| THE IDEA came from Vanni Cook, a member of the local writers’ group: adults and children of all ages at St Eustachius’s in Tavistock, Exeter diocese, should be invited to write a four-line poem on the theme of love to celebrate St Valentine’s Day. Four lines only, and no more than ten words in each line. They hoped that the poems would fill the 86 pews with 688 poems.
Word spread all round the community, and even overseas. Poems came from America, Australia, Algeria, Canada, France, Moldova, Lithuania, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, and even one from prison. There were 1063 in all, of varying quality, says the Revd Michael Brierley, Priest-in-Charge. Some were humorous, some spiritual, and some moving.
The poems were laminated and placed along the ledges of the pews (above), in the choir stalls, and on the pillars. The event was launched with a celebration of music and verse.
Visitors from all over the South-West came to read them over the two weeks. There have been many requests to publish them as an anthology; so the Poetry in the Pews team are now seeing if they can find the funding to do so.
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