Dust If You Must

Unfortunately, there is little known about the author, Rose Milligan. 

She’s from Lancaster in Lancashire, England. “Dust If You Must” is her most famous work. 

The best thing about this poem is that it is short and sweet. 

It is about life and enjoying it to the fullest. 

I like this work because of the play on words. We all turn into dust and we dust well, dust.

The Crickets Have Arthritis

Shane Koyczan is a Canadian spoken-word poet best known for his anti-bullying poem, “To This Day.” 

Although this is a long poem, it is emotionally punchy and will have you feeling things that you didn’t know you could feel at the end. 

The imagery, emotions and brilliant metaphors used in this poem are easy to understand and enrich your reading experience. 

This one is a tear-jerker.

Art Class

This piece is by Rhiannon McGavin, a successful young slam-poetry artist from California. 

“Art Class” is especially recommended for its child-like depiction of love where you are free to love whoever you love. 

However, the only recording of it on YouTube is very low-quality and her voice cracks may not necessarily float everyone’s boat. 

There is a transcription of the poem in the comment section of the YouTube video.

A Lockdown Poem

Harry Baker is known for his many TED talks and is also a spoken-word poet. So this poem is in video format like “Art Class.” Since the pandemic, we have all had to adjust to a new normal. 

I recommend this poem because of the hope Baker has. In the description of the YouTube video, Baker says “We’ve made it through before and will again.” 

I appreciate this poem more than most content inspired by the COVID pandemic because of the message of hope.

My Therapist Wants to Know About My Relationship to Work

Tiana Clark is an honored award-winning poet from Tennessee. 

This is a written poem and is probably the hardest to understand for most people. 

This piece is very relevant in today’s society that relies heavily on social media. 

“My Therapist Wants to Know About My Relationship to Work” depicts the correlation between social media dependence, anxiety and low self-esteem. 

You will find yourself relating to the person reflected in the poem.