In the two years since 4Culture and King County Metro launched the latest iteration of the beloved Poetry in Public program, it has featured poems written by 120 King County residents, uplifting local voices. 

Formerly known as Poetry on Buses, the program has been enlivening commutes since 1992.  For the 2023–2025 iteration, the program was renamed to better reflect its expansion into other modes of transit and public spaces. Here’s a look at what Poetry in Public has been up to lately!

Poet Planner Laura Da’ developed the theme Places of Landing to honor the movements, places, and feelings that shape our days. In 2023, she and the program’s Community Liaisons facilitated a workshop series designed to inspire people to engage with the theme. During the workshops, poetry activities highlighted traditions connected to African American, Chinese, Filipino, Indigenous, Spanish-speaking, and youth communities. Workshops took place at many locations throughout King County, including festivals, cultural hubs, teen centers, libraries, and online and hybrid formats.

Hundreds of King County residents responded to an open call for poems interpreting the theme Places of Landing in late 2023. Then, beginning in April 2024, poems selected by a panel of local literary leaders were featured on King County Metro buses and Sound Transit light rail trains, at King County Parks trailheads, and on 4Culture’s social media platforms.

To celebrate the selected poems, Poetry in Public hosted an open mic session in collaboration with Hugo House. Additional poetry showcases followed throughout the summer and fall of 2024, produced in partnership with community organizations throughout the region.

Bedecked with Poetry in Public branding and a selection of poems curated by Da’, King County Metro’s Poetry Bus acted as an immersive stage where poets could connect with one another and read their Places of Landing pieces. The Poetry Bus made special appearances at cultural festivals, including Pista Sa Nayon at Seward Park Amphitheater as well as Fiestas Patrias and Festival Sundiata at the Seattle Center.

April is National Poetry Month, and we’ll be celebrating the accomplishments of Poetry in Public: Places of Landing as it comes to an end. We encourage you to visit our Storefront Media Gallery over the course of the month as we display a selection of poems that we hope will inspire you to write your own poetry. For more guidance, check out our poetry prompts or visit 4Culture to pick up a Places of Landing poetry prompt booklet!