About
Take a walk through Newark’s Riverfront Park searching for poems that tell the stories of the people who visit it! Listen to the poems by following the trail of photographs by photojournalist Ed Kashi that provide clues for discovering the poetry in and of Riverfront Park.
Poetry has long been a means of personal storytelling; PoemQuest tells the story of Riverfront Park through the voices of local poets commissioned by Newest Americans to interview visitors and share their stories through poetry. The poets asked questions designed to understand how visitors are connected to the park and to New Jersey—Where did your family come from before settling in New Jersey? What brought you here? What brings you to this park?
PoemQuest connects art to history through an interactive game that peoples the park with poetry. Once you play the game we encourage you to share your own poem about the journey that led you to Newark and your connection to Riverfront Park. Submit your poem
It is hidden in the park near fork in the path.
We are locating the poem. This may take a few moments.
Dania Rohani
Vagabond
With hesitation, we approach
Make judgments of safety,
Without hearing you,
Judgments on the threads that hang on you,
From an infamous hoodie
Confiding your reality
Sincerity acknowledged with stares
With privileged laughter
A self-possessed panhandler,
Need in our eyes,
That we could never pay forward
And when the last moment arrives,
Departure—
Without George Washingtons or Lincolns,
Our pockets turned inside out
Your eyes drift down,
You walk away into the path
The trees fall by your side,
Disappointment reconstructed
Black and grey, your silhouette among the pigeons,
Monet’s watercolors,
Colorblind