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! 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. 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. Vancouver Lights This wartime poem looks out at Vancouver’s nighttime skyline and contemplates humanity. Modestine A woman writes a tender poem about her dad’s struggle with dementia. Marshlands Quietly pause to take in the colours and sounds of a marsh. The Problem With Being a Box Too Small for Its Contents Misch expounds the unbearable work needed after a breakup: to separate from your lost love and “rejoin yourselves…even when you don’t want to.” Guanahani, 11 This bracing ballad (re)considers the beauty and history of the Caribbean island where Christopher Columbus first landed. Insomnia A dark, playful twist on what someone would do if they could only sleep… From thirsty In this delicate and brutal poem, the line between the speaker’s body and the city of Toronto blurs. From One and Half of You Trying on traditional clothing and finding how it fits. Or not. We Wear the Mask We Wear the Mask is a resilient and entrancing tug-of-war with external perceptions of self. Two Hours on the Train In this deceptively simple poem, a poet on a journey transcends time. Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong In this tender poem of healing, care and remembrance, Ocean Vuong reaches out to his younger self. Mantra of No Return It is possible to travel home when one has never been there. This poem does. Buen Esqueleto With its allusions and repetitions, “Buen Esqueleto” speaks powerfully on behalf of families caught in the contemporary U.S. border conflict. 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. 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. aubade for the BPD subreddit user who wrote can people with BPD love? The stunningly cruel comments of an internet forum reverberate throughout a sleepless night I Feel the Sun This poem articulates the poet’s intense feeling about the sunlight after going through a long winter. Five Postcards from Jericho Postcards to regret, to time, to anyone at all 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? 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? Application Form Identity is elusive. Maybe it doesn’t exist at all. The Fatigue Fatigue is often the first sign something is wrong with one's body. Fatigue looms larger than life in this poem which grapples with meds, family, and coping. Money A museum coin collection prompts a reflection on the captivating nature of currency. 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. The New Experience Join the speaker on a whirlwind journey towards a surprising realization. sturgeon Intense with empathy, the poem places poet and struggling fish in direct physical relation. A Breakfast for Barbarians Come sit at this mythical table where guests eat the world’s mysteries for breakfast. The Bull Moose A moose's final, tortured moments unfold in a series of brutal images. Pale Blue Cover In this nostalgic poem, the speaker reminisces about the author Matt Cohen. “Breathe dust…” Nearly punctuation-free, this is a breathless journey through memories of a youth spent in rural Canada. 400: Coming Home You can’t help thinking about your life on a long stretch of highway. Journey of the Magi One of the three wise men who travelled to Bethlehem upon the birth of Jesus Christ describes his version of the story and the emotional upheaval he experiences from witnessing a miracle that shatters his previous beliefs and way of life. What Is Poetry Using only the letters in the title’s question, Holbrook generates a smorgasbord of weird and delightful answers. The Dead This sonnet considers the fragmented, elusive way the dead resurface in our lives. 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. Low Tide on Grand Pré The setting sun gives rise to a treasured memory of Grand Pré in this somber, rhythmic poem. i am graffiti This poem vibrates with anger and defiance in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Language English