(12) Ode to Sudanese-Americans by Safia Elhillo: https://poets.org/poem/ode-sudanese-americans

safia elhillo is one of my absolute favorite poets/writers and this is also a favorite (which is saying something because it takes so much for me to focus on audio): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh5wSt-hfL0

(13) Day 29 (2020) by Jamila Woods: https://poets.org/poem/day-29-2020

(be sure to check out her music too!)

(14) Object Permanence by Hala Alyan: https://poets.org/poem/object-permanence

(15) on holding rose water by beyza ozer: https://poets.org/poem/holding-rose-water

(16) Lecture on the History of the House by Claire Schwartz: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/154996/lecture-on-the-history-of-the-house

(17) Order of Events by Phillip B. Williams: https://poets.org/poem/order-events

(18) Ode on an Abandoned House by Hayan Charara: https://poets.org/poem/ode-abandoned-house

(19) this is one of my absolute favorites, but i be looking sideways at *everyone* having access to it lol

My Phone Autocorrects “Nigga” to “Night”
By Karisma Price: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/153582/my-phone-autocorrects-nigga-to-night

(20) Canary by Rita Dove: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43359/canary

(21) Three Poems by Jennifer Huang: https://therumpus.net/2021/01/rumpus-original-poetry-three-poems-by-jennifer-huang/

cw: familial violence, physical violence/abuse

(22) under the chiming bell by Jenny Zhang: https://poets.org/poem/under-chiming-bell

(23) iced out chain from the beauty supply by Halsted Indoor Mall by Nate Marshall:
https://poets.org/poem/iced-out-chain-beauty-supply-halsted-indoor-mall

(24) Gardens of Babur, Kabul
By Aria Aber:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/155001/gardens-of-babur-kabul

(25) For Calling the Spirit Back from Wandering the Earth in Its Human Feet by Joy Harjo : https://poets.org/poem/calling-spirit-back-wandering-earth-its-human-feet

(26) A Meditation on Grief: Things We Carry, Things We Remember by Crystal Wilkinson: https://kenyonreview.org/kr-online-issue/2019-septoct/selections/crystal-wilkinson-342846/

huge content warning for death and r*pe

(27) Give Me This by Ada Limón: https://poets.org/poem/give-me

(28) Character Being a Different Thing from Beauty, Describe the Difference by Carl Phillips: https://poets.org/poem/character-being-different-thing-beauty-describe-difference

(29) blessing the boats by Lucille Clifton: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58816/blessing-the-boats

(30) Pier 52 by Omotara James : https://poets.org/poem/pier-52

(31) Song of the Moon by Priscilla Jane Thompson : https://poets.org/poem/song-moon?mc_cid=e8ae6e254d&mc_eid=654b5eaa8f

(32) Everything That Ever Was by Tracy K. Smith: https://poets.org/poem/everything-ever-was

(33) Now He’s an Etching by Patricia Smith: https://poets.org/poem/now-hes-etching

(34) Eve Remembering by Toni Morrison: https://poets.org/poem/eve-remembering

she said it "The taste undid her eyes" HOW DARE SHE i love it

(35) These Poems by June Jordan: https://poets.org/poem/these-poems

okay but that first stanza tho!!

(36) American Sonnet for My Past and Future Assassin [Any day now you will have the ability to feed the name] by Terrance Hayes: https://poets.org/poem/american-sonnet-my-past-and-future-assassin-any-day-now-you-will-have-ability-feed-name

(37) A Golden Day by Paul Laurence Dunbar: https://poets.org/poem/golden-day

(38) Field Notes on Beginning by Tyree Daye: https://poets.org/poem/field-notes-beginning

this poem makes me curse its so good

(39) My People by Langston Hughes: https://poets.org/poem/my-people

the way i used to love langston hughes, bUDDY

(40) Field Theories by Samiya Bashir: https://poets.org/poem/field-theories

(41) What of Fire? by Marcus Jackson :https://poets.org/poem/what-fire?

(42) Ditty by Kevin Young: https://poets.org/poem/ditty

(43) The blue nightgown by Toi Derricotte: https://poets.org/poem/blue-nightgown

(44) Nothing to Declare by Lauren K. Alleyne :https://poets.org/poem/nothing-declare

(45) Because we love each other by
Rickey Laurentiis: https://poets.org/poem/because-we-love-each-other

(46) A Valentine by Priscilla Jane Thompson: https://poets.org/poem/valentine-1

(47) The Day Room by Dante Micheaux: https://poets.org/poem/day-room

(48) In The Vault of Morning by Canisia Lubrin: https://poets.org/poem/vault-morning