Header Banner Poems

Poems

Poem of The Day

poetry-magazine

Her Dreams

By Nikki Giovanni
Mommy always wanted
To be famous

She would have us (my sister and me)
Sing
In all the talent shows
But I could not carry the harmony
Then she had me
Sing
Alone
Though The Isley Brothers
Always won
Ronald’s sweet voice and Vernon
Doing “the Itch”
Sort of like Michael Jackson
Doing “the...
Read More

Browse All Poems

Featured This Month

Featured Poetic Term

Glossary Terms

Romance

French in origin, a genre of long narrative poetry about medieval courtly culture and secret love. It triumphed in English with tales of chivalry such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale” and Troilus and Criseyde.
View In Glossary

Explore Glossary of Poetic Terms

Poem Guides

From the Poetry Magazine Archive

  • Poem

    poetry-magazine

    Blanche Bruce Does the Modernism

    By Douglas Kearney
    let us go then let us go then I saidand the band was I lone every which

    way way my spit slicked the sax’s brass chitlins. I said    such wet would

    mud dust and soil red rock. I saiddoors to some room...
  • Poem

    poetry-magazine

    skint valentine

    By Tom Pickard
    what we have is
    what there is
    and who we are

    and who we is
    is love
  • Poem

    poetry-magazine

    The Runaway

    By Pamela Sneed
    Despite horrible treatment
    The lack of acceptance care
    The threats
    Giving away all I stand to inherit
    Despite the lies
    passing for white
    The hatred towards Black women and girls
    in specific me
    Despite the competing
    The constant need to feel better than me
    at tremendous cost
    Despite the selfishness
    Lack of...

Schools and Movements