These poems each have a set of guided questions, related videos that allow for deeper investigation, and suggested writing activities. We'll be adding more poems here soon! Passing into Storm Through an objective lens, this poem, which could be a trailer for a horror movie, describes a white man deliberately walking into a snow storm. To what end? From Correspondences Anne Michaels challenges us to find new maps to think about old experiences. At the Centre In this poem of a woman in deep repose, her seeds of self-care begin to blossom. Plenty Who would have thought a trip to the grocery store could be so full of beauty? niya A physical encounter with a stranger ignites a fire of emotions about how to express the trauma of settlement and life in a colonial, urban environment. Echolalia Exploring the tension between desire and satisfaction, this is “a poem that you have to kiss your way through without being kissed,” says Williams. Weed Killer Fiona Tinwei Lam moves from personal to universal and back to the personal in this chilling poem about the ecological destruction bequeathed from one generation to the next. My sister cries the sea In this poem of environmental apocalypse, Mordecai pictures a divided planet as her sister, listening to the voices of plants and fish as they mourn habitat destruction in creole Guanahani, 11 This bracing ballad (re)considers the beauty and history of the Caribbean island where Christopher Columbus first landed. I Feel the Sun This poem articulates the poet’s intense feeling about the sunlight after going through a long winter. Gayatri A selfie with no one in it surprisingly captures the magic of a childhood friendship. Money A museum coin collection prompts a reflection on the captivating nature of currency. The New Experience Join the speaker on a whirlwind journey towards a surprising realization. La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad What would you ask a knight if you found him alone and palely loitering along a barren path? dont worry yr hair Having a bad day? This uplifting poem about the power of our inner potential should light a spark. Not the Music In Not in the Music, Crozier explores the inviolable: the sacred parts of ourselves that we cherish as personal sanctuaries. But I’m No One But I’m No one is a reflection on our tendency to fear death and the manifestation of this fear through uncanny beliefs. Sweet Like a Crow This tumbling, outrageous list poem is a backhanded ode to a child’s less-than-melodious singing voice. Application Form Identity is elusive. Maybe it doesn’t exist at all. Thou Poem A poet reveals the happiest and unhappiest parts of their poetry – in conversation with a poem. Sonoma A dreamlike sense of the uncanny hangs over this poem of an encounter on a coastal highway. I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. From One and Half of You Trying on traditional clothing and finding how it fits. Or not. One Art When loss feels inevitable, sometimes the only thing to do is write it down… An Innocent Little Girl • Favzieh Rahgozar Barlas captures a snapshot of child marriage, its cultural and economic context, and its physical and emotional aftermath. Declaration of Intent Rita Wong invokes the "sacred bond" of water in this poem that invites us to learn from watersheds, and to act in their defense. Homage to the Mineral of the Onion (I) Could a vegetable be the antidote to war? This poem thinks so. Five Postcards from Jericho Postcards to regret, to time, to anyone at all “Breathe dust…” Nearly punctuation-free, this is a breathless journey through memories of a youth spent in rural Canada. What Is Poetry Using only the letters in the title’s question, Holbrook generates a smorgasbord of weird and delightful answers. From thirsty In this delicate and brutal poem, the line between the speaker’s body and the city of Toronto blurs. Laurentian Shield This portrait of a rocky, silent Canadian landscape speaks to the country’s limitations and its potential. Salmon Courage Deep bravery can emerge amid clashing familial hopes and truths. M. NourbeSe Philip shows us how. I Am The speaker longs to escape himself and to find freedom from within and without Too Negative Have your friends’ parents ever warned them away from you because they thought you were a bad influence? “Too Negative” is a poem about that experience. Other In Other, Livesay breaks free of patriarchy’s hold and ventures into landscapes of mountain, cedar forests, night skies, and the fierce interior of her spirit. from Exhibits from the American Water Museum Natalie Diaz mourns the violence committed against the Mojave people (and by extension, Indigenous people across North America) and bodies of water, inextricably connected Mantra of No Return It is possible to travel home when one has never been there. This poem does. A Stone Diary A love poem to a stone takes on deeper, rockier meanings. In Flanders Fields The dead summon us to action in this much-beloved poem of war. Language English