Poetry Bomb – It’s ticking down

By David Gecic

David Buddha-Hargarten has just announced the return of the Poetry Bomb! Since 2007 the Poetry Bomb has been terrorizing the streets of Chicago. The brainchild of two weirdos, David Buddha-Hartgarten and Esteban Colon. Esteban’s original concept was to blanket Chicago in poetry. He wanted to have a poet on every corner so you couldn’t escape it. David molded it into the event is is now.

It takes place on Sunday, April 26th at 3:30 PM. The concept of the bomb is to show people that poetry and poets are all around them. Show people that you are a poet or poetry fan and raise your voice at 3:30 on the last day of poetry month.

This year it’s a social media event. Post a poem on-line. Do a poetry live-stream. Post a recording of a poem. Do a Facebook live. Tweet, Facetime, LinkedIn, Instagram, just – everywhere anyone may look. We still have an audience. At 3:30 let’s fill up the internet with poetry.

 

How To Be a Bomber

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing stop at 3:30 and post a poem to social media. Call someone up on the phone and read them a poem. This is the perfect event for a solo performance and for social distancing. Show people that you are a poet or poetry fan and raise you voice at 3:30 on the last day of poetry month.

Esteban usually reads for about ten minutes at 3:30 on the last Sunday of poetry month. It does not matter how long you read. Just read. It’s a poetry “Flash Mob”.

You can read your own work or someone else’s. The concept is to surround the world with poetry.

Back in the day. When the rain never fell till after sundown and by eight, the morning fog just disappeared, people used to gather in “Bomb Sites”. This year stay home.

 

Where Does This Happen?

Everywhere. Especially where you are. How much more simpler can an event get? Even if you come late, you can still perform. You are the MC. You decide what goes and where. No one is the boss of you.

There are a lot of Poetry Bombers in Illinois, California, Wisconsin, Indiana and at least some in New York. It has also reached into Canada and Australia. No one is safe from poetry.

 

Has This Been Done Before?

It has happened every year since 2007. Through all kinds of weather, it didn’t matter at all.

I remember the first poetry bomb and Marydale Stewart was in a barn near Starved Rock reading poems to her Arabian horse.

Matt Barton did a mash up of TS Eliot and Sir-Mix-A-Lot in front of the Art institute. The bombers were asked to leave that spot because they echoed too loudly inside. It rained that year and people came with huge umbrellas to keep the bombers dry.

When Esteban Colon first moved to Wisconsin. a poet from northern Illinois asked him to be in her poetry bomb. The father of the event went through many years before his child came around and found him in an unexpected way.

Now we are raising our voices from where ever we find ourselves. Show people that poetry lives.

 

How Can I Learn More?

The Poetry Bomb has a Facebook page: Poetry Bomb on Facebook. You can also email Waiting4bus@gmail.com. They are still organizing this and always need more people to help spread the word.

But remember no one is in charge and the rules are up to you.

 

How Can I Learn Less?

You can’t. The Poetry Bomb will go off with or without you. It is an act of literary terrorism. If you choose not to accept the mission, please open your window at 3:30 on April 26th. You might just hear the lonely voice of a poet crying out to the empty city streets.