social commentary

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

Cock-a-Fuckin' Doddle Doo
I can bawk, squawk, crow all I want: I'm a white assed rooster! Ya'll mother pluckers be WARY- somethings brewin', stewin', just not...
By ROCK aka Andrea Polla (Simmons)2 years ago in Poets
Freedom or Not
I'm just exercising my religious freedom... She tells me. She thinks I'm a child murder. I wish she knew that if I kept my baby, we'd both die.
By Lane Burns2 years ago in Poets
Last Pube Stranding
Once upon a time, there was a man from Nantucket Who only had one grey pube, so didn't dare pluck it He washed and groomed
By Paul Stewart2 years ago in Poets
Veto. Top Story - February 2025.
This is what they meant when they said That Greed is the root of evil But what if the devil is not what they said he was But rather the greed from our own flesh and blood
By Cadma2 years ago in Poets
Terrance Hayes: A Modern Poet of Innovation and Identity
Early Life and Influences Born in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1971, Terrance Hayes grew up with a deep appreciation for both literature and visual art. His early exposure to the works of poets such as Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Hayden, and Yusef Komunyakaa shaped his understanding of poetry as a medium for both self-expression and social commentary. He attended Coker College on a basketball scholarship, later earning an MFA in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh.
By Mr Ali2 years ago in Poets
"EVIL HUMPTY DUMPTY FALLS". Content Warning.
This is a tall tale of evil and good and how evil clowns & charlatans tried to steal from the poor to supply the wealthy. There have been many stories written throughout the decades of time. I author this tale of an evil Humpty Dumpty and Joker in the year of our Lord 2025. Pull up a chair, grab a popcorn, and a cup of hot cocoa and we will sit by the fireplace telling tales of good vs evil in a world of chaos. The truth is in the video I created in Microsoft Video Editor Pro.
By Vicki Lawana Trusselli 2 years ago in Poets
A Young American Named Matthew
There once was a young American named Matthew Who to which the concept of decency was very new He loved to dance in the buff
By Paul Stewart2 years ago in Poets
Danez Smith: A Revolutionary Voice in Contemporary Poetry
Early Life and Influences Danez Smith was born in 1989 and grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood in St. Paul. Their upbringing played a crucial role in shaping their voice, as they navigated issues of race, sexuality, and systemic oppression. Influenced by poets such as Audre Lorde, Patricia Smith, and Essex Hemphill, Smith found their voice in both performance and written poetry, combining the two to create a powerful, evocative style.
By Mr Ali2 years ago in Poets
Old Roger, The Soap Dodger. Content Warning.
There once was a monkey called Old Roger Known as Old Roger, the soap dodger Who had an awful funk Directly from his junk
By Paul Stewart2 years ago in Poets
I Once Had a Home
I once had a home Where they said they loved me. "I was the king of the house," they claimed, And they loved to play with me.
By Alain SUPPINI2 years ago in Poets
Tracy K. Smith: A Poetic Voice of Reflection and Resonance
Early Life and Influences Born in 1972 in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and raised in Fairfield, California, Tracy K. Smith developed an early love for literature. Her father was an engineer who worked on the Hubble Space Telescope, and this connection to space and the vast unknown has influenced her work. Smith studied at Harvard University, where she discovered the power of poetry and was particularly influenced by writers like Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Bishop, and Seamus Heaney. She later earned an MFA from Columbia University, further honing her craft and deepening her engagement with poetry as a medium for reflection and inquiry.
By Mr Ali2 years ago in Poets
A Nation of Snakes
I wake to a country I barely know, Where kindness fades and hatred grows. Once built on dreams, now cracked and torn, A house divided, faith forsworn.
By Cadma2 years ago in Poets