The poetry pole is a cedar post carved with the word POETRY on the east and west sides where people come to pin poems to the pole and read poems left there by others. After time in the weather, the poems are put in a place of safekeeping.

The first poetry pole was imagined by Jim Bodeen of Blue Begonia Press in 1996 in Yakima after he visited Pablo Neruda’s home in Chile where people leave poetry on the fence posts. That poetry pole has collected thousands of poems. Jim said of the poetry pole: 

“Planted in an out-of-the-way place, the poetry pole is a source of truth. Poems here are written directly to the muse without editors intervening...

Poetry poles are places to share spiritual insights, longings, and truth.”

Ellensburg's own poetry pole was planted on August 27,  2023, in Wippel Park at 400 N. Elliot St.  

The pole is home in the Heritage Native Pollinator Garden created by The Morning Rotary Club. Eighty percent of the native plants are now in the ground, and you can find labels as well as a plant list on site. The garden will be completed in Spring 2024. 

The relocated Downtown Community Garden is also in Wippel Park. The park has become a beautiful, reawakened place our community can enjoy for field trips, walks, readings, workshops, or picnics.

Post your poems. 

There is room on the poetry pole for everybody. 

The wind phone was first imagined in Japan by Itaru Sasaki in 2010 when he placed an unconnected rotary phone in his garden to help him cope with the death of his cousin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_phone  

Sasaki stated: "Because my thoughts couldn't be relayed over a regular phone line, I wanted them to be carried on the wind."  Sasaki's wind phone was visited by thousands after the tsunami in 2011 in Japan when thousands died and were unaccounted for. 

Hundreds of wind phones have been installed around the world since: www.mywindphone.com

The wind phone has no religious connotation—it gives us a way to say the words we long to. Wind phones help us carry our grief with all its complexity as time passes.

As Ellensburg is known for its wind, the wind phone complements the poetry pole:  Both the pole and the wind phone are broad invitations to connect something within to something outside of ourselves. Both allow us to send our words on the wind. Those who visit these places are connected by their humanity and their willingness to search for the words. 

The wind phone of Wippel Park is being constructed now and will be installed in Spring 2024. Stay tuned on social media (links below) to follow its progress.