Poetry has always remained a mirror reflecting the pulse of the times.
Now, as we are entering a dawn of increasing change and evolution, poetry remains to document society’s shift. Emerging poets blend their unique experiences with cultural critiques to make poetry feel more personal, impactful, and rebellious than ever. But there are three poets we adore who are among those making the most of the current literary revolution. Kinsale Drake, KB Brookins and Imogen Wade. From challenging the very definition of poetry to storytelling with razor-sharp lyricism, these poets shine a light on how our world is turning today. Vibrant, poignant, and ever so vivid, here is a look into our favorite modern poetry. Want more? Check out all our modern poetry here.
KB Brookins
As a Black, queer, and trans poet from Texas, KB Brookins writes with an urgency so profound, their work will have you challenging your deepest beliefs and cracking open your soul’s truths. Through their works, like their debut poetry collection, Freedom House, Brookins leads their audience through a whirlwind of intimate experiences, helping each reader find more connection and compassion that transcends cultural barriers effortlessly.
Freedom House
‘Black Life Circa 2029’
My therapist called it “climate despair”
‘Snake Plant’
Kinsale Drake
Navajo traditions are woven throughout Kinsale Drake’s work with deep roots and stories recalling familial memories, nature, and traditions. A Diné poet, Drake seamlessly blends the twenty-first century into a world of rich culture through musical and pop culture references. Read through her debut collection, The Sky Was Once a Dark Blanket, winner of the National Poetry Series, for a creative peek into her heritage and life as a queer and Indigenous human.
The Sky Was Once A Dark Blanket
‘Catalogue of fear’
‘Sherman Alexie’
Imogen Wade
Imogen Wade wears her heart on her sleeve and reveals her wounds through her diary-like poetry pages. A meditation on a traumatic experience with vulnerability and uncomfortable truths, ‘The Time I Was Mugged in New York City’, won the National Poetry Competition in 2023. Breaking the rules of traditional poetry, this trailblazer shows us that one rule of poetry is meant to remain. Poetry must, above all, always make us feel.
