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? My Brother at 3 A.M. A pervasive sense of paranoia threads itself through the quiet night of this poem. A Stone Diary A love poem to a stone takes on deeper, rockier meanings. 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 Application Form Identity is elusive. Maybe it doesn’t exist at all. At the Centre In this poem of a woman in deep repose, her seeds of self-care begin to blossom. Buen Esqueleto With its allusions and repetitions, “Buen Esqueleto” speaks powerfully on behalf of families caught in the contemporary U.S. border conflict. Picking Up a Dandelion A short and poignant poem, stretching out a brief moment of beauty. For My Best Friend One way to grieve is to give tribute, perhaps even before the person you are grieving is completely gone. 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 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… Northern Light A poem about belonging when one doesn't feel like they are completely at home From Red Doc In this poem-as-a-conversation, a man and his mother consider how the past lives on in the present. Pale Blue Cover In this nostalgic poem, the speaker reminisces about the author Matt Cohen. The Fish A dreamy poem diving into oceanic imagery, exploring time and change. Fear of Snakes The life of a snake and the memory of girlhood trauma are told in sinuously entwined language. Sonoma A dreamlike sense of the uncanny hangs over this poem of an encounter on a coastal highway. fluorine Rita Wong uncovers the poisons in everyday life to teach us about our relationship to the natural world. From One and Half of You Trying on traditional clothing and finding how it fits. Or not. 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? Cold Solace Even after many months in the freezer, a honey cake calls up strong memories. 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. From Correspondences Anne Michaels challenges us to find new maps to think about old experiences. Blank Sonnet Set in Halifax of the 1930s, this sensual, inebriated love poem plays with the sonnet form. 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.” 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. World Town Layers of memory paint a moving, vibrant portrait of one man’s time spent in a seaside town with his father. How Not to Spill Do you hold your hands shut, or do you let everything spill out? sturgeon Intense with empathy, the poem places poet and struggling fish in direct physical relation. 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. The Bow What flows through a name, and a name, and a name? The Tyger In the woods at night, the speaker talks to a magical animal… I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. Death of a Young Son by Drowning Blurring time but clarifying feeling, this poem gives voice to a mother who loses a son and gains a country. the knowing Connie Fife cryptically combines land and body in this poem exploring connection to place and past. Homage to the Mineral of the Onion (I) Could a vegetable be the antidote to war? This poem thinks so. Money A museum coin collection prompts a reflection on the captivating nature of currency. 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. I Have Something to Tell You In this surreal poem, a man made of cameras brings his unexpected concerns into sharper focus. 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. Pagination 1 2 3 4 Next › Next page Last » Last page Language English