Pearl Poetry Club exists as a safe space for students who want to express themselves through poetry.

“I’ve always had an interest in poetry ever since I was in elementary school,” freshman Frances Burd said. “So when I was applying at the school, I saw that they had a Poetry Club and I was like, ‘I want to join that.’ I want to find my people, people who are also interested in poetry.” 

The club was originally founded by alumni Gracie Huaman and is currently led by juniors Nadia Buer, who is The Pearl Post’s social media editor and her vice president, Jasmine Thompson, who is The Pearl Post’s opinion editor. The club centers around students helping each other with poetry and presenting their own poetry. The club meets on Wednesday during lunch in Gonçalo Sousa’s room 14 classroom.

“It’s a family,” Thompson said. “You can go to them if you need anything and just share your deepest thoughts and things you hold closest to you. We treat it like a family and that’s what it is. I love it there.”

Last year, the club members recited poetry in concerts such as the spring and Valentine’s Day concerts. This year, they plan to focus more on sharing poetry and doing fun activities. The club recently started the activity of writing the lyrics of pop songs as if they were poems. Currently, the club is participating in the Parent Teacher Student Association Reflections contest, an art competition for students that centers around themes of belonging.

For Pearl Poetry members, the club is not just a place to learn to write poetry, but a place of community where they can find friends.

“The best thing about being in this club is having a sense of community and an outlet for creativity,” Buer said. “I think that’s so vital, especially because it’s good to have a place to be vulnerable and meet with like-minded people but also creative and diverse minds.”