Poetry in Planters

Nearly 1000 people from 5 countries waxed poetic about life in Tucson, Arizona, when the city put out a call for haiku submissions in its first annual Old Pueblo Poems literary competition.

Collage of poetry signs

Tucson’s poet laureate, TC Tolbert, selected 20 winning entries.

You can find the poems on signs nestled among desert plants along Congress Street and Stone Avenue in Downtown Tucson.

Building in Downtown Tucson with a poetry planter in front of it

Phillip and I spotted a few – which you can see photos of below – while we were headed to The Screening Room for the Arizona International Film Festival (AZIFF).

Downtown Tucson street including The Screening Room

Several of the selections for this year’s AZIFF featured poetry in some form, and there were poetry readings almost daily. So having haiku sprinkled down the street in front of the Screening Room was a perfect complement.

 


‪Waiting for the buzz / Of late-summer cicadas / Yellow flowers fall. (by Alanna Mejia)

‪Waiting for the buzz
Of late-summer cicadas
Yellow flowers fall.
Alanna Mejia

 

Haiku: El Presidio Layers of time not of past Sun warmed adobe – Philip Brown

El Presidio
Layers of time not of past
Sun warmed adobe
–Philip Dean Brown

 

Haiku on sign: late night dance party / confetti spills down Congress / monsoon washes clean (by Lisa Periale Martin)

late night dance party
confetti spills down Congress
monsoon washes clean
Lisa Periale Martin

Haiku: Now the day goes still / Letting Tucson catch its breath / While the sky burns red (by Judi Molina)

Now the day goes still
Letting Tucson catch its breath
While the sky burns red
–Judi Molina

 


Old Pueblo Poems map in Downtown Tucson

– More info on Old Pueblo Poems –

  • On display during daylight hours, now through June 1.
  • Take the 1/2-mile “haiku hike” to see them all.
  • The Old Pueblo Poems project is a collaboration of the Downtown Tucson Partnership and U of A Poetry Center.