Poetry

Poems for My People: Community, Volume 1 (the red book), published 30 June 2023! ORDER your copy HERE!

Poems for My People: Community, Volume 2 (the orange book), published 16 February 2024! ORDER your copy HERE!

Poems for My People: Community, Volume 3 (the yellow book), published 30 November 2024!
ORDER your copy HERE!

Poetry Busking

What is poetry busking?

It’s literally street performance. Musicians on street corners or circus acts balancing or all white statues who turn and wink when you put money in their hat–it’s all busking.

When I write poems for people and invite you to hire me to write you a poem and pay via cash or electronically on my Buy Me a Coffee link here, I am busking.

I sit in a public place with my notebook and Smith Corona Classic 12 typewriter and I write poetry.

Want a poem?
If you want a poem, let me know when you see me. You might have to wait if others are ahead of you, but I’ll try to give you an estimated time. You may also have to wait if I’m deep in the flow of writing. Sometimes the creative parallel universe takes me deep in and I don’t notice someone waiting right away.

Pick a topic:
If you’re not sure what you might want your poem to be about (no worries!) or who you might want it to be for (it’s totally fine to have one just for yourself, though!), I’ll ask you questions to help you pick a topic.

I write. I type.
Then, I’ll write while you wait. Usually this takes somewhere in the range of 15-20 minutes, but sometimes it takes up to 30 minutes.

I read your poem out loud.
When your poem is finished, I’ll perform it aloud to you and you get to keep the typewritten copy.

You pay for the service of a personalized poem.
When you hire me to write you a poem, you can either pay in cash or electronically on my Buy Me a Coffee link here.

I always want to be clear that when I write poetry for people, I am working. Writing poetry is a significant method that I earn my living as a writer and I am proud that I get to have a really fun and life giving job that is a gift to others. It’s such a privilege.

While you are under no obligation to give money to someone busking, when I write poetry in live settings on my typewriter, I am providing a valuable creative service, and as an artist, I hope people do not take my art for granted.

Your poem will be featured in
one of my poetry collections,
Poems for My People:
Published collections are
available to order HERE!

If you want to have super secret access to the working document of my current Poems for My People poetry collection and be the first to know when the collection is released in book form, sign up for all of the behind-the-scenes inspiration here.

Want to see Molly in action?

Check out her interview and live busking performance on Duluth’s WDIO program, The Lift. Watch that here.

Schedule
Where will Molly be busking next?

Follow Molly on Facebook and Instagram to see where she’ll be next. @mollyovendencreativity

2024
Vineyard House, Your Local Pantry in Leeds, UK
Wednesdays, 10am-12pm

2025 (dates and locations to be confirmed)…
Bowery in Headingley, Leeds, UK
Friday 31 January 2025, 9am-12pm
Friday 7 March 2025, 9am-12pm

Private Events

Hire me to busk at your private party, wedding, special event, or give to employees as gifts.

Lots of details go into your special event when you bring the gift a poem and the magic of poetry busking live! Hiring me could be a great addition to the gathering. But, because of the nature of the live and intermittent (time that it takes to write and type) and because it’s done through performing individual poem-by-poem, having a conversation about what I can best offer your event is really helpful.

Please send me an email here so we can get the ball rolling on the conversation.

Commission the Gift of a Poem

Are you celebrating an anniversary? Are you or a loved one having a baby? Is a friend getting married?

Are you struggling with grief and missing someone?

Are you at a crossroads in your faith and wanting to have a new song or prayer to help you draw closer to God in this silent or uncertain time?

Has something painful or breathtaking happened that you just don’t quite have the words to express?

A poem can be just what you need for yourself or to give as a gift.

Order your personalized poem here. You will be prompted to make your purchase and complete a form so that I know how to make your poem uniquely yours. I’ll send you an electronic copy, and if you’d like I will type and post in the mail a typewritten copy which you can frame.

All of the poetry I write gets the opportunity to be featured in my current collection of poetry–which is super fun!