a poem a month for a year | Project Poetica

Get hand-written poetry in the mail every month for a year and only pay for shipping.

This is an art project, not a product. To learn more about what Project Poetica is, read the summary at the very bottom of the page.

PLEASE NOTE: You only need to pay one time per address to join. This covers all 12 months of poetry. This is not a subscription.

Before joining this project, please also read all of the information below.

*EARLY-BIRD BONUS*

To reward your early faith in this project and philosophy, all who join before JANUARY 1st, 2025 will also receive in their first envelope:

• +1 additional handwritten poem
• +1 essay on How to Enjoy Poetry
• +1 spritz of cologne (not guaranteed and unlikely)

- THE POETRY PROCESS -

After joining, you will be added to the recipient list and your year of poetry will begin at the start of the next month. (Please make sure that you include an accurate address when you checkout!) Each envelope will contain a print of a handwritten poem (see images for an example), plus any other supplemental work I feel fit for that particular month (i.e - essays, poem analysis, footnotes, etc.)

It's heavily encouraged to share your envelopes with others! It won't be "dishonest" as this is not a product. Please give them to others, read them together, and share the experience. The goal is to reconnect.

If your year ends and you'd like to continue getting poetry, simply sign up again.

NOTE: Each poem will only be sent one time. If you'd like to experience one you may have missed from previous months, ask to read it from those who did receive it.

- WHAT KIND OF POETRY IS THIS? -

Poetry gets a bad rap. Sometimes poems come off as strange, abstract, or pretentious. If this sounds like a worry of yours and you're not yet comfortable or familiar with this medium, you're probably in the right place. 

I write and enjoy a wide range of styles, strangeness, forms, and themes. Some are simple and fun and are about ordering fast food or sending emails. Others are strange and interpretive and are about a suit coat that will call your mom for you on her birthday. The beauty of poetry is that all can be enjoyed and appreciated if you open your heart and focus on the feelings more than the words.

- PRICING -

This is an art project. I won't (and don't intend to) make any money from the monthly poetry. The price simply covers the cost of a year's worth of stamps, basic materials, and a fractional portion of the other fees involved with running this. This is not a subscription and you only need to pay once a year.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

If for any reason I decide to cancel the project in the middle of your paid-for year, I ask that you accept the risk that I won't be able to offer a refund. As of now, this is highly unlikely and any cancellation will come with sufficient notice.

- SHIPPING -

Listen, things happen. Addresses get mixed up. USPS forgets about us. Hearts get broken. I hope you won't take any of it personally. What I can do is offer the following information:

• All shipping processing (printing, labeling, enveloping, delivering, etc.) begins at the first of the month to account for all the new people who may have joined at the very end of the previous month. Because of this, expect to receive your envelope 1-3 weeks into the new month. 
• Some updates on shipping will be given on my Instagram Story so follow for the most current information (https://www.instagram.com/robertwdawson/)

If you do not receive a poem within 2-3 weeks into the month: Contact me and I will re-send the poem for that month (with an updated address if needed).

Due to the nature of this project, any extra deliveries will come at my own cost and thus I'm only capable of one re-send a month per person.

- ORIGINALS -

Originals of each poem will be offered at the end of the year. If you would like an early opportunity to purchase one, please contact me personally. Expect these to be framed, unique pieces of art that will be priced as such (beyond cost).

- CONTACT ME -

Got any questions about shipping, pricing, poetry, etc? Want to chat about something interesting to you?

Please feel free to reach out. If you already have my personal information, you are more than welcome to contact me in any way that is convenient for you. Otherwise, please Direct Message me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/robertwdawson/) or email me (email coming soon).