An Evening of Poetry in Columbia, NC: Welcoming Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green
I’ve been blessed to work with poets, writers, composers, and the like for most of my professional life, yet my friendship with Jaki Shelton Green, our treasured North Carolina Poet Laureate is the high point for me. Whip smart and ever gracious, as an artist Jaki embodies unparalleled talent, conviction, and openness. And we’re so happy that she’s returning to Columbia on Thursday, April 2nd to help us celebrate National Poetry Month and to host our second annual Inner Banks Community Poetry Gathering.
An Evening of Poetry in Columbia, NC: Welcoming Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green
The event is from 5:30-7:30 on Thursday, April 2, 2026 on the Mezzanine at Inner Banks Mercantile, 117 Elm Street in Columbia. Bring a favorite poem or write one of your own to share with everyone. Plan to join us for an evening of warmth, creativity and sharing!
Last year’s gathering, again held on the Mezzanine at Inner Banks Mercantile, was such a delightful affair. It was something about how open, warm and safe the space felt. As one participant stated, “I have not thought of this poem since I was in high school, and just reading it again tonight brought back such a connection to a time long ago, a time that until just now I thought had been lost to me’. Another person said, ‘I don’t ever do this, get up in front of people and read.” But here it felt ok, maybe it was the small crowd, maybe Jaki’s quiet presence, I don’t know. But I did it!’
For my part, I chose the words of Emma Lazerus, inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Her closing line I had learned in school:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
As the son of an immigrant mother (who turns 99 this year) these words have always meant so much, even more so now as our national legacy as a safe harbor for those seeking freedom seems to be challenged at every turn.
Welcoming North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green
Having Jaki back in town means so much. Not only did she host last year’s event, she convened week-long writing retreats at the Blue Juniper Inn in both 2024 and 2025. What is so special is that Jaki was there for our official opening of the Inn in June of 2024 and shared her new poem Beloved Scuppernong River, written especially for the Inn opening.
So, I’m thinking, ‘wow it’s pretty cool when the North Carolina Poet Laureate composes a poem to celebrate the opening of your building’. Yet, here, in the opening stanza, you get the idea right away that it’s about much more, so much more. It’s about affirming our shared history, our shared humanity!
For generations we have waded in your waters
Whispered our sorrows and our joys into your quiet flow
For generations we have listened to you listening to us
Like the storm waters you carry far out into the Atlantic Ocean
You carry generations of memories, secrets, fears, dreams, hopes
You carry the celebrations of generations
Of free men and not so free men down your stream
So, please plan to join us for this special poetry event in Columbia, NC. The event is free. Light snacks will be provided, and drinks will be available for purchase.
Stay at the Blue Juniper Inn During Your Visit
And, if you’re coming in from out of town, plan to stay with us at the Blue Juniper Inn. Make your reservation today and receive a signed copy of Jaki’s Breath of a Song, New and Selected Poems. Click here to reserve your room!
