The Poetry Store

BIG Shout out to Silvi and the AMAZING talent she was blessed with. I first met her at a Unilocal event that was hosted in Burlingame on 3÷23÷15.
Let me just say that this lovely beautiful woman has talent that I can not describe. She sits with you and ask you questions, it can be a subject of any choice and the next thing you know she is typing away on her typewriter. She wrote a poem for me that was so beautiful that I couldn’t help but frame it afterwards! AMAZING JOB Silvi!
The paper that she uses is absolutely beautiful and unique (plain, colorful, animal print) she has it all.
This lovely poet is going to be VERY successful at any event she attends. I definitely look forward to having her at any events that I seem to throw. This is actually the perfect touch that makes any event the BEST it can be!

We had Silvi come write poetry as our wedding gifts our guests and they are still raving about it. Her amazing talent shined through in everything she did that night. She is kind, gracious, beautiful, and a consummate professional. My only regret is that our guests kept her so busy that we didn’t get to dance with her. I would highly recommend hiring her if you want to make your event one that your guests will be talking about for years to come.

Fantastic job! When my fiancé stipulated «no dancing» at our wedding reception, I was a little bit dismayed. How to make this party fun? HOW? As my fiancé cheerfully crafted a 70’s light rock playlist for background music, my panic grew. I recalled seeing Silvi at a few events and how much enjoyed the poem she wrote me at that time and dropped her a line. She was so easy to work with and the price is very fair considering the level of personalization and care that she gives to your event.
She was a huge hit, I was really surprised to see some of my conservative family members getting in to it! People just kept going back for more, some ended up in our personalized guest book and Silvi even brought an extra typewriter for people to type their own notes (which turned out to be a great distraction for the kids — sorry Silvi I hope your typewriter survived!)

Absolutely amazing.
Understated humble genius, does what she loves and shares soulfully… she has a unique gift to provide you instant poetry, with immediate insight into your heart and soul.
You read her a sentence, she writes a poem within a few seconds on very special paper with her typewriter she loves and is fond of, and you walk away wondering how she looked into you life and soul so quickly.
Maybe it is like finding a gypsy palm reader with no trickery. Her gift is remarkable and anyone who has been fortunate enough to enjoy her natural talents will remember her forever.
She gives you the output on paper of a poem so pure and simple and so true, it reaches to your core.
Gets my absolutely highest rating, for her skills, authenticity of living her passion, and sharing her gift so humbly. Thank you Silvi /​the poetry store!

It is not often you can witness real magic. Unless you live in San Francisco and find the poetry store. The poet, silvi, is an actual, real-​life genius doing basically impossible work, in public.
She will write an original piece, on any subject, in front of you.
If you are not amazed, you do not understand. Never mind that silvi is delightful. Nevermind that the work is shockingly underpriced. Never mind the thoughtful paper selection, or the typewriter, or anything else. This woman can write SHATTERING poems ON DEMAND. Find her and witness.

How does The Poetry Store not have enough 1000+ reviews? The Poetry Store is the coolest thing EVER. The poetry store is by far the coolest and most unique thing I have ever seen at a wedding. This is the most personalized (and surprisingly affordable compared to all the crazy sh! t bridezillas splurge on) and customized keepsake I have ever encountered.
So what are typical splurges a bridezilla would go coo-​koo over? Centerpieces no one cares for (boring!)? Personalized mugs with the bride and groom’s face all over (please!)?
The Poetry Store offers much more than knick knacks and things guests really don’t care for! Silvi offers a one of a kind poem. YES a poem, for every guest! When was the last time you received a personalized poem about you? Probably never. She will add such a romantic and whimsical spirit to your wedding. Your guests will feel like ladies and gentlemen taken back to a time when girls were damsels and boys were chivalrous. It existed at one point, and Silvi will bring it back (bring it, bring it back) for your special day!
Highly recommend!

We had Silvi come write poems at my daughter’s wedding reception. Each guest could take a few minutes to chat with her and then she wrote a poem for them. I don’t know how she does it. It’s like magic. People LOVED her work. She made a very special day even more special.

Silvi from The Poetry Store runs one of the most unique businesses that I know. She’s a full-​time poet. Here’s the deal: You walk up to her and tell her a story and she will write you a poem from that story. And her poetry is fantastic. I have commissioned a few poems from her now and she consistently brings me, and poem recipients, to tears.
For my father’s birthday, I gave her a photo of my sister and myself. I was 7in the photo and my sister was 2. She then wrote the most beautiful poem about our lived together. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. It was so amazing.
I also hired Silvi for my wedding and she was a smash hit. She covered the cocktail hour, reception and some of dancing, and aimed to write every single person a poem. I have no idea how she wrote to many because everyone I have talked to so far said they have a poem from her. Some even got her to write multiples!
If you are looking for a unique gift for just about anyone, or an amazing addition to your event, hire Silvi.

I’ve had two poems done so far and am a typewriter fan too. I actually just got three fresh ribbons (yes they still make them) for my Olympia SM9 that my dad gave me which he used in the 60s and 70s.
Back to the poetry store, I first ran into them (her?) at Edinburgh Castle at the Beard and Moustache championships and then just recently at Maker Faire. The paper options are a nice touch but it’s the words that are the best.
Silvi also has a great memory but for whatever reason, I seem to meet her only after I’ve been buzzed! Definitely a great addition to any event!

While at the «Jungle Love» party at the Conservatory of Flowers last night, my mother & I got poems from Silvi. She asked us who the poems were for & a few things about the subject & it was simply amazing how Silvi so easily & beautifully captured the essence of the subjects/​sentiments right there on the spot!
The short poem that she wrote for me was absolutely amazing and it actually brought tears to my eyes. This poem is so lovely, I’ve already begun to frame shop for it!
I can’t wait to have an event that I can have Silvi come to! I’m sure that she’d bring so much light & joy to any event, but especially a wedding!

We hired Silvi for our wedding. As a writer, with photography as one of my favorite hobbies, Silvi and I instantly connected on a dual-​brainstorming scheme. I would shoot the photos and print them, she would bring her typewriter and help our guests create some poetry. What resulted was a stack full of love from our friends and family as keepsakes from our wedding day.
Silvi and I met for lunch at Café Gratitude and I was immediately struck by how if we had randomly met on the street, we would have been fast friends. We’re both creative spirits, we’re both writers, we both love this town, and live for connecting through our thoughts, hearts, and words. Silvi took the time to ask me «my story,» and then sat there for close to an hour while she hung on every word. By the end of it, she said she was so appreciative to know more about my (future) husband and me before she would create love poems at our wedding. She brought out her typewriter and practiced on one of my photos and we both squealed in delight.
To top it off, she asked if she could come to the wedding ceremony to get even more of a sense of Wolf and me and our community. This personal touch was exhibited through the sweet nature of each poem, from friends, from parents, and from five year old kids alike.
Also, when I struggled to save money to continue with my creative touches at our reception, I reached out to Silvi to see if we could borrow some of her extra typewriters as props for our seating chart table. She happily obliged, saving me from having to hunt down & rent antique typewriters at prop shots, or buy them unnecessarily at flea markets.
The other night, my husband and I sat down on the floor and looked through all of my images with our loved ones’ love poems to us with help from Silvi. I think it was the best idea we had for the whole wedding and we both look forward to looking back on these words of love and support from our family & friends, and Silvi, for the rest of our lives.
(stay tuned for photos showing Silvi in the act at our wedding. It was incredible!)

My friend and I happened upon Silvi and The Poetry Store at a street fair in Noe Valley. My friend was visiting from Boston, and we sort of spent the weekend wandering the city. What a delight Silvi was and what a special experience to share with a good friend. We «ordered» several poems and were amazed at how Silvi captured our sentiments with her «on-​demand» poetry. We spent the rest of the day talking about how cool the experience was and re-​reading our poems. The old-​school typewriter, the hand-​cut, funky paper, and Silvi’s generosity with language and her spirit make The Poetry Shop a wonderfully unique experience. I’m a huge fan!!!

the poetry store rules!
I had Silvi come and set up her «store» at my 40^th birthday party. I paid her a set fee (very inexpensive) to come to Dynamo Donut (which I had rented out) and write poetry. For three hours she graciously manufactured poems for all my friends and family. I think two or three people actually cried. She played a big part in making my 40^th birthday very fun and very special.
PS yes her poems kick ass

This is super-​cool. For $ 5, give her a word and a couple minutes and she churns out an original poem for you… and it’s good! I’ve seen her at a couple of events around the city. Just a cool way to memorialize the event, your mood, whatever, at the given moment you run into her. I think this would be great at all sorts of events.
Extra points for doing it on an old-​school typewriter.

«the poetry store» is the name of San Francisco poet Silvi Alcivar’s mobile, on-​demand, poetry setup consisting of the poet, her red Royal typewriter and a selection of fancy paper.
It works like this: you give Silvi the inspiration for your poem which can be about anything you want, like a word, idea, feeling, or some situation or person that is on your mind. Using this inspiration, Silvi writes your poem on her typewriter in about 3 to 5 minutes. They are amazing. When she writes poems, she really makes an effort to connect with what you are looking for out of your poem. People walked away amazed by what they read.
My record label has invited Silvi to several of our shows and it really raised the level of the evening. Look for her at Café Du Nord where she is a regular. She is also available to set up at other events like art openings, launch parties, fundraisers, or weddings; having the poetry store at your event is a cool and artistic way to entertain your guests and make it memorable.
You can even order a «poem by post» at her website:
and send it to yourself or someone as a gift.