Bookmarked: Philadelphia’s poet laureate has launched a “healing poetry” telephone line.
While “self-care” is a phrase that gets thrown around almost indiscriminately in These Times, the Healing Verse Philly Poetry Line, created by Philadelphia poet laureate Trapeta B. Mayson, feels like the truest form of it. The toll-free line will feature a new “affirming poem” (all by Philadelphia poets, naturally) every Monday, starting with Mayson’s own “In This Season.”
The line will also offer information on mental health resources in the city—including suicide prevention, housing, and substance abuse.
In an interview about the project, Mayson brought up the often-overlooked point that not everyone has access to the resources—like Zoom—many literary organizations have relied on during the pandemic. A hotline “might be old school,” she said, but “it has a wider reach.”
If you’re in need of a little healing verse (honestly, who isn’t), you can call the hotline at 1-855-763-6792.
