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Community Corner

Cheap Thrills: The Allen Ginsberg Poetry Garden

Come sit among the flowers in this quiet garden sanctuary.

On a quiet block of Milvia Street, on a plot of land abutting Berkeley Arts Magnet Elementary School (BAM), sits a tiny treasure, an enchanting oasis known as the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Garden. Established in 1999 in honor of the Beat poets, many of whom lived in Berkeley, the garden is a living reflection of their spirit — wild, ranging, raw, and beautiful.

Entrance is gained through the romantic front gate, a rusty, forged metal sculpture which swoops low in graceful curves and opens inward to welcome guests. Butterflies flit between drowsy, sun-soaked flowers as the bees rise and fall with the rhythm of their labor. A pond twinkles in the back, catching the fingers of afternoon sunlight and flashing them back across the garden. Large organic rock sculptures are placed among tall grasses, a natural resting place for tired visitors to rest and reflect.

The garden showcases the poems of BAM students, displaying them in large wooden frames which are attached to the outside gate and visible to those walking past. In keeping with its poetic roots — and the famous poem, Howl, penned by its namesake, Allen Ginsberg — the garden serves as the venue for an annual open mic poetry reading, held on the last Saturday in April, in honor of National Poetry Month.

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Don’t wait until then to stop by, stroll the grounds, and get inspired.

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