It is difficult
To get the news from poems,
Yet men die miserably every day
For the lack
Of what is found there
~William Carlos Williams~
WHAT: An open poetry reading series meant to provide a venue for writers to share their work as well as the work of established writers they admire.
WHO: The series will be open to the central Mass community at large.
HOW: For every original poem a person reads they will be asked to compliment that poem by reading a poem of their choosing by another established and published writer:
From Shakespeare to Stern, Bradstreet to Bukowski, Yeats to Young, Rumi to Rich and any and all between. If you have no original work to read but want to offer poems from writers you love, please join us. The reading will be held in round robin fashion (2 poems
max each time) and the number of turns allowed for each person will be determined by the number of willing participants. We ask those who read to be sensitive to other attendees and not present overly long poems that will delay another’s turn. (One may also
participate by attending and simply listening, not reading, if they so choose.)
WHERE: Merriam Gilbert Public Library, Main St. West Brookfield, Ma. In the Library Meeting Room upstairs. (Elevator accessible)
WHEN: September through May. Generally, readings will occur on the third Thursday of every month, though some schedule adjustments may have to be made around holidays.
Time: 4:00-6:00 pm
WHY: To foster a creative community of writers and readers and to become exposed to writers beyond our own circles of interest. To celebrate what can be found in poems.
JOIN US: Come: read, listen, learn, savor.
SPONSORED: by the Merriam Gilbert Library and the spirit of poetry.
ONE POEM READING SCHEDULE: 2026-2027: 4:00 – 6:00 pm
9/17/26: Thursday
10/15/26: Thursday
11/19/26: Thursday
12/17/26: Thursday
1/21/27: Thursday
2/18/27: Thursday
3/18/27: Thursday
4/15/27: Thursday
5/20/27: Thursday