social commentary
There's a rich history of poetry serving as social commentary, intended to inspire calls to action.
Poetry as a Weapon
Words That Fight Back Last night, I heard a poem that cracked me open. It was read at a small rally in Lisbon, scrawled on a napkin by a poet named Yulu Ewis, a contributor to Salt in the Wound. Her voice trembled over the megaphone, reciting lines about a river choked with ash, a mother’s hands searching rubble. The crowd was silent, some weeping, others clenching fists. Her words weren’t just art—they were a weapon, sharp and unyielding, cutting through the numbness of a world that too often looks away. In Salt in the Wound, a zine collecting raw dispatches from crisis zones, protest poetry like Yulu’s is a battle cry, humanizing suffering and defying oppression. This is the story of how poets wield words to fight back.
By Shohel Ranaabout a year ago in Poets
The Zine Rebellion
Why DIY Art Still Matters I found my first zine in the summer of 2020, tucked under a pile of flyers at a protest in Brooklyn. It was a stapled stack of photocopied pages, rough-edged and smudged, screaming with hand-drawn skulls and furious poetry about police brutality. It wasn’t polished or pretty, but it hit like a fist. That zine—called No Quiet Surrender—felt alive, a piece of someone’s soul pressed into my hands. In a world drowned by algorithms and corporate noise, zines like Salt in the Wound are making a comeback, raw and unfiltered, giving voice to those the mainstream ignores. They’re not just art—they’re acts of rebellion, proof that DIY culture still burns bright.
By Shohel Ranaabout a year ago in Poets
No Face
I’m a man with no name No face My mind disconnected My heart lost in space A fantastic phantom animating atoms Thank you for reading my work. If you enjoyed this story, there’s more below. Please hit the like and subscribe button, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @AtomicHistorian. To help me create more content, leave a tip or become a pledged subscriber. I also make stickers, t-shirts, etc here.
By Atomic Historianabout a year ago in Poets
