Mary Louise Cox Memorial Poetry Garden Rocks Rock In Meter

MAMARONECK, NY — The spring flowers are in bloom at the Mary Louise Cox Memorial Poetry Garden, but in a quiet corner of the village, something just as hopeful as the season's first sprouts are budding as ideas blossom and silently shared words take root in the community.

The legacy of a woman who cheered on neighbors as they found new ways to communicate joys and sorrows, and who helped teach a generation how to turn self-reflection into art in a sometimes whimsical and sometimes solemn way, continues in a new and tangible way in a small lovingly cared for garden near village hall.

The Village of Mamamaroneck Arts Council enlisted students from local schools to paint the colorful "poetry pebbles" to help the rest of us create with words at the poetry garden.

"We encourage you to take a moment to breathe and be inspired by your surroundings," the group said, announcing the new project. "Allow the stones to guide you as you create a poem of your own by arranging them in any way you so choose. Place them in any order or shape that moves you. Use one or twenty - it's up to you! Don't hold back, allow the poem inside yourself to just be."

The arts council is also encouraging the park poets to post their works to Instagram (@vomartscouncil and @mamlibchildren), before returning the poetry pebbles to the crate and erasing the moment like a sand mandala only for the next poet to start anew.

On a recent afternoon, the April showers yielded to wildflowers and sunshine as a handful of local poets were creating with words and stone.

"I knew Mary, she would have loved this," one local poet, who wanted, like her poem, to remain anonymous. "This park is such a great tribute, but seeing a chance for everyone to participate, it makes me smile."

And participate we have.

New and temporary works of verse on sunshine-warmed pebbles surrounded the fanciful sculptures and plaques paying tribute to the gift Cox gave the village she loved. All garden design and elements were donated by the Cox family as a gift to the village. A memorial plaque that describes the space as "A beautiful place inspired by a beautiful soul" is now circled with poetry pebbles continuing that legacy in the most appropriate way imaginable.

In the words of Mary Louise Cox:

Compose

Words flitter!

Catch some, braid them.

Surprise yourself, Keep inspiration green. Grow a poem.

And now when the mood strikes and the weather is nice, we have a chance to do just that for ourselves.

The Poety Garden is located on the corner of Library Lane and Prospect Ave. in Mamaroneck.

SEE ALSO:

• A Fitting And Stirring Memorial For Village's First Poet Laureate
• Mamaroneck In Search Of Next Poet Laureate
• Young People Perform Live Poetry at Mamaroneck's Emelin Theatre
• Poetry Moments on Location... out to raise domestic violence awareness
• Honoring the Fallen: Mamaroneck's 9/11 Ceremony, 11 Years Later
• In the Age of Texts and Tweets, AMS Students Celebrate the Joy of Poetry
• Circles of Peace - One year after Sandy Hook
• Meet Mary Louise Cox, Mamaroneck's Poet Laureate