Found poems

‘Found Poems’ is a project started by @sanarao, and co-edited by @henry_stleger. As a part of this project, you will receive curated poems right to your inbox every couple of weeks.

In this moment in time, a lot of the crises and disorder we see unfolding around us — be it immigration, health, climate change or the rise of nationalism, the one common thread I find, is chronic disconnect & apathy. Disconnect from ourselves, our purpose, from each other’s humanity, from this planet and the universe as a whole. And although I don’t suggest looking to poetry if you are seeking answers, I believe strongly in its power to bring us closer together, to get us to care and to bring that little bit of play back into our lives. As William Carlos Williams wrote famously in ‘Asphodel, That Greeny Flower’- 

“It is difficult
to get the news from poems
yet men die miserably every day
for lack
of what is found there.”

Our purpose is to take poetry out of it’s corner. 
Poetry has always been the domain of a select few, not because it’s difficult but because it is taught and perceived as inaccessible. This project aims to bring poetry to people in a curated and contextual way that helps bridge that gap.

To reveal the poetry in the things we take for granted.
If you are looking, poetry can be found anywhere, any moment of the day. Found Poems seeks to highlight the poetry around us that already exists, a way of looking that elevates ordinary moment out of the ordinary.

To appreciate language.
A good poem has as much meaning between the lines as it does in the lines themselves. Found Poems is a way to appreciate the myriad ways poets have used language to talk about complex emotions and subjects.

To give language to our shared humanity.
In an increasingly disconnected world, coming across a poem which articulates a feeling/emotion/subject that resonates with is like a balm, it helps you understand that someone somewhere else is feeling the same things. Found Poems is a way to reveal this kinship we share with each other, it is a way for us to feel less lonely.

To let ourselves feel.
Poetry allows us to connect with our emotions at a deeper level, sit with them and allow ourselves to feel. Found Poems is an offering that seeks to help the reader get in touch with themselves through the magic of evocative poetry.

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