Programs and Services

Wendy Morton poems construction workers during Random Acts
of Poetry day.

Random Acts of Poetry

From 2003 to 2010, the READ Society worked with Victoria poet Wendy Morton to coordinate the Random Acts of Poetry event across the country. Every October, poets across Canada took to the streets and shared their poems with strangers.

Random Acts of Poetry contributed to READ’s Tuition Assistance program, which provides funding so children and youth from low-income families can attend our programs.

Both an anonymous donor and the Canada Council for the Arts helped to fund Random Acts of Poetry.

Funding for this initiative ended in 2010. The READ Society is interested in hearing from poets who want to contribute to literacy initiatives.

Random Acts of Poetry, 2010
By Wendy Morton

On Raise-A-Reader Day on Johnson street I meet
the lady from Iran, who loves books,
the software guy with a wallet full of American money
who gives me a 20.
The man from the AG's office who has lost his wallet
and only has a loonie.
A medical adjudicator from the Ministry of Health.
Two more from BMO and Global Village.
Outside of Bliss:
a mathematician,
a maintenance man;
a guy from Paraguay who is homeless, broke,
a dude from Calgary wearing a black hat,
a silver belt buckle and his girlfriend
with python boots
and a lady who tells me
she does nothing but read.