March Poem: Green Heart on a Gravel Road
After intense storms and sleepless nights, beauty can be found in sunlight, new flowers and a fresh morning.
Tag: poetry
July 2024 Poem: The Cardinal
On a beautiful spring day, a writer captures the feeling as she connects with a brilliant cardinal hopping nearby.
Sweet Memories: A Journey to Adulthood
Longtime North Carolina poet Stephen E. Smith’s new memoir, The Year We Danced, recounts his eye-opening freshman year at Elon College.
April 2024 Poem: Ibis of Guyana
This poem parallels a mother bird building a nest and a parent raising a child before each sends their young off into the world.
March 2024 Poem: The last time my mother
Debra Kaufman reflects on a melancholy but special time with an aging parent as her memories start to fade.
November 2023 Poem: Elsewhere
This poem is dedicated to George Moses Horton, an enslaved poet and the first Black American to publish a book in the South.
October 2023 Poem: What I Kept
A writer reflects on the items she held on to after her mother passed away.
August 2023 Poem: How I Want to Love You
In this poem, a couple contemplates whether to continue with their relationship.
June 2023 Poem: this i know for sure
In this poem, North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green writes about the joy of Juneteenth and the horror that came before it.
Meet North Carolina’s High School Poet Laureates
A new program developed by Jaki Shelton Green celebrates talented young poets across the state. Meet the first four high school laureates.
Poetry: Times Change, Us Too by Leah Dew
This poem is by Leah Dew, the High School Poet Laureate at South Columbus High School, and reflects on the passage of time.
Poetry: Boylan Bridge by Justin Wellons
This peaceful poem by the East Columbus Junior/Senior High School Poet Laureate finds joy in humanity and our cities.
Poetry: Mallard Ducks
A poem from Terri Kirby Erickson about a pair of old, married mallard ducks.
Poetry: Sense of Home by Abigail McPherson
This poem by Columbus Career and College Academy High School Laureate Abigail McPherson considers the beauty of the countryside.