Gary Lawless, owner of Gulf of Maine Books, where people can pick up poems for Brunswick’s annual Poem in Your Pocket Day. Jason Claffey / The Times Record
When Kathy Koerber was a first-grade teacher in the Brunswick School Department, she found poetry inspired her students the most.
“It filled them with joy,” she said. “It showed them the beauty of language. It showed them the magic of poetry.”
When she retired after 38 years, she wanted to give back to the community and could think of no better avenue than poetry. She organized an annual “Poem in Your Pocket Day,” and this year marks its 12th anniversary on Thursday, April 27.
Here’s how it works: Koerber distributed poems and stickers at the Curtis Memorial Library, the Pejepscot History Center and local businesses like Gulf of Maine Books for people to pick up.
“You put a poem in your pocket and wear your sticker and share your poem with someone,” Koerber said. “It’s easy as one, two, three.
“Sometimes, a poem reaches out to you like a song. Certain songs speak to you and certain poems reach out to people, and that’s the way I’m trying to spread joy and happiness in our community and make Brunswick come together.”
This year’s event is dedicated to Al Miller, who founded The Theater Project and would read poetry for kindergarten students in Brunswick. Miller died last year.
Gulf of Maine Books owner Gary Lawless said supporting the Poem in Your Pocket Day is a no-brainer.
“The whole idea of people having poems they can read to each other is very fun,” he said. “It encourages appreciation of the sharing of poetry, which as a bookseller, I like that. As a human, I like that.”
Following in Miller’s footsteps, Koerber has extended her efforts to local schools, encouraging students to read poems in front of the School Board and Town Council to promote Poem in Your Pocket Day and the Downtown Brunswick Poetry Stroll, which features poems and student artwork installations at downtown businesses.
“It’s a wonderful effort,” said School Board Chairperson Beth Bisson. “I appreciate all that (Koerber) does for the schools and the community.”
“That’s my mission to give people the voice of poetry,” Koerber said.
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