Murji cold-emailed both the TTC and Pattison Outdoor Advertising, which handles all of the advertising\/postering for the TTC. To his surprise, both organizations were immediately on board.<\/p>\n
Beyond simply bringing poetry back to transit, Murji and Haile saw an opportunity to expand its reach. “We wanted to make it more than just poems on a wall,” Murji explains. \u201cBy using QR codes, partnering with institutions, and co-hosting poetry slams, we\u2019re creating a public art project that extends beyond transit into community spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n
A New Vision for Public Poetry<\/h2>\n
Poems in Passage aims to make poetry more accessible, inclusive, and playful while reflecting the diversity of Toronto. “We worked with top-tier Toronto-based designers to create a visual language that feels like transit,” Murji says. “From font legibility to tile patterns, every detail ties into public transportation.”<\/p>\n
Equally important is the diversity of poetic forms and languages. “We didn\u2019t just want classic sonnets \u2013 we wanted spoken word, lyrics, ghazals, Persian poetry, and unstructured verse,” Murji explains. “We also incorporated Mohawk, Arabic, and Farsi texts alongside English translations. Seeing something like Arabic poetry in public spaces is rare, and when people engage with it, it fosters understanding.”<\/p>\n
The fleeting nature of a subway ride means passengers don\u2019t have time to read long passages, making poetry an ideal form of artistic engagement. \u201cIn just a few lines, poetry can shift someone\u2019s mood, spark a thought, or make them feel seen,\u201d Muriji says. \u201cThat\u2019s why this matters.\u201d He adds, \u201cWilliam Wordsworth once said, \u2018Poetry is the right words in the right order.\u2019 That\u2019s exactly why it works on the TTC. It\u2019s short, powerful, and resonates instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n Poems in Passage operates on an open-call basis to ensure a fair and high-quality selection. \u201cWe don\u2019t pressure anyone,\u201d Murji says. \u201cIf artists want to submit, the opportunity is there.\u201d A panel of judges, including Margaret Atwood and other literary experts, reviews the submissions to ensure that the final selections reflect both artistic excellence and Toronto\u2019s cultural diversity.<\/p>\n Murji\u2019s own background teaching and researching the intersection between mental health and public arts at the University of Toronto has helped inform the initiative\u2019s approach to representation. \u201cI work closely with Indigenous communities and understand the importance of cultural humility,\u201d he explains. \u201cThis is about letting communities tell their own stories.\u201d<\/p>\n Jesse June is a featured poet in Poems in Passage and a political science, public law, and creative writing student at the University of Toronto Scarborough. For June, this has been a surreal experience. \u201cIt hasn\u2019t hit me yet,\u201d he reflects, noting how seeing his work displayed in public spaces feels bizarre.<\/p>\n As a TTC commuter himself, he feels that the program brings poetry into unexpected moments of daily life, in a space that is communal and public. He believes that this will transform the way people engage with poetry. \u201cUnlike books or spoken word, this initiative is uniquely communal. Everyone on the train or bus is heading to different destinations, but they get to share in this moving experience of seeing poetry exposed.\u201d He emphasizes that poetry in this context allows for a moment of connection: \u201cYou might not define your relationship with poetry moving forward, but in that moment, you feel understood.\u201d<\/p>\n His poem, “Tomorrow, Always,” inspired by his journey as a recent immigrant from Nigeria, captures the city\u2019s unique blend of beauty and strangeness. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to feel lost here,\u201d he explains. \u201cBut the city isn\u2019t so big that you can\u2019t find your way back.\u201d He reflects on moments he\u2019s witnessed on the transit system, like a couple playfully wrestling on the train, encapsulating the tender chaos of urban life. \u201cThat\u2019s the city \u2013 loud, fast, but also homely and strange. I wanted to give thanks to that.\u201d This poem is displayed in subway trains on Lines 1 and 2.<\/p>\n Britta B is another poet who is part of the cohort whose work is featured in the subway, which she describes as both exciting and humbling. Not only that, she is also the poet in residence of the program, which is a role Murji and Haile offered after watching her trajectory as a poet and performer for the past decade.<\/p>\n Britta B also works as a voiceover talent, public speaker, and teacher at OCAD and Seneca College. \u201cAs mentor and professor, I feel that it is within my duty to share the opportunity for folks who are looking to have a bit of guidance in writing and performance,\u201d she says. Sitting on the panel of Poems in Passage, her involvement includes filtering submissions, mentoring emerging poets, and helping shape the creative vision for the project\u2019s future. Britta has also hosted poetry slams where winners earn a spot in the next cohort. “We want to make sure the poems selected are world-class while also reflecting the city\u2019s rich cultural landscape,” she explains.<\/p>\n With an overwhelming number of submissions \u2013 1,000 in the latest call \u2013 selecting just 15 poems is a daunting task. “It\u2019s tough because so many people want their work on the TTC, but space and printing costs are limited,” she says. “Every year, this project will grow. More people will connect with poetry, and poetry will connect more people.”<\/p>\n She is curious about how people will respond to each poem. “Will they interpret it differently than I intended? Will it spark them to create their own poetry?” Britta sees public poetry as a counterbalance to urban life. “We\u2019re constantly bombarded by ads trying to take something from us \u2013 our money, our attention,” she says. “Public art, especially poetry, gives something instead. It offers a moment of pause, a space to reflect without demands.”<\/p>\n Poetry, she believes, is an experience rather than just words on a page. “People sometimes feel intimidated by poetry because they think they need to ‘get it.’ But poetry isn\u2019t about solving a puzzle \u2013 it\u2019s about what it makes you feel,” she explains. “It changes your rhythm, your temperature. It connects you to something intangible \u2013 maybe even something in your future you don\u2019t know yet.”<\/p>\n Despite its success, Poems in Passage faces the challenge of securing sustainable funding as a non-profit initiative. \u201cRight now, we rely on support from the TTC, the Aga Khan Museum, and Pattison,\u201d Murji says. \u201cBut there\u2019s no guarantee that funding will continue.\u201d<\/p>\n To address this, Poems in Passage has launched sponsorship opportunities on its website. \u201cWe\u2019re hopeful that companies and organizations will step up,\u201d Murji says. \u201cThis is a program that enriches the city \u2013 it deserves to last.\u201d Beyond transit, Haile and Murji envision expanding into parks, libraries, and cultural institutions. \u201cPublic art should be everywhere,\u201d Haile says. \u201cPoetry has the power to beautify a city and bring people together.\u201d<\/p>\n Future plans also include seasonal themes and features on up-and-coming songwriters and lyricists. \u201cMusic and lyrics are poetry too,\u201d Murji says. \u201cWe\u2019re exploring ways to bring more forms of poetic expression into the project. Poetry is about connection \u2013 connecting to emotions, to the intangible, even to ancestry.”<\/p>\n With Poems in Passage, Toronto\u2019s transit system is once again a rolling page \u2013 one that invites passengers to pause, reflect, and feel something unexpected.<\/p>\n![\"Poem](\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/lightning_hor.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nVoices of the Program: Jesse June and Britta B<\/h2>\n
![\"Poem](\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/creamsoda_ver-600x834.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nLooking Ahead: A Future Beyond the TTC<\/h2>\n
![\"Poem](\"http:\/\/spacing.ca\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/04\/PiP-4-Posters-6.jpg\")
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