What is poetry? I asked someone today what they consider poetry to be and they responded, “something that rhymes. I know that’s now the only way something qualifies, but that’s how it makes sense to me.” Have you ever stopped to consider what poetry is, how to define it, and what that looks like to…Read more Poetry Place–The Entertainment Way
Poetry
Poetry Place– Black Body And Free Tianna
My poem today exemplifies that there is a different kind of weight that comes with how we each live our lives and as a Black woman who fights for those around me, I understand that there are burdens to the way I care for others. People of color so commonly have to build the spaces we want to be a part of because they almost never exist the way we need them to until we put in the work to create them; right now, Tianna is being penalized before those spaces in SLO and beyond can truly begin to exist.
Bookworms– Homie
The book I have for you today is a bit of a cross between my Poetry Place and usual Bookworms, mostly because I’ve found myself missing poetry more lately these days. I have been turning to more voices of color and specifically, Black voices, to hear what those around me who are like me need to say.
Poetry Place– Processing and Protest
Whatever works for you might not work for everyone else and what you and someone else needs may not be the same, but when these areas do intersect, that’s when things get interesting. Lately, people have been protesting through ways that you wouldn’t expect them to be, from violin vigils to massive group yoga sessions in the middle of intersections. Though each are across the board in how we interact with them, they are all forms of expression, self-care, and protest at the same time. Poetry is no different.
Poetry Place–Black Life
I’m back with some poetry for you today, courtesy of The Academy of American Poets. Now, I’m sure a lot of you have seen countless protest photos of everything going on around the world lately; I must say, some of those signs are worded a bit like poetry. After all, poetry itself is a form…Read more Poetry Place–Black Life
Poetry Place– A Different Way
Welcome to another second Tuesday of the week, that means it’s Poetry Place day! If you’re reading with me today, that means you’re in luck for a small shift in gears because I decided to move in a slightly different direction of poems today— at least in the medium of poems.
Poetry Place–Outdoors Again, Sort Of
As many of us have been inside for a while, with the exception of work and a few other necessities, I know there are quite a few of you who miss the outdoors. So rather than give you an old poem of mine I wrote in grade six that starts out something like "bunnies frolic…Read more Poetry Place–Outdoors Again, Sort Of
Poetry Place–Xiao Yue Shan
I chose these two pieces of her work simply because of how much it tells you about the author's style and sound. She finds a way to talk about politics, an awareness of space around her, and even just the idea of ambiguity in what one person sees versus another, all in one chapbook.
Poetry Place–The Poet X
It’s Black History Month and this is one of those books that I felt was important to bring a bit of attention to. As Acevedo’s first novel, this one is special because it tells a narrative, but through poetry.
Win Some, Lose Some
Between the good, bad, and the in-between, it’s been a lot of work. Some of it good, others complete losses, but it is what it is.
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