Keep Spreading Billboard Poetry

In response to whether Poets Anonymous’ billboard project (“A Turn for the Verse,” Jan. 13) can make a dent in commuter consciousness:

Last week while taking a favorite shortcut to La Cienega Boulevard, I came face to face with the Charles Bukowski billboard. At a time in my life when everything seems a trial, its message--”What matters most is how well you walk through the fire”--startled me. It seemed to have been put there to speak specifically to me. I scanned the board for an advertiser’s name--was this some sort of promotional teaser for a new film or Nike’s latest line of walking shoes?--but found none. The words stuck in my mind for days and prompted me to rethink my attitude toward my struggles.

That one brief glimpse at one line of poetry could have such impact should answer any questions as to the effectiveness of this project.

G. ZAZA

Los Angeles