Winter Survey Poetry of 2022

At Polco, we care about giving public servants the tools they need make good decisions for their communities with help from numbers and data. But each year, we spark up our right brains and write odes to surveys, an art and science near and dear to our hearts. 

Winter survey poetry started in 2016 and is now a Polco tradition. This year we baked up a fresh batch of poems—hot out the oven!—for you to enjoy this holiday season.  

The Magic of Surveys
By Alissa Punwar 

The magic of surveys
The back and forth
Ask and answer
Feedback and action
Curiosity driving the process
The voice of the people coming to life
Collective knowledge
Bringing about change
The magic of surveys

Civic Data Boundless as Stars
By Angelica Wedell

Civic data boundless as stars
Millions of thoughts light the night
All our perspectives, yours and ours
A brilliant display of insight.

Change comes and change goes
What comes next, no one knows
But in cities and towns - all sorts of metros
We can track the highs and lows.

Now is the era, the place, the age
For all of us, we must engage
Our residents, our businesses, our families, our friends
Engage our communities for the very best ends.

What You Know
By Jessie O’Brien

People point fingers, social media is full of sound
When the data shows most are middle ground 

The beauty of numbers is they reveal
How the majority of people feel 

While under-heard groups and opposing opinions 
Can bring fresh ideas and inspire creative action 

So you alone may think you know
But it's not what the survey shows

The truth is we work better together
And that is why every voice matters 

Related Articles

• Winter Survey Poetry of 2021
• Winter Survey Poetry of 2020
• Winter Survey Poetry of 2019