In June, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón launched “Poetry in Parks,” which features site-specific poetry installations in seven national parks across the country. These installations, which will transform picnic tables into works of public art, will each feature a historic American poem that connects in a meaningful way to the park. Limón will travel to each of the parks for an unveiling, and we’ll be reporting on summer visits in “Bookmarked” throughout July.
Just a few days after the “Poetry in Parks” kickoff at Cape Cod National Seashore, the laureate embarked on the biggest trip of the initiative, with over 1,000 miles of driving: first to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State for a June 21 visit, then to Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California for events on June 23.
As with the Cape Cod trip, the weather more than cooperated. All arrived at the aptly-named Paradise location, at almost 5,500 feet, for seasonally warm temps and spectacular views of Mount Rainier and the Tatoosh Range—and snow all around, from the storm four days earlier. The fact that the visit took place the day after the summer equinox meant plenty of light through to the evening hours.
As with the week before and with all “Poetry in Parks” visits, the day included both public and private events—the latter to an audience selected by each park to help engage with the picnic table, its featured poem, and poetry more broadly as part of park programming. Mount Rainier’s programming started with a gathering at the Paradise Inn, including the park’s interpretive staff and a number of contracted tour guides working at the park. Superintendent Greg Dudgeon introduced the event, which featured Limón in conversation with Terry Wildy, the park’s chief of interpretation, education and volunteers; and Josh Boisvert, concessions management specialist at the park.
Wildy and Boisvert talked with the laureate about the poem she chose for the park, “Uppermost” by A. R. Ammons, and invited the staff/guides to discuss what they saw in the poem as well. The assembled had a moment of silence for ranger Nick Hall, who died during an on-mountain rescue twelve years ago to the day, and discussed the park’s beauty as well as its dangers. The event concluded with a discussion of how staff and guides could incorporate the picnic table.
The park’s public event took place outside the Paradise Visitor Center, with Mt. Rainier in the background. Over 150 visitors and staff crowded around the table late that afternoon to hear Limón read the featured poem and see the table reveal—and a special guest helped pull away the covering: the laureate’s brother, Bryce Limón, who had worked as a ranger at Mount Rainier from 2011-2014.
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Afterwards, we headed down the mountain and south, and we kept catching glimpses of Rainier along our route. I kept returning to a comment by Dudgeon, about a bit of wisdom the previous superintendent had offered him: “The mountain stands alone”—and how it connected to Ammons’ poem. That’s the point of the initiative, of course!
Comments
How lovely — in a week with so much that is difficult, sad, almost discouraging — to have Ada Limon, introduced by Rob, pointing out the glorious things about our country that cannot be compromised! Thank you.