Carry and share a #pocketpoem on Poem in Your Pocket Day!
On April 18, we invite you to celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day with us by carrying and sharing an 826 #pocketpoem zine featuring student writing with your friends, family, and colleagues! Started by our partners at the Academy of American Poets, Poem in Your Pocket Day is an annual event during National Poetry Month (April) that encourages and inspires spontaneous moments of connection through poetry.
This year’s 826 National’s Poem in Your Pocket Day selection is “Querido/a Presidente,” a bilingual poem about being a voice for the silenced, written by Lukoiy V. R. Garcia, Grade 12, from Woodburn, Oregon.
“Querido/a Presidente” is from our upcoming publication Let This Be Our Anthem: Call to Action from Young Writers to the Next President, an anthology of student writing to the next president of the United States on issues that matter most to young people, and in collaboration with bestselling author and 826 Valencia alum Javier Zamora.
Querido/a presidente By Lukoiy V. R. Garcia, Grade 12, Woodburn, Oregon De sangre mexicana soy, pero en la tierra de los estados unidos naci, soy como muchos de ustedes, pero todavía más diferente de lo que yo supi, soy parte de mucho más comunidades que yo creí, yo soy representante de mi sangre y mi familia escogida, mi voz suena campanas, para las lágrimas de mi comunidad, quiero hablar para mis antepasados, y para los chamacos que se quedan en silencio, la misma vida que todos experiencia, pero con diferente cuentos, diferente realidades, para mis antepasados que tenían que cambiar apellido para proteger a su familia, para los chamacos que tienen pena para hablar sobre sus historias, de abuso, pobreza, miedo, y historias en que los hace sentir seguros, yo quiero ser su voz, mientras mantengo la mía, mi voz suena campanas, para el cambio que necesitamos hacer, cambio que yo se que puedes escuchar el momento que escuchas para las campanas. I’m of Mexican blood, but in the United States I was born, I’m like many of you, but even more different than I knew, I’m part of so many more communities than I thought I ever did, I am the representative of my blood and my chosen family. My voice rings bells, for the tears of my community, I want to speak for my ancestors, and for the kids who stay silent, the same life that we all experience, but with different stories, different realities, for my ancestors who had to change their last name to take care of their family, for the kids who are hesitant to talk about their stories, of abuse, poverty, fear, and stories that make them feel safe, I want to be their voice, as long as I keep my own. My voice rings bells, for the change we need to make, changes that I know you can hear the moment you listen for the bells.
Write your own #pocketpoem!
Use our blank one-page zine template to create and share your own one-page #pocketpoem zine! They’re perfect for writers of all ages and are big enough for ideas of all sizes and small enough to fit into every pocket.
Making your own one-page #pocketpoem zine is simple!
To make a one-page #pockpoem zine, you will need:
Instructions are included in the template, but you can follow along with the video to learn how to cut and fold your #pocketpoem zine!
Don’t forget to share your #pocketpoem with us by taking a photo and tagging us on Instagram at @826National!