This Wednesday, March 21st, is World Poetry Day, when your written word serves as currency, so swap coins for prose and get a free coffee. All you have to do is pick a participating hangout, choose a coffee and put poetry (well known or your own) on paper as payment. This opportunity comes as part of the fifth "Pay with a Poem” initiative by coffee roaster Julius Meinl, which every year invites everyone to unleash their inner poet, offering a free coffee to serve as artistic fuel for the creative kind. The poems will be collected from all over the country and will be exhibited at the Akvárium Klub for a week from April 11th.

Thanks to coffee purveyor Julius Meinl, you can brighten up your Wednesday with a free coffee in Budapest. With their “Pay with a Poem” initiative, they aim to “contribute to make the world a more poetic and hence better place, for us and future generations, in small but meaningful steps”. Cooperating with JP Cooper of“She’s On My Mind" fame, their aim for 2018 is to show that poetry is the soul of music. The British singer/songwriter will create a new song to celebrate poets from all around the world.

“Music has the ability to help people enjoy and engage with poetry in unexpected ways. In recent years, I’ve seen a lot of musicians start to use poetry in their music, and for me it is an important part of the songwriting process. Ultimately, I want my music to resonate with people, and offer an escape from the every day. By being given the opportunity to create a song in celebration of poets across the globe, I hope to bring fans together and show that poetry lives everywhere and can be accessible to everyone.” – JP Cooper

Furthermore, if you snap a photo of your written poem and upload it to www.meinlcoffee.com you have a chance to see JP Cooper live, as the authors of the ten most inspiring poems win two tickets. The offer includes coffees containing caffeine and milk, such as ristretto, espresso, double espresso, espresso macchiato, Americano, cortado, cappuccino, caffè latte, latte macchiato and melange. Several popular Budapest hangouts have joined the initiative, including Akvárium, Anker klub, Európa kávéház, Gerbeaud, KIOSK, Nem adom fel Café and Platz, See the full list here. Look for posters, stickers, and pens and paper on tables. The poems will be collected from all over the country and exhibited for a week at Akvárium Klub in the city center from April 11th.