Poetry often gets a bad rap. Some say it’s hard to understand or think that there’s a particular way to appreciate it. I disagree.
Poetry, much like a great song, just needs to connect. That’s it. A room full of people can read the same poem and take away something completely different. The reader is part of the poetry, and that’s all it takes to appreciate it. Be yourself and read.
There are so many types of poems and so many types of poets that when you find one that speaks to you, you know. It’s the gut punch of first love and from that moment on, you are changed.
There is power and beauty in the condensed nature of a poem. If you let it, it can connect you to the poet, to the moment, or to yourself in ways you never expected.
Here are some suggestions to get you started. If they don’t work out, hopefully you’ll keep seeking until you find one that does.
Enjoy.
For the Insta-Crowd, or romantics who like it short and sweet:
Love her Wild: Poems by Atticus
For the nostalgic child at heart:
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
For those empowered by their pain, or want to be:
The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace
For the dreamers, the seekers, and for everyone, as the title accurately states:
For Everyone by Jason Reynolds
For the lonely at heart who want to feel seen:
Good Bones by Maggie Smith (not Professor McGonagall, but a poet from Ohio!)
For fans of history and hope:
What Remains: The Collected Poems of Hannah Arendt translated and edited by Samantha Rose Hill with Genese Grill
For those who have experienced all the feelings of motherhood:
What Kind Of Woman: Poems by Kate Baer
For those wrestling grief and the anger that often accompanies it:
Alive at the End of the World: Poems by Saeed Jones
For those working to come home to themselves:
home body by Rupi Kaur
For those who need nature and a nudge toward the present:
Devotions: The Selected Poems by Mary Oliver
For Future Reference 