Poetry in Passing

Posted in Around the Garden on September 12 2013, by Matt Newman

Every now and then our visitors step up to surprise us, and this is certainly one of those times. Our Director of the Thain Family Forest, Jessica Arcate-Schuler, was making her way across the grounds this week when she came to the waterfall overlook of the Bronx River. It’s not a roaring cascade, but calm and picturesque, with a talkative rush that even the Garden’s caretakers seldom hurry past without a pause.

Standing at the rail, Jessica noticed the corner of a note poking out from a gap behind the sign there, but it wasn’t trash. Someone had wedged the paper there to be found. So she plucked it out from its hiding place and read it.

For us, this place is as much an escape as it is a job. When that sentiment is echoed so tangibly by the people who make the time to visit us, it bolsters the pivotal sense of gratification we get from doing what we do. There may be more to come out of this poem—ideas on our end, idle thoughts that might sprout action. Keep an eye here in the future.

And while I’m on the future, we’ll be having some scheduled poetry events of our own in the next couple of months, most notably an ongoing Kiku poetry walk and one-time reading by celebrated poet Jane Hirshfield. Check out our Kiku program listing for more on these October events.