social commentary
There's a rich history of poetry serving as social commentary, intended to inspire calls to action.
The Prayer of Khaled Joudeh, Age 9
Upon returning to school after the start of the New Year, I assigned my 10th grade students a reflection project in which they had to choose an image from the New York Times "Year in Pictures - 2023" and write a short poem that conveys the emotions and elements of the photo. I usually complete the assignments alongside my students, especially I am asking them to be vulnerable in their work. So, I began scrolling through the photos posted on the NYT website. When I got to the month of October, the intensity of the images increased exponentially as the majority of the photos were of the brutality of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. One image in particular cut my heart the deepest: A young boy in the Gaza Strip reaching to touch the cold forehead of his 8-month old baby sister as she lay wrapped in a blood-stained shroud. Samar Abu Elouf, an award-winning photojournalist for the New York Times, had taken the photo. She also had spoken to the boy and found out that his baby sister had been killed during an Israeli airstrike that had obliterated the building in which her family was sheltering. In addition to the loss of his sister, the boy's mother, father, and older brother also perished in the attack. As I gazed at the tragic scene, I heard the prayer of the young boy, now an orphan. A prayer and a lullaby wrapped in the salt of his grief.
By Sara Littleabout a year ago in Poets
He Didn’t Know I Saw It — But Girls Notice These 7 Awkward Things (And We Actually Care)
Not the kind we write down (well… some of us might), but the mental list we all keep. It’s the “tiny things we notice about you” list. The things most guys think go under the radar? We see them. All of them. Some make us melt. Some make us laugh. Some make us send a screenshot to the group chat with “??? explain this” typed in panic. And yes — some are awkward. But awkward doesn’t mean bad. It just means human. So here are 7 awkward things girls definitely notice about guys… and what they might mean to us. 1. The “Trying Not to Look” Look You know that moment when you think we’re not watching — but you glance our way for 0.2 seconds too long? Yeah. We see that. We’re not mad about it. But the pretend-innocent face you make after? Iconic. You’re not slick, but it’s adorable. 2. The Weird Way You Text Some of you text like you’re being charged by the word. Others? Like you’re auditioning for a role in Shakespeare. We notice. We send screenshots. We ask our friends what “lol. yeah” really means when it comes 2 hours after “wyd?” Awkward? Maybe. But sometimes, the mystery is the fun. 3. That One Piece of Clothing You Love a Bit Too Much There’s always one hoodie. Or cap. Or those beat-up sneakers from 2012. You think it’s your “signature.” We think it’s a test of our patience. (But secretly, we’d miss it if you stopped wearing it.) 4. Your Haircut Timing Boys, why do you always get a haircut right after we say we like your hair long? It’s suspicious. We notice the fade. We notice the phase where it’s “growing back.” We say nothing — but we’re tracking every inch. 5. That Moment You Get Nervous (And Pretend You’re Not) Whether it’s fumbling for your wallet or acting overly confident when introducing us to your friends — the nervous energy? It radiates. We pick up on it. Sometimes it makes us nervous too. But more often, it makes us smile. Because it means you care. 6. How You Treat the Waiter Trust me. This matters. If you’re rude to the waiter, that mental list we were talking about? Yeah, it suddenly has a bold red X on it. Awkwardness is forgivable. Entitlement? Not so much. 7. Your Bathroom Mirror Selfies Yes. We found your old ones. No, we’re not judging. (Okay, maybe a little.) But there’s something oddly endearing about the awkward “gym pump” photo or the blurry mirror pic from 2018. It’s cringe — but it’s also real. And we love real. So… why do we notice all this? Because we’re paying attention. Because when we like someone, the awkward things become the beautiful things. The flaws become fingerprints. The weird becomes wonderful. You’re not supposed to be perfect. You’re supposed to be you. So next time you wonder if she saw you trip over that chair, or say “you too” when the waiter said “enjoy your meal”? Yes. She saw it. And she smiled anyway. Because if she’s noticing the awkward things… there’s a good chance she’s noticing you. ''If you find my story even a little helpful or enjoyable.Please don't forget to like and comment. Your support will inspire me to keep writing more." Thank you dear.
By Olivia Chastityabout a year ago in Poets
How Poetry Became My Portal to Abundance
There was a time I believed abundance was a matter of numbers—money in the bank, followers on a screen, invitations to rooms filled with important people. I chased it. I ran breathless toward it. And for years, I came up empty.
By Shohel Ranaabout a year ago in Poets
