The Story Behind the Box

I’m a nurse, an anthropologist, a former college instructor, and a microfarmer. I’ve created this blog not because I’m also a poet or even an expert in poetry, but simply because I wanted to share with the larger world the poems that enrich my own life.

It all started after our family moved back to Naperville, Illinois in the summer of 2020. After settling in, we noticed that the little lane in front of our house was a favored route for pedestrians strolling to and from downtown.

I was reading a lot of poetry at the time—partly as a way to cope with the stresses and isolation of the COVID-19 epidemic. One morning as I sat pondering a particularly wonderful Mary Oliver passage, I thought about how nice it would be to share it with passersby, much like we used to share books through our Little Free Library. I did a bit of searching and discovered that others had already been doing just that—through what they were calling “poetry boxes.”

Soon I’d purchased a poetry box of my own and erected it in our front yard. It’s been a big hit! We often see people stopping to read, and sometimes even taking a poem or two from the back of the box. Several have told me how much they look forward to my weekly installations.

This made me wonder if others beyond our little community might enjoy having access to the poems. Thus the Online Poetry Box Facebook page and Twitter page were born, and now this blog. I’m so glad you’ve found it. Welcome!

-Jennie Smith-Paríolá