Poems Under the Dome

04/20/2026

Join us this Friday 4/24 for the 21st Annual Poems Under the Dome! 5:30-8pm at San Francisco City Hall. All ages. Free.

04/02/2026

April is National Poetry Month! We’re looking forward to the largest *poetry open mic* in San Francisco ~ The 21st Annual Poems Under the Dome at City Hall! 💛🏛️🕊️📝 Presented by the San Francisco Public Library & welcoming Poet Laureate Genevieve Lim to read the first poem!

Friday, April 24th
5:30-8pm
San Francisco City Hall
North Light Court
All ages encouraged!
Free!

HOW IT WORKS: Poets who wish to read a poem, put your name in the hat. 🎩 Everyone drawn gets to read ONE poem that is under 3 minutes to give as many chances as possible to fellow readers ~ Please & Thank you. 😊

THIS YEAR’S EVENT IS DEDICATED to the memory & hipstory of its progenitor, Diamond Dave Whitaker ♦️1937-2026

MUCH GRATITUDE to everyone who has shown support for this community event over the years — Bird & Beckett Books & Records, Mutiny Radio, Viracocha, Friends of the SFPL, Medicine for Nightmares, Severa Keith Esq., Chad Xavier, the SF Sheriff’s Office, City Hall’s Union Laborers & Events Staff, Poets Laureate Emerita, Boards of Supervisors, Mayors, and YOU!

“Doing more together than any of us can do on our own!” - Diamond Dave Whitaker

Learn more at PoemDome.net.

Hope to see you there!

03/27/2026

HAPPY NATIONAL POETRY MONTH!

San Francisco Public Library
Presents
21st Annual
Poems Under the Dome

April 24th 2026
5:30-8:00pm
North Light Court, inside San Francisco City Hall

Show up!
Celebrate Poetry Month!
It's a FREE open mic poetry assembly.
All ages welcome to participate & enjoy.
Put your name in the green top hat
for a chance to read one poem!
Readers get 3 minutes, but reading a shorter poem
means more poets get to participate!

WHO is coming???
SF Poet Laureate Genny Lim
reads the First Poem!
Youth Poets!
​
And...
E.K. Keith
and
Global Val Ibarra
and
Charlie Getter
and
Richard Ivanhoe
and
Dan Brady
will be there too!
Jorge Molina
will give us a community blessing!
And....
and you come too!
See you there!

Special thanks to the San Francisco Public Library, and the Friends of SFPL, the Mayor, & the Board of Supervisors,
for all these years of support for this amazing community event!

In Loving Memory of Poems Under the Dome Organizer
Diamond Dave Whitaker
1937-2026
"Cast a wide net!
​Find the common thread!
Let life flourish!
Don't panic... Keep it organic!"

03/27/2026

poemdome.net

10/24/2025

"Pity the nation whose leaders are liars."

Full story in the comments.

10/05/2025

FACING THE MOON: SONGS OF DIASPORA: Voices of mothers and daughters spanning continents and generations speak through the poetry of SF Poet Laureate, GENNY LIM Genevieve Lim with the music of Chinese diaspora composers, VIVIAN FUNG, MELINA TSUI & THERESA WONG performed by DEL SONG QUARTET in a multimedia visual experience by OLIVIA TING & MARK HELLAR. OCT. 19, SUNDAY, 2:00 pm Tickets at PRESIDIOTHEATER.ORG/[email protected]/415-960-3949
Discount Code: FACINGSFPL

09/29/2025

07/16/2025

06/02/2025

In her three-year term as poet laureate, she plans to rotate poetry festivals into underrepresented neighborhoods and launch a new youth poet laureate program.

"I would love literature and poetry to become an everyday beloved activity," Genny Lim said.
So that like her, others can share their unique stories, their experience in America.

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Read the full article on https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/san-francisco-1st-chinese-american-poet-laureate-genny-lim/

04/11/2025

Can’t wait to see you and hear your poetry FRIDAY 4/11 at City Hall! We start & end promptly, 5:30-8pm. Bring a poem to read and put your name in the hat as we draw for reading spots. S.F. Poet Laureate Genevieve Lim will read the first poem! Diamond Dave Whitaker will be on the scene. 💗