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! Sweet Like a Crow This tumbling, outrageous list poem is a backhanded ode to a child’s less-than-melodious singing voice. 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? Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong In this tender poem of healing, care and remembrance, Ocean Vuong reaches out to his younger self. Guanahani, 11 This bracing ballad (re)considers the beauty and history of the Caribbean island where Christopher Columbus first landed. Plenty Who would have thought a trip to the grocery store could be so full of beauty? Chemo Side Effects: Memory The stop-start, grasping form of this poem mirrors the speaker's struggle to reconcile herself with one of the side effects of cancer treatment. from Cross River . Pick Lotus Sometimes a simple wish granted, especially a final one, can change everything. I Have Something to Tell You In this surreal poem, a man made of cameras brings his unexpected concerns into sharper focus. April 30, 2014 One spring day, dreading an afternoon appointment that will dredge up all kinds of terrible memories, the speaker of the poem focuses on the natural world around her. 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. Jesse's Farm Sadiqa de Meijer reckons with environmental degradation and motherhood in this poem that asks whether showing our children “the beloved world” is enough. 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. Tide Both stark and tender, this poem is about Reena Virk, a BC teen of South Asian descent who was assaulted and murdered by her peers in 1997. The Blue Guitar In this glosa poem, P.K. Page strums out questions about being an artist and telling the truth. Good Day Villanelle Is this a painful poem about a funny memory, or a funny poem about a painful memory? Laurentian Shield This portrait of a rocky, silent Canadian landscape speaks to the country’s limitations and its potential. Sometimes a Voice (1) On a hot summer afternoon, Danny jumped off the boathouse roof without thinking of the consequences. Gayatri A selfie with no one in it surprisingly captures the magic of a childhood friendship. Thou Poem A poet reveals the happiest and unhappiest parts of their poetry – in conversation with a poem. 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. susiya Music binds and refreshes community Vancouver Lights This wartime poem looks out at Vancouver’s nighttime skyline and contemplates humanity. Community Garden Seeking to escape internet trolls the speaker turns her eye to the garden Full Metal Oji-Cree That’s ok, our robomocassins will outlive you nine times over. Late Prayer Erin Robinsong delivers a quiet and fierce prayer for life on Earth in an age of ecological destruction and oligarchical domination A Breakfast for Barbarians Come sit at this mythical table where guests eat the world’s mysteries for breakfast. Buen Esqueleto With its allusions and repetitions, “Buen Esqueleto” speaks powerfully on behalf of families caught in the contemporary U.S. border conflict. Where There’s a Wall Both beauty and violence are just on the other side of the wall. Fear of Snakes The life of a snake and the memory of girlhood trauma are told in sinuously entwined language. I Lost My Talk How can you speak your deepest truth in a language that doesn’t understand you? Salmon Courage Deep bravery can emerge amid clashing familial hopes and truths. M. NourbeSe Philip shows us how. 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. My Poem Without Me in It Imagining herself removed from her own poem, a poet realizes how poetry gives her the space to create herself. Opus 75, Sestina in B-flat for the Glockenspiel A silent glockenspiel plays out a teenage girl’s anxieties about growing up and fitting in. the ghosts of women once girls Poet Aja Monet reveals both gladness and sadness from a little girl enraptured by literature. 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 “Road Shoulders” the shoulder of the road gleams with the poet's attention A Stone Diary A love poem to a stone takes on deeper, rockier meanings. dont worry yr hair Having a bad day? This uplifting poem about the power of our inner potential should light a spark. Modestine A woman writes a tender poem about her dad’s struggle with dementia. Language English