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! Letters In this tender poem tracing a lost love, the speaker holds on by letting things go… Homage to the Mineral of the Onion (I) Could a vegetable be the antidote to war? This poem thinks so. Reluctance Even after you’ve jumped all the fences, climbed all the hills, and looked at the world, it can be hard to accept how you feel… from Cross River . Pick Lotus Sometimes a simple wish granted, especially a final one, can change everything. Insomnia A dark, playful twist on what someone would do if they could only sleep… grass In his short, funny poem, Ward Maxwell asks us to step on the grass, saying “it deserves it.” But isn’t that the point of grass? Late Prayer Erin Robinsong delivers a quiet and fierce prayer for life on Earth in an age of ecological destruction and oligarchical domination the knowing Connie Fife cryptically combines land and body in this poem exploring connection to place and past. sturgeon Intense with empathy, the poem places poet and struggling fish in direct physical relation. Two Words: A Wedding bpNichol presents life as a river of ever-changing words and asks us to step in. Two Hours on the Train In this deceptively simple poem, a poet on a journey transcends time. The ABG (Able-Bodied Gaze) The abled-bodied gaze is an intrusive force in this poem, making a spectacle of a disabled body and attempting to reduce them to their impairment. dont worry yr hair Having a bad day? This uplifting poem about the power of our inner potential should light a spark. The Powwow at the End of the World Sherman Alexie slams the environmental destruction of settler-colonialism as we travel on an upstream course towards the powwow at the end of the world. Top The poet remembers a father lost long before his death. 400: Coming Home You can’t help thinking about your life on a long stretch of highway. A Breakfast for Barbarians Come sit at this mythical table where guests eat the world’s mysteries for breakfast. At the Centre In this poem of a woman in deep repose, her seeds of self-care begin to blossom. These Poems, She Said Can an argument be the foundation of a love poem? Robert Bringhurst certainly thinks so! Modestine A woman writes a tender poem about her dad’s struggle with dementia. The Lonely Land In this free verse poem, snapshots of a wild landscape show that beauty and conflict are not mutually exclusive — and that one may be derived from the other. World Town Layers of memory paint a moving, vibrant portrait of one man’s time spent in a seaside town with his father. 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. Not the Music In Not in the Music, Crozier explores the inviolable: the sacred parts of ourselves that we cherish as personal sanctuaries. i am graffiti This poem vibrates with anger and defiance in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. I Feel the Sun This poem articulates the poet’s intense feeling about the sunlight after going through a long winter. I’ll Teach You Cree By sharing with us the untranslatable aspects of Cree culture, Scofield immerses the reader with the sensorial experiences that deepen the bonds of community. Dear Updike Evelyn Lau powerfully describes the world around her in order to grieve the loss of a beloved writer. 1992 Sometimes a scent or a site or a taste can sweep you up into the past. This finely honed narrative poem knows what that’s like. Fear of Snakes The life of a snake and the memory of girlhood trauma are told in sinuously entwined language. I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. We Wear the Mask We Wear the Mask is a resilient and entrancing tug-of-war with external perceptions of self. Editing the Prairie If the prairie was a written story, imagine the rejection letter it might get! Fast Commute Laurie Graham weathers an incongruous ice storm in this poem-excerpt that asks us to pause and understand that we are present here, “and with this understanding to start to hear.” the ghosts of women once girls Poet Aja Monet reveals both gladness and sadness from a little girl enraptured by literature. Dinosaur Economics In this poem, playful romanticization meets a stark awakening a good day The poet recalls the day she heard her father would die. Salmon Courage Deep bravery can emerge amid clashing familial hopes and truths. M. NourbeSe Philip shows us how. Where There’s a Wall Both beauty and violence are just on the other side of the wall. Community Garden Seeking to escape internet trolls the speaker turns her eye to the garden Pagination 1 2 3 4 Next › Next page Last » Last page Language English