Poetry Pathways Project

The Poetry Pathways Project was envisioned and established in 2025 by Lansing Poet Laureate Ruelaine Stokes, with the support of the Academy of American Poets, the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, The Ingham County Drain Commissioner, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), the RCAH Center for Poetry at MSU, and the Lansing Poetry Club.

The project sought to celebrate poetry and Lansing area poets and the power of water by installing five poems on signs throughout the Tollgate Drain Wetlands, a nearly 300 acre storm drain system complete with walking trails and informative signs, designed and built by Ingham County Drain Commissioner Patrick E. Lindemann.

In August 2025, Ruelaine Stokes announced a poetry contest to the tri-county area, which drew over 200 entries. Five winning poems will be announced in the coming months and installed along the trails of the Tollgate Drain Wetlands.

Please check back frequently for announcements about the winning poems, their installation at Tollgate, and a celebratory reading to be held in 2026.