MURFREESBORO, TN—Poetry in the Boro has launched a new project to help Rutherford County and surrounding Middle Tennessee communities remember, heal, and grieve in the wake of the pandemic.

"Haiku for Healing" invites anyone who lives in the area to submit information about a loved one lost to COVID-19. A team of area poets will use that information to write a haiku that will be shared on Poetry in the Boro's social media accounts.

“Just as churches have rung their bells to help communities acknowledge and grieve their losses, we poets want to express our love and concern,” said Poetry in the Boro founder Kory Wells.

“For those who have lost someone to COVID-19, social distancing and isolation can be even more difficult than it already is. We are hoping this project provides some solace and sense of community for anyone grieving, but especially those grieving alone,” added Murfreesboro Poet Laureate Amie Whittemore.

“You loved green. We loved / The bright star of your laughter. / It was always spring,” reads one of the first haiku written for the project.

To learn more or submit a loved one’s information, see Haiku for Healing: A Community Responds to COVID-19 on the Poetry in the Boro website, poetryintheboro.org.

Based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Poetry in the Boro is a monthly reading and open mic series founded in 2016. Its community of poets also promotes the genre through outreach such as a wall calendar, art crawl and festival appearances, workshops, and more.