Poetry in Motion

Ana Zaldarriaga
Ana Zaldarriaga
Don’t become a statistic
Do not hold doors
Future you wants you to play
 
Choose your wings
Stay limber between matches
Destiny has a funny way of finding you
 
Divergent
Connected
Wonder-filled
Taking on the counterculture
 
Ahhh…do you remember when the MTA started Poetry in Motion in 1992, its first display an excerpt from Walt Whitman’s Crossing Brooklyn Ferry? I do…it was a new moment of inspiration on my ride, different from the usual characters of NYC, the urban sounds, and the musicians that played on the carts and on the platforms. It became something I looked forward to only ride, a reason to look up from my seat.
 
It has been on hiatus for years and returned in the spring of 2012, but with a less noticeable presence as posters on the far sides of each cart.  I was reading one the other day and then started looking around at the words that were actually written on the walls. They are the words above courtesy of Heineken, ABC network, NY Lottery, CDC, Red Bull, some movie trailers, and the MTA itself.  
 
I know, i know, it’s all part of advertising, subliminal marketing messages, etc. But if you can suspend some socio-political views you might have and just take a step back...perhaps you can just enjoy the literal poetry in motion, in your motion of the every day. Put your phone down or your e-reader, or even your actual book.  See the words that are meant for you, infused with your own special meaning, and perhaps your journey will be a little bit more special every day.
 
If you find any poetry that you want to share, please do so in the comment box below.
 
For more onNational Poetry Month, go to http://www.poetshouse.org 
For some interesting looks at the written word, check out the http://chapbookfestival.org or Basquiat’s journals at https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/basquiat_notebooks
And for some poetry in nature, see the blooms and blossoms at our nearest Botanic Garden.
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Ana Zaldarriaga

By Ana Zaldarriaga

Ana Zaldarriaga Pronouns: she/her/hers Sr. Dir. of Employee Development The Leadership Program 535 8th Avenue, Floor 16 New York City, NY 10018 Phone: 212.625.8001 Fax: 212.625.8020 tlpnyc.com “…building strong leaders in classrooms and communities."