Poetry Unbound

How do you hold onto hope? And who helped you find it? This poem is about holding onto paradise in the midst of an envir... Read more

In this poem, a son writes to his parents and invites them to a meal, letting them know that his boyfriend will also be ... Read more

Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s poem “On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance” offers a way to ground yourself during vulne... Read more

What do you find hard to forgive in yourself? What might help? In this poem, the poet makes a list of all the things she... Read more

Ocean Vuong’s poem “Seventh Circle of Earth” is an homage to the love and intimacy shared by Michael Humphrey and Clayto... Read more

When you feel like crying, do you cry? Or do you stifle it? Why? The U.S. Congress 2009 “Joint resolution to acknowledge... Read more

When you’re writing by hand, where is your other hand? What story is the space between your two hands — your dominant ha... Read more

Allison Funk’s poem “The Prodigal’s Mother Speaks to God” tells the age-old story of The Prodigal Son through a new voic... Read more

Jane Mead’s “Substance Abuse Trial” is set in a courtroom where a daughter hears her father’s name mispronounced at his ... Read more

What do you notice about how you behave in times of conflict? Do you tend toward avoidance? Or compromise? Or collaborat... Read more

Were you born during a time when laws were different? What impact did those laws have on you? In this poem, Natasha Tret... Read more

How do you speak of — and to — your body? This is a poem dedicated to the body. “The body is a nation I have never known... Read more

In strength and defiance, Lucille Clifton celebrates her Black body and her survival. When have you said or heard words ... Read more

Are there places you've lived or visited that others would disregard? What do you see in them that others might miss?" T... Read more

What is the story of your name? In this poem, the poet calls on place, ancestors, and history to bear witness to the dig... Read more

In times of isolation, what stories have you turned to for comfort?  This poem is an exploration of isolation as seen th... Read more

What have you had to explore on your own? What, or who, helped? This poem explores the archetype of the cave — a cave th... Read more

Faisal Mohyuddin’s poem “Prayer” describes a practice of devotion. It’s a spacious and hospitable poem, filled with refe... Read more

Tracy K. Smith’s poem “Song” is filled with observations of a loved person: their habits, the things they do when they t... Read more

Marie Howe’s poem “My Mother’s Body” is wise about age. In the poem, Marie’s mother is young enough to be Marie’s own da... Read more