By Lloyd Allotey
This year, on July 4th, it will officially be the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which was the beginning of a promising country. It will also happen to be National Poetry Month, which is one of the largest literary celebrations in the world. Despite these two events seeming to be unrelated, poetry has been an integral building block of the nation. It calls out to prevalent issues on freedom, justice, the sound of arms, and much more. So having noticed this correlation; Pensacola State College decided on a better way to celebrate both the art and the anniversary of the nation by combining the two.
Here at Pensacola State College, the English Department came up with a wonderful idea. Inspired from the Tibetan prayer flags, students wrote their dreams and hopes for the country on cloth flags. Over the span of a week, students were able to write what really felt right in their hearts towards the country at stations set up in different buildings. Art was drawn (some as simple as sun or a heart), words of encouragement were written, poems and dreams expressed, quotes or even silly phrases were taken down. It was a wonderful time for students to express their feelings and engage with not only the campus, but also with poetry month and the 250th anniversary of the country. And this wasn’t the only thing planned.
Just like the Tibetan prayer flags, after that week there would be an event where the flags would be hanged on the trees in front of the library, for all to see and the wind to blow each dream into fruition. Alongside this, the English department would also have an event where American poets, like Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, were read by both staff and students. And in these poems, the history of the nation was heard. Struggle and freedom. Hope and uncertainty. Pride and love. Perhaps not many know, but poetry has been an integral force in the making and continuation of this nation. So, reading prominent American poets to show the American Spirit was a perfect synergy to combine the nation’s anniversary and poetry month.
And perhaps, you too, could write a poem or two down, or once a day as it usually goes. Maybe not only about yourself, but how you feel about the country since it is its anniversary. Don’t stress, grab a notebook or your phone (whatever feels best) and put those feelings to work.