Project Description

Launched in October 1998 in partnership with the Poetry Society of America, Poetry in Motion/LA™ places poems directly in the path of more than one million Metro bus riders daily. Over 60,000 colorful poetry placards are installed on the interiors of Metro buses. In addition, the program presents live poetry readings at busy bus and rail stations during the month of April in honor of National Poetry Month.

“To You” from The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes

More than 100 thought-provoking works, some printed in both English and Spanish, have been presented since the program’s inception. Poems are selected by the Poetry Society of America, which chooses recognized works that are relatively short, upbeat and representative of the demographic diversity of the Los Angeles area. Among the poets whose poems have been represented by Poetry in Motion/LA™ are E. E. Cummings, Langston Hughes and Octavio Paz, as well as noted Southern California poets Chungmi Kim, Michelle Serros and Quincy Troupe. The Poetry Society of America secures the rights to reprint the poems.

For more information about the Poetry Society of America and the national Poetry in Motion® program, visit http://www.poetrysociety.org.