This unprecedented time of social distancing is a very lonely one. We need each other. People often turn to poetry in tough times, so I’m starting Poetry Circle—a growing thread of people reading their poems and their favorite poems. Here’s my introduction (1st poem will follow):

To kick off International Poetry Circle, here’s “Morning Love Poem”:

Please add videos of you reading your poems or your favorite poems by other poets. And if the poets you read are on here, please tag them. Here’s to poetry!

And here’s a picture of the poem I read in my video:

And if you feel uncomfortable recording yourself but want to share a poem you love, you can share a photo, link, etc.

Dear poets, please add videos of yourselves reading poems to this #InternationalPoetryCircle thread if you feel comfortable. Here’s to poetry helping us get through difficult times.

And feel free to tag anyone you think might like to watch these videos or add their own.

Welcome to #InternationalPoetryCircle, a thread of people reading poems to help us feel more connected during this time of quarantine and social distancing.

Here’s “A True Poem” by @LloydSchwartz, from his collection Cairo Traffic.

For all of you who are planning on adding an #InternationalPoetryCircle video, here's an app that allows you to add captions!

https://www.apple.com/ca/clips/ 

If you don't have access to an app like this, please continue adding photos/links, when possible, of the poems in your videos.

Hi #InternationalPoetryCircle!
I hope you all are safe and well. @blackboughpoems asked me to read my 3 tiny poems in issue 4. Here they are! (Photos of text to follow.)

Here are the three poems I read in my previous #InternationalPoetryCircle video. They’re all from issue 4 of @blackboughpoems. Thanks so much for requesting that I read them!

Welcome to #InternationalPoetryCircle, a thread of people reading poems to help us feel more connected during this time of quarantine and social distancing.

Here’s “Home” by @Ani_Gjika, from her collection Bread on Running Waters.

“Home” by @Ani_Gjika

Welcome to #InternationalPoetryCircle, a thread of people reading poems to help us feel more connected during this time of quarantine & social distancing.

Next: “Three Days After” by @MegPillow!

Meg’s account is currently blocked for no reason, so I’m sharing her video.

Here’s @MegPillow’s #InternationalPoetryCircle poem “Three Days After”:
http://www.stilljournal.net/megan-pillow-davis-mothering.php

Welcome to #InternationalPoetryCircle, a thread of people reading poems to help us feel more connected during this time of quarantine & social distancing.

Next: My 1st poetry teacher & one of my dearest friends, @LloydSchwartz, reads us Elizabeth Bishop’s “Breakfast Song”

(This was Lloyd‘s first attempt at recording himself on his phone—what an amazing job, and such a special reading of this poem.)

Here’s Elizabeth Bishop’s “Breakfast Song,” which @LloydSchwartz read in his #InternationalPoetryCircle video.

Hi #InternationalPoetryCircle! I’m back to read you all a short poem by Gail Mazur called “Philip Guston,” from her collection Forbidden City.

Here’s the poem “Philip Guston” by Gail Mazur.

If you’re feeling a little claustrophobic inside right now, here’s a poem that might help you feel a little bit better: Rita Dove’s “Geometry”

#InternationalPoetryCircle

Here’s the poem “Geometry” by Rita Dove

And for #WorldPoetryDay, a special #InternationalPoetryCircle treat: I & my dear brilliant friend, Turkish poet @goncaozmen, give you a bilingual reading of her stunning poem “Memet”

I read the translation here, Gonca reads the Turkish original in the following tweet.

And here’s @goncaozmen reading her brilliant poem “Memet” in Turkish for #InternationalPoetryCircle this #WorldPoetryDay:
https://twitter.com/goncaozmen/status/1241466461576724483?s=21 https://twitter.com/goncaozmen/status/1241466461576724483

For #WorldPoetryDay, a special treat: My dear friend, Mexican poet & Cincinnati Poet Laureate @manueliris65, & I give you a bilingual reading of his new poem “Quarantine,” about this time of pandemic.

I read his translation, he reads the original Spanish. He wrote both.

And here’s the wonderful @manueliris65, reading his powerful poem “Cuarentena” in Spanish for #InternationalPoetryCircle this #WorldPoetryDay.

Here’s Poet Laureate of Cincinnati @manueliris65’s new poem “Cuarentena/Quarantine,” which he and I read for #InternationalPoetryCircle this #WorldPoetryDay.

For #WorldPoetryDay, here’s “Oligophrenia” by Romanian Poet Angela Marinescu.

You can find my translation in @PlumePoetry: https://plumepoetry.com/featured-selection-romanian-poets/

I will also include photos of the English and Romanian below.

#InternationalPoetryCircle

Here’s “Oligophrenia” by Romanian Poet Angela Marinescu, published in @PlumePoetry.

#InternationalPoetryCircle
#WorldPoetryDay

I’m including instructions on how to add your #InternationalPoetryCircle video here, bc people are DMing tweets of readings, thinking I need to post in order for them to be accepted. & a reminder that nobody needs my permission, it’s open to everyone.

https://twitter.com/taraskurtu/status/1241376648618000385?s=21 https://twitter.com/TaraSkurtu/status/1241376648618000385

Hey #InternationalPoetryCircle, Here’s an app that allows you to add captions on pre-recorded videos: MixCaptions

https://twitter.com/matt_mitchell48/status/1241787159171993600?s=21 https://twitter.com/matt_mitchell48/status/1241787159171993600

Thanks again so very much, @matt_mitchell48!

Welcome to #InternationalPoetryCircle, a thread of people reading poems to help us feel more connected during this time of quarantine & social distancing.

Special Treat
I’ve teamed up w/ wonderful Romanian poet Adela Greceanu for a bilingual reading of her poem “Udo”

And here’s wonderful Romanian poet (and one of my favorite humans in the whole world) Adela Greceanu, at home in Bucharest, reading “Udo” for #InternationalPoetryCircle.

@IntPoetryCircle

Welcome to #InternationalPoetryCircle, a thread of people reading poems to help us feel more connected during this time of quarantine & social distancing.

Next: The wonderful Joyce Peseroff reads us her poem "Dear Thirst" (published in @memoriousmag)! https://www.facebook.com/joyce.peseroff/videos/1119404838395477/

Here's Joyce Peseroff's #InternationalPoetryCircle poem, "Dear Thirst," published in @memoriousmag:

https://memorious.org/?id=684&fbclid=IwAR0E0Wm39vtSG0ryeL1ypw-D_u3kyr92fWCGPAksXIVM6igJHg_X85js4Ic