By Spencer Sterritt

New poems to brighten commutes across Nanaimo

Dec 6, 2018 | 2:34 PM

NANAIMO — The lives of transit riders in Nanaimo will be improved by poetry.

Every bus in the fleet will feature two poems written by local authors on the theme of “caring for others.”

It was inspired by Nanaimo’s poet laureate Tina Biello, who told NanaimoNewsNOW this will enrich everyone’s life.

“A poem can do on one page what it takes a novel to do in 500 pages,” she said. “That’s the beauty of it.”

Biello said a real dilemma for herself as poet laureate was how to spread poetry to all residents, not just those already interested who will seek out performances or readings. By featuring the poems on buses criss-crossing the city, she said more people will have the chance to fall in love with the written word.

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“Even now, with all of our devices, people stop and look around. You can only look down at your phone for so long. It always impacted me sitting on the bus and realizing there was a poem to read. You stop in your tracks.”

102.3 The Wave radio personality Joanne Dzeirza was one of the 18 poets selected to have their words carried around town:

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit