Gifts of Poetry
A great poet … must have the ear of a wild Arab listening in the silent desert, the eye of a North American Indian tracing the footsteps of an enemy upon the leaves that strew the forest, the touch of a blind man feeling the face of a darling child.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Gift poetry written to order for:
* Wine tasting events
* Dinner parties
* Art Openings
* Wedding receptions
* Family reunions
* Anniversaries
* Children's events
* Neighborhood block parties
* Poetry connoisseurs
Your gift poem is neither rhymed, clichéd, sentimental nor affected, and combines a mix of charg'd language with your everyday speech.
The purpose of poetry is to remind us how difficult it is to remain just one person.
—Czeslaw Milosz
1263
There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry-
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll-
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human soul.
—Emily Dickinson
How to order your gift poem
For individuals:
* To get started, complete and submit the Poetry du Jour Order Form.
* I compose your gift poem in the form of direct address: from you to your recipient.
* Provide your phone number on the order form, and I will contact you and read you the draft prior to emailing you the final copy.
* Your poem comes into being through a collaboration between us; working together, we personalize and finalize your gift.
* Before we complete the final version, you will have the opportunity to make any changes.
Cost: $75.
For group events:
* To get started, contact me and tell me about your event.
* I compose poems on-the-spot at your event using a mix of your and your guests' language, combined with my creative input.
* Once I have an idea of what you are planning, we consult to determine the kind of poetry most suitable for your guests and how best to present it.
* The day of your event, I will arrive with my reliable Smith Corona manual typewriter (or laptop), compose poetry for you and your guests, and present everyone with a final draft.
Options for poetry written at your event:
1) Individual poems written for guests as described above, or
2) A single group poem written using words and phrases suggested by your guests, or
3) Both individual poems and one group poem.
Individual Poems Your guests fill out the Poetry du Jour Order Form asking for details about the person for whom their gift poem is to be written.
Group Poem Each guest who wishes to participate writes a short, three- to five-word phrase or line which will be integrated into a single, unified work.
Presentation After typing, I present you and your guests with individual and/or group poems, copied on quality bond paper for eveyone, inserted into a colorful gift folder.
Cost: Quoted as per event.
Please call or email Scott Reid for a consultation.
