social commentary

There's a rich history of poetry serving as social commentary, intended to inspire calls to action.

A Loving Queen
A diva A queen But also very loving God fearing Let God lead A life worth living A job well done It's simple so put your heart at ease
By L.I.E2 months ago in Poets
Hebe’s Regret
I once had thought I had done well by Heracles I married him and gave him eternal youth But I could not take away all those scars
By Stephanie Hoogstad2 months ago in Poets
I’m An Enigma
I’m life without living I’m dead without death I fear without feeling I’ve air but no breath I think without thinking I speak without thought I cry with no tears I’m here but I’m not I’m strong without power I’m rich with no wealth I’m fun without pleasure I’m sick with good health I’m springs without water My tides have no shore I’m trees without branches My walls have no door My songs have no music I’m straight with a turn I’m truthful while lying I’m smart but don’t learn
By Earl W. Pearl2 months ago in Poets
For Lorn
Forlorn For lorn For Lorn I roll the word around my tongue until I can't remember why I even thought of the word. It's syllables of two consonants to one vowel and three consonants to one vowel.
By Paul Stewart2 months ago in Poets
bored o’ clock.
tick tok. the life of boredom is slipping swiftly from us. * i remember when boredom was an art form. creativity sparked
By Marvelous Michael2 months ago in Poets
The Machine That Watched The Watcher
The Machine That Watched The Watcher He built a machine to watch the street, With cameras hidden in a tree, He wanted to know who walked past,
By ♿ V+ Marie381Uk 2 months ago in Poets
In Your reality
In your reality I am just an image to be played by your scenario in your reality I am just a toy to be manipulated the way you want it to move with your waves
By Antea Lumina Kala Matylda 2 months ago in Poets
Dilemma
This is the tightrope now Between free thought and reality, Turbidity in what should be Clear, crystalline creativity. <LAY YOUR HEAD DOWN> Bare flesh sliding against the wire Splits open and bleeds into the mouths Of slack-jawed idiots hunting For something special in their reality. <SEVERE STORM WARNING> A body teetering on the invisible. The brink between here and there. Leaving behind a life in a world To find a universe in death. <SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER> Slipping one way or the other, Maybe it doesn't matter as much As the voices underneath the static Want you to think it does, at least. <THREAT LEVEL EXTREME>
By Silver Daux2 months ago in Poets
can we . Top Story - August 2026.
there was a time when it was just me and the water. we sat together in ways and for times that could confuse my lungs, but that made my fascia feel at home. buried under the glinting pools, the murky lakes, the crisp oceans, even the pedantic showers i indulged my body of water to mingle and submerge in the sublime source. the nourishment and sustainer. my healer. i read recently that the colloquial framing of bodies as "meat" is scientifically inaccurate. we are water. but we only just figured this out? " ja' k'aslemal ," the iyoom told us as she massaged the milk from my friend's tender breasts. " agua es vida ," translated my fluent friend for me, "water is life." the tub had been warmed so the water cradled, but didn't smother. the tz'utujil of san pedro la laguna know that, when properly applied, water heals and performs miracles. like mixing and pulling dyes to create a singular hue of blue only possible on the full moon. or easing the swollen, clogged ducts of a bereaved mother-who-should-be. everything changes when the conditions of the water change. the monks at linquan temple provided boiling drinking water during the heat of the july i spent with them. i asked and was told that it is easier to absorb, helps digestion, and doesn't disrupt your system. this knowledge has been ours since dawning, across people, cultures, and continents we have known what water is. what we are. but i recently read a story the algorithm curated for me that said we've been thinking about it all wrong, while my phone, my only companion, looked back at me by the water.
By kp2 months ago in Poets
No One Knows
This piece was written for Judey Kalchik's unofficial challenge and inspired by hearing this song on my way home one day. Fun and indeed challenging to write a 200-word minimum poem with only 49 single-syllable words plus the last word, which was dictated. Technically, the date she listed has passed, but Judey said it wasn't a hard deadline, so I went for it anyway.
By Julie Lacksonen2 months ago in Poets
Writer’s Hands. Top Story - August 2026.
The bird left behind a feather - Black, grey, and white - Lying right before me, Marked with black ink-like blots. Writer’s fingers: bony, cold, long, and fearless
By Sun Bee2 months ago in Poets
A Tribute to Dolly Parton
A Tribute to Dolly Parton With sadness in my heart today, I write these words with tears to say, That Dolly Parton has passed away,
By ♿ V+ Marie381Uk 2 months ago in Poets