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Meet the park poet helping strangers unlock their inner thoughts

Jessica LawrenceBBC News NI
News imageBBC Patrick, a man with a shaved head and stubbled facial hair, smiles sitting behind his typewriter on a wooden picnic bench in Botanic. In front of his typewriter is a handmade sign on a piece of folded white paper saying "Free typewriter poems" in Botanic Gardens in Belfast.BBC
Patrick Kruse is hoping to write one poem every day for one year with strangers

From the rugged north coast to the sweeping Mourne Mountains, it's no wonder Northern Ireland has inspired so many literary legends - Seamus Heaney, Michael Longley and Sinéad Morrissey to name but a few.

But while some may leave poetry at the classroom, Patrick Kruse is on a mission to remind people that the art form "really is all around".

The Queen's University Belfast (QUB) master's student has set himself the challenge of writing at least one poem a day with strangers over the next year.

Recently, he's brought an old, repaired 1940s-era typewriter to Botanic Gardens in Belfast to bring people's deepest thoughts, feelings and emotions into the written prose.

"I was really scared coming down on the first day because I was wondering what is going to happen? This is a crazy idea," he told BBC News NI.

"Then seven hours later, I had written poems with 10 different people and had the craziest interactions."

News imageA close-up of Patrick's "Free typewriter poems" sign. It is handwritten on a piece of paper which is folded in half, and being held down by two pens attached on either side. There is also an old, black typewriter in the background on a wooden table.
For regular visitors to Botanic Gardens, you may have spotted Patrick and his typewriter already

Over the last month, Patrick has written poems with people from all walks of life, from students, to refugees or even those looking to dip their toes into the literary world for the first time.

"I've written poems with I feel like every part of Belfast in just one month, and I've definitely noticed how poetry opens up the world to connecting with people.

"There's been a lot of people that I've interacted with who wrote their first poem they've ever written in their lives," Patrick added.

"They're 65 years old and writing their first poem ever, which is mind blowing and it's cool to share that, to be in that moment with somebody."

'People are living and breathing poetry'

Patrick, a former English teacher originally from the United States, said his goal with the "one poem a day" project was to show his own students at home that poetry is "making people smile just out in the wild".

"A lot of my students, I ask them at the beginning of our poetry unit who hates poetry and who loves poetry, and all of them hate poetry," he said.

"But then I'm like, 'What about all these rappers you're listening to? And what about Taylor Swift who uses poetic devices?

"They are living and breathing poetry every time they put their headphones on, so poetry really is all around."

News imagePatrick and Arek sit at a park bench together working on a poem. Patrick is rolling a piece of paper onto his typewriter and Arek is looking at him.
Strangers will approach Patrick and they will work on a poem together

For those who might be weary of putting pen to paper, Patrick has some advice.

"I think one of the most beautiful ways to use a poem is just to write one for your friend or someone you love and give it to them and have it just be something between you and them," he added.

"I have a lot of people who come up who are afraid to write a poem or think they're not poetic, and I tell them this is what the project's for.

"It's for people who aren't into poetry, and just getting them to interact with it and have fun with it."

A unique souvenir

Among those who have availed of Patrick's poetic offering is Mercedes, who was in Belfast for a day trip with her family after travelling on the ferry from Scotland.

After a picnic in Botanic Gardens, Mercedes sat down to collaborate on the unique souvenir detailing her spontaneous adventure.

"I wrote down five key words, things that matter to me, and he just made a poem out of it and I absolutely love it," she said.

Entitled "How To Make A Memory", the short poem mentions Mercedes' family, her career as a dance teacher and her travels across the Irish Sea.

News imageMercedes has long, ginger hair. She is wearing tortoise-shell patterned sunglasses and is smiling at the camera. She is holding a small piece of paper in her hands with a typed up poem.
Mercedes, a dance teacher from Manchester, loved the poem Patrick wrote for her

Taking a break from his afternoon cycle around Botanic, Arek decided to take a leap out of his comfort zone and try to write a poem.

"I noticed Patrick here two days ago, and I finally got an opportunity to sit and do a poem," he said.

"I feel like my artistic soul needed more help to be expressed and I think with Patrick's help, I can do it."

News imageArek is an older, balding man with short, grey hair. He is smiling at the camera with his mouth closed. He is wearing a blue and white checkered shirt. In the background, there are two people sitting at a picnic bench behind him.
Working with Patrick, Arek wrote a poem for his young daughter

After a brief chat and a bit of collaborative work, Arek dedicated his poem to his daughter, Rosalia, with references to one of her favourite shows, Peppa Pig.

"My daughter is autistic, she doesn't talk," he explained.

"So I think that maybe someday she will be able to read it and once she reads that, maybe that will make her happy."

For Patrick, spending some time with people like Arek, has been eye-opening.

"The part that I love is when you're both trading the pen back and forth and writing this poem together, and then the poem that we make becomes something that both of us made together," he said.

"Maybe I only see this person for 15 minutes of each of our lives, but we still have this thing that we made together."