Like a favourite song in mid-chorus, like a classic sonnet in mid-stanza, Prince George is in the middle of National Poetry Month.
The occasion is passing with a flurry of local activities, like the inspired scratches of a quill on parchment, inking compelling thoughts into artful words. There are writers making public presentations of their work, public discussions to draw out ideas about future writing and oration, and municipal acknowledgments of the place poetry has in society.
Mayor Lyn Hall issued an official proclamation citing the national commemorative month was there to "highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of poets, introduce the pleasures and benefits of reading poetry, bring poets and poetry to the public in immediate and innovative ways (and) make poetry an important part of our children's education."
Hall's proclamation also said that poetry "reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals everywhere share the same questions and feelings, and poetry is a mainstay of oral tradition and, over the centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse culture."
A poetry walk started the month's poetry promenade.
A guided tour led by outreach librarian Darcie Smith took participants to downtown places where poets either wrote seminal works or spots immortalized in the pieces of these writers.
Some of those poets were on hand to discuss.
Also on the agenda was a series of "poetry parlour" events at the Prince George Public Library's downtown Bob Harkins Branch at 7 p.m. These are moderated by local star poet Gillian Wigmore, each one with a special guest poet or two.
Tonight is the next event in the poetry parlor progression.
"Join Prince George poets for this series of evenings that are equal parts shop talk and showcase, poetry conversation and poetic revelations. Expect to hear poems and stories that inspire," said Wigmore.
She also directed poetry fans to look up the weekly poem posted on the library's Facebook platform.
This rotation of verse is aimed "to inspire a citywide reading of poetry and celebration of local writing," she said.
Gwendolyn MacEwan was the first to be so spotlighted, with others pending. The poem was Dark Pines Under Water.
Wigmore was the inaugural poet to be called before city council in 2016 for a reading of a poem as part of the Mayor's Poetry Challenge, a call to action originally issued by Calgary's mayor Naheed Nenshi. It was a cause endorsed by the League of Canadian Poets and Canada's poet laureate George Elliott Clarke.
In this sophomore edition, city council will hear a reading by UNBC professor and celebrated writer Rob Budde to commence the April 24 public council meeting and carry on the momentum of poetry and municipality.
On April 28, a culmination occurs. The Nechako branch of the library (Hart Shopping Centre) plays host to the ultimate Poetry Parlor at 7 p.m.
Some of the special guests include VIP writers Michael V. Smith (writer of two novels, two books of poetry, and a memoir), Kayla Czaga (wrote For Your Safety, Please Hold On and widely published in major Can-lit magazines) and Prince George's own Kara-lee MacDonald who is riding high on her debut poetry book Eating Matters published recently by Caitlin Press.
They and many other fans of poetry - writers and readers together - will close out the commemorative month in Prince George.
"One of my overall goals is to create community around poetry," Wigmore said.
"I think about the potters' guild or the wood turners' guild and how they get together on a regular basis to keep each other going. It can be lonely writing poetry all by yourself. These events bring poets together to talk about their tools and swap ideas and give each other inspiration and work on some things together. Poetry is no different, in that sense."
