On April 25 and 26, the Tahoe Poetry Posse will bomb the South Shore with poems. Kim Wyatt, publisher of Bona Fide Books, organized the event as part of National Poetry Month, which occurs each April.

“We mark the most important times of our lives—graduation, weddings, and funerals—with poems,” Wyatt said in a statement. “They provide immediate connection in a way no other writing does. We want to share the power of poetry with our town, and, in a way, help people feel less alone.”

The poetry bomb will take place over two days, and Wyatt and her team hopes to place 10,000 poems in the hands of local residents. Each member of the poetry posse will take a specific part of town, such as Bijou or Meyers, to canvas with poems. Suggestions for poems to include were solicited from local poets and writers and placed into sacks for distribution. Instructions are included, for example, don’t place in mailboxes because it is illegal.

Wyatt would like to see the poems pass from hand to hand.

“When times are hard, poetry can give people hope,” she says. “We’re hoping that people receive the exact poem they need to read at that moment.”

Other events for National Poetry Month include a poetry slam at LTCC on April 26 at 7pm, hosted by Poetry Grand Slam Champions Matt Blesse and Denise Jolly. The slam will be in the LTCC Teaching and Learning Center, and will take up to 10 competitors. The entry fee of $5 will go toward the cash prize, but there will be other prizes as well. Audience participation is free and open to the public.

For more information about Bona Fide Books, the South Shore’s only small press, go online or call (530) 573.1513.