Poetry Leaves

The Poetry Leaves Project brings poetry into the everyday lives of Waterford residents by enabling and encouraging individuals to write and submit original poems during National Poetry Month to be included in an outdoor exhibition. During 2016-the third year of the project participants had an opportunity to attend poetry readings by published poets, learn about the creative process for writing poetry and share their poems at an open mic event. In addition, a children's poetry camp was offered and workshops were held at some of the local elementary schools to engage young people in the process of writing poems. At each event, participants were encouraged to write and submit original poems for inclusion in an outdoor exhibition at the Waterford Civic Center campus throughout the month of May. All poems submitted were transferred onto colorful leaves, waterproofed and hung in the trees along walkways on the campus. Photos of the exhibit are posted at www.poetry-leaves.com. The poems in this printed collection are those included in this year's Exhibition. Many of the entries are from elementary school students who attended the poetry camp and school workshops. Since they often enhanced their poems with original artwork, we have reproduced their poems as submitted. The poems are grouped by school for the student entries followed by a section of individual entries.