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! Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong In this tender poem of healing, care and remembrance, Ocean Vuong reaches out to his younger self. 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. dont worry yr hair Having a bad day? This uplifting poem about the power of our inner potential should light a spark. A Breakfast for Barbarians Come sit at this mythical table where guests eat the world’s mysteries for breakfast. i am graffiti This poem vibrates with anger and defiance in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Days of the Unicorns Phyllis Webb beautifully writes an ode to the majestic unicorn. “Breathe dust…” Nearly punctuation-free, this is a breathless journey through memories of a youth spent in rural Canada. 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. 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? Dinosaur Economics In this poem, playful romanticization meets a stark awakening The Swimmer’s Moment Will you choose to observe from the rim of the whirlpool, or its centre? Dear Updike Evelyn Lau powerfully describes the world around her in order to grieve the loss of a beloved writer. Common Magic Do you ever wonder how anything gets done when we’re all swirling in our own galaxies of thought and experience? This poem does too. Mantra of No Return It is possible to travel home when one has never been there. This poem does. 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. The Bow What flows through a name, and a name, and a name? Not the Music In Not in the Music, Crozier explores the inviolable: the sacred parts of ourselves that we cherish as personal sanctuaries. Beat! Beat! Drums! With rich bombastic language and Whitman's trademark sprawling lines, this poem rallies troops for war. I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. Top The poet remembers a father lost long before his death. Homage to the Mineral of the Onion (I) Could a vegetable be the antidote to war? This poem thinks so. The Tyger In the woods at night, the speaker talks to a magical animal… 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. The Dead This sonnet considers the fragmented, elusive way the dead resurface in our lives. 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. 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. From Correspondences Anne Michaels challenges us to find new maps to think about old experiences. the ghosts of women once girls Poet Aja Monet reveals both gladness and sadness from a little girl enraptured by literature. The Visions of Stone Carrier In this dreamlike piece exploring memory and primogeniture, N. Scott Momaday casts a haunting spell that transports the reader through mystery and reminiscence. people arrived Tracing and traveling with Kaie Kellough’s verse, the people in this poem plead to have their pulses read out loud. From Red Doc In this poem-as-a-conversation, a man and his mother consider how the past lives on in the present. 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. Northern Light A poem about belonging when one doesn't feel like they are completely at home Two Hours on the Train In this deceptively simple poem, a poet on a journey transcends time. Parable of the Eagle In this poem, an unlikely guest in the form of an eagle finds itself in a farmer’s hen house, resulting in an unexpected ending. fluorine Rita Wong uncovers the poisons in everyday life to teach us about our relationship to the natural world. An Innocent Little Girl • Favzieh Rahgozar Barlas captures a snapshot of child marriage, its cultural and economic context, and its physical and emotional aftermath. For My Best Friend One way to grieve is to give tribute, perhaps even before the person you are grieving is completely gone. Letters In this tender poem tracing a lost love, the speaker holds on by letting things go… From One and Half of You Trying on traditional clothing and finding how it fits. Or not. Pagination 1 2 3 4 Next › Next page Last » Last page Language English