1/22

Inspired by the winter doldrums, students in Katrina Reed’s Advanced Poetry class created a Poetry Apothecary to cure the community of common ailments. Enthusiastic students diagnosed problems they believe plague the EHS community — ailments like imposter syndrome, senioritis, jealousy, and exhaustion. Fellow students, faculty, and staff visited the apothecary over the course of two days, filling their prescriptions with pills that had hand-rolled poems inside. Students battling sadness were inspired by lines like “to love life, to love it even / when you have no stomach for it” by Ellen Bass. Those battling self-doubt were moved by Derek Walcott: “You will love again the stranger who was yourself. / Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart / to itself, to the stranger who has loved you.”

“We invited students and teachers to slow down and let poetry meet them where they were,” said Reed. “My classes loved sharing their favorite lines with the community and showing that with just a few minutes, even the busiest people can have a beautiful literary moment.”