In the spring of 2009, a group of poets from Massachusetts gathered to identify and connect two persistent challenges, one affecting poetry and the other arts education. They shared proof that the community of poets across the state was fragmented, that poetry was distant from the lives of the public, that there was little access to accomplished poets, and that the art of poetry had retreated to the universities.

Of greatest concern was how poetry is being swept up in the reduction of arts education in schools. That concern deepened in 2010 when the Commonwealth cut fiction and poetry in schools by 60% and replaced them with Common Core's "informational texts." A 2016 editorial in The Milford Daily News entitled "Poetry Teaches More than Rhyme" examined how the removal of poetry from the curriculum would have a widespread negative effect on school children's literacy. Because of its relevance, this editorial went viral: it was re-printed and re-posted in many newspapers and sites across the state. This group of poets recognized that people of all ages and communities have little or no access to one of humankind's most ancient and essential art forms. However, they knew that the talent and energy necessary to address the situation were abundant. As a result, they created Mass Poetry to better the imaginative lives of our citizens, poets, students and teachers - and to contribute to arts education - by engaging people in the art of poetry. As of this writing, the organization engages approximately 300,000 people annually through its online presence and public programs.

I acknowledge any organization whose fundamental belief is that Words Matter. When combined into a poem, they can matter powerfully and beautifully. They move us to think, feel and act. To understand each other. At the present time in our country's history, I believe this matters more than ever before.