Kaitlin's poetry recommendations

1.) Wild Geese, Mary Oliver

“Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. / Meanwhile the world goes on.” -Wild Geese

Wild Geese is an exploration of nature and our relationship with the surrounding world. It draws readers back to their roots, tending to the gentle childlikeness we all have when it comes to the questions of life. What does it mean to love? What do we have in common with the animals that cross our paths? The quiet curiosity of this collection has made it one of my all-time favorite poetry collections – and made Mary Oliver one of my favorite poets.

This title is not available for checkout through the PINES system, but other titles by Mary Oliver are.

2.) Crush, Richard Siken.

“Tell me how all this, and love too, will ruin us. / These, our bodies, possessed by light. / Tell me we'll never get used to it.”

-Scheherzade

Can I just gush about how Richard Siken writes the most gorgeous, gut-wrenching poetry? CRUSH is one of my all-time favorite chapbooks. It’s about hunger and exposure; love and panic. It’s intense, raw, and emotionally vulnerable. Each line will leave you wondering what’s next. I definitely recommend this for fans of contemporary poetry.

This title is available for checkout through the PINES system.

3.) Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart, Alice Walker

“And when they spy on us let them discover us loving.”

-And When They Spy on Us

Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart is a classic collection. Contemporary and timeless in one fell swoop, Walker explores history through poetry while telling her own story.

This title is available for checkout at the Monroe-Walton County Library.

4.) The Captain’s Verses, Pablo Neruda

“In love, you have loosened yourself like seawater.” -In You the Earth

Pablo Neruda was a pioneer in poetry. His poetry featured in The Captain’s Verses touches each heart with universally relatable takes on love, loss, and humanity. This is also a great summery read for someone first getting into poetry. This title is available for checkout through the PINES system.

5.) Different Hours, Stephen Dunn

“I will try to disappoint you / better than anyone else has.”

-Mon Semblable.

Different Hours was one of the first poetry books I read as a teenager and it definitely shaped the way I approached my own poetry. Dunn pushes boundaries and writes as a person reflection back on his life, bringing to the forefront of the reader’s mind the questions of the choices we make along the way as we grow older.

This title for checkout is available in the PINES system.

6.) Madwomen, Gabriela Mistral

“Everyone left and we have remained / on a path that goes on without us.” -Two Forgotten Ones

Along with Neruda, Gabriela Mistral was a pioneer for poetry. As a Latin American poet, Mistral explores love in all its form and the grief it can bring. Her writing is haunting and thought-provoking with each line bringing something new to the table. If you’re interested in studying Hispanic Poetry, Mistral’s collection is a fantastic place to start. This title is not available for checkout in the PINES system, but other titles by Gabriela Mistral are.

7.) Lost Kingdoms, Sandra Tirado “Such is this warmth: sincerely meant to cure my frostbitten skin, / for the touch is of the holiest breath unspoken.”

-Dawn

Sandra Tirado offers up her heart in her first available collection of poetry. Stunning and mystical, Tirado explores mental health, heartbreak, and healing in a deeply personal collection that can relate to any person that’s experienced loss. This is especially a good read for those who prefer contemporary poetry. Tirado is a fresh voice that is sure to make waves with her poetry.

This title is not available for checkout through the PINES system, but Tirado’s poems are available here: https://sandraivelissetirado.com/poems

And lastly, a novel-in-verse:

8.) Long Way Down, Jason Reynolds

“Just remember, when you're walking in the nighttime, make sure the nighttime ain't walking into you.”

Written in verse form, this book follows the story of fifteen-year-old Will as he navigates grief, justice, and revenge. Will only knows of The Rules: if someone you love is killed, you take justice into your own hands for them. He struggles to define the rules for himself, faced with an impossible choice, after his brother is shot and killed.

This title is available for checkout at the Monroe-Walton County Library.