use the corporate parlance.

“If any art form deserves its own day at work, it’s poetry,” said Kathie Collins, poet and co-founder and co-executive director of Charlotte Center for the Literary Arts.

Image via Charlotte Lit

Most offices could use a little more lyricism and a lot less “leveraging” and “going after the low-hanging fruit.” In fact, we shouldn’t limit sharing poetry – at work or elsewhere – to just one day. Poetry should be shared often – and especially in places devoid of beautiful words.

Adding Poetry to the Work Day

It’s in that spirit that we share some work-related poems chosen by Ward, Flow and Collins and their ideas on how to integrate poetry into your work life.

Ward said people who want to celebrate Poetry at Work Day could use the “Secret Santa” template. Every teammate draws a name out of a hat and sends a poem to their person.

Flow is a poet (and a performer, actress, singer and Slam champion) and part of corporate America. (You can be a full-time musician, a full-time actor, a full-time photographer, but it’s tough to be a full-time poet. Most poets need day jobs.)

“Typically, you’ve got emails going back and forth,” she said. “Maybe – just for a day – people could write their emails in the form of a poem. The recipients of the email have to respond in verse, too.”

Charlotte Poet Kia Flow. Photo Credit: Brandi Hill

Just think of it. Your third request for the overdue TPS reports might actually generate a response:

As per my previous emails,
Your TPS report was due – without fail –

Two days ago. You’ve dropped the ball.
Submit at once. Heed the call!

Please do not my patience test.
Thanks in advance. And, all best…

Poetry-sharing “best practices”

Collins suggests livening up a Zoom call by sharing a few lines of verse: “[That’s] even easier than sharing in person. You won’t have to make copies. Even better, there are a ton of great poems, classic and contemporary, that fit onto a single page, so it’s easy to post a favorite … using the ‘share screen’ function.”

She recommends opening a meeting by reading “something short, accessible and uplifting,” such as Mary Oliver’s “Messenger,” which begins: “My work is loving the world.”

Should you share poetry at work, Collins had this advice: “Poetry is an aural art form. Read it aloud, preferably twice. You’d be surprised how much poetic language opens and deepens in a second reading.” Then, ask teammates to read it silently. If time allows, ask people to share “the words, phrases or images that caught their attention or evoked a thought, feeling or memory.”

Ward is a spoken word poet (and 2018’s National Slam champion) and a “page poet” who works by day as a project manager. The way he described what poetry can do for a reader is, well, it’s poetic.

Charlotte Poet Jay Ward

“Poetry, like most art, is a way to deal with emotions and memories,” he said. “But the memories and emotions you have access to – you don’t always understand. And if you’re asked to put them in words, you’re not always sure how to do it.”

“With poets who are really, really good at their craft, you can read the poem, and you’re reading their experience but you’re accessing your own memories, your own catharsis,” he continued.

When was the last time you experienced catharsis on a conference call?

Collins has a few other tips on introducing poetry into the workplace:

• “Include a favorite verse in your email signature line. Don’t forget to cite the poet.”
• “Gather a lunch bunch and ask everyone to bring a poem to read aloud. Discuss what each poem means to you.”
• Start a meeting with a haiku prompt, and write together. “Most of us probably recall the simple five-seven-five syllable, three-line structure of a traditional haiku,” Collins said. Ask each attendee to compress some aspect of your project into a haiku. The exercise may enable you to think about a particular issue in a new way – and may even prompt a solution to a problem.”

Take a “deep dive” into poetry

Both Ward and Collins suggest consulting The Poetry Foundation, which “offers a virtual index of poems for every mood and occasion,” Collins said.

We’re not suggesting you read love sonnets to your boss — although that would be one way to liven up a Zoom meeting. There’s plenty of work-themed poetry worth sharing.

• Consider “What Work Is” by Phillip Levine, a poet known for writing about working-class Detroit whom Ward and Collins both admire. Collins said this is “a terrific poem about work (and much, much else).”
• Another of Collins’ favorites is “Digging” by Seamus Heaney.
• Flow shared a short, powerful work-related poem by Leigh Fisher called “Out of Balance.” It’s perfect for anyone who’s ever heard from management about the importance of work/life balance only to be tasked with a major assignment on a Friday afternoon … that’s due Monday.

How far can someone walk
while watching their body fall apart
before they starts to wonder
if they’ve gone too far?

• There are workplaces beyond corporate cubicles – and poems that honor them. Ward recommends Charlotte poet Carlos Robson’s emotional “Amazing Grace,” a spoken word poem about teaching autistic children. Have a hanky ready. This one packs a punch.
• There’s even a new book of “love” (sarcasm implied) poetry specifically for the office. For anyone who’s ever gagged at the smell of a co-worker’s tuna sandwich in the breakroom or not seen eye-to-eye with a boss on the matter of bonuses, check out “Love Poems for the Office” by John Kenney. Here’s a morsel from “Shakespeare Never Used the Word ‘Ping’ and Neither Should You.”

When you say “ping me,” I want to punch you.
It’s true.
“Bio break,” too.
It makes me cringe.
And, if I am being honest, I don’t care about your ducks or the row they’re in.

The Next Verse

Like all good writers, Jay Ward, Kia Flow and Kathie Collins have a lot more to say. We’ll share their words and wisdom on the topic of poetry over the coming weeks.

More About Our Guest Poets

Jay Ward
Website: www.jwardpoetry.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jayward2030
YouTube: youtube.com/user/jwardpoetry

Kia Flow
Website: www.kiaflow.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Kiaflow
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/kiaflow

Kathie Collins
Website (Charlotte Lit): www.charlottelit.org/about