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. We Wear the Mask We Wear the Mask is a resilient and entrancing tug-of-war with external perceptions of self. World Town Layers of memory paint a moving, vibrant portrait of one man’s time spent in a seaside town with his father. World Town Layers of memory paint a moving, vibrant portrait of one man’s time spent in a seaside town with his father. 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. 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. The Fish A dreamy poem diving into oceanic imagery, exploring time and change. 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. One Art When loss feels inevitable, sometimes the only thing to do is write it down… The Bull Moose A moose's final, tortured moments unfold in a series of brutal images. I’ve Tasted My Blood In this thunderous poem, the speaker proclaims his rage, anguish, and hope in the face of war and oppression. 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. Modestine A woman writes a tender poem about her dad’s struggle with dementia. 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. 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 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. Not the Music In Not in the Music, Crozier explores the inviolable: the sacred parts of ourselves that we cherish as personal sanctuaries. 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. Laurentian Shield This portrait of a rocky, silent Canadian landscape speaks to the country’s limitations and its potential. 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. 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. 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. 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.” Fear of Snakes The life of a snake and the memory of girlhood trauma are told in sinuously entwined language. The Blue Guitar In this glosa poem, P.K. Page strums out questions about being an artist and telling the truth. 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 Picking Up a Dandelion A short and poignant poem, stretching out a brief moment of beauty. The Dead This sonnet considers the fragmented, elusive way the dead resurface in our lives. 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. dont worry yr hair Having a bad day? This uplifting poem about the power of our inner potential should light a spark. The Tyger In the woods at night, the speaker talks to a magical animal… 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. Five Postcards from Jericho Postcards to regret, to time, to anyone at all A Stone Diary A love poem to a stone takes on deeper, rockier meanings. From Red Doc In this poem-as-a-conversation, a man and his mother consider how the past lives on in the present. At the Centre In this poem of a woman in deep repose, her seeds of self-care begin to blossom. 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. Sweet Like a Crow This tumbling, outrageous list poem is a backhanded ode to a child’s less-than-melodious singing voice. fluorine Rita Wong uncovers the poisons in everyday life to teach us about our relationship to the natural world. Pagination 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next › Next page Last » Last page Language English