As a writer myself, I’m convinced we all have the potential to become poets. Poetry doesn’t ask us for talent, experience, skill…No, it just asks that we’re brave enough to share our souls with complete and utter honesty.
Writing poetry is as healing as consuming it. As John Keating (Robin Williams) said in the Dead Poets Society:
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering—these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
Interested in reading more poetry this year? Here are five of my favorite modern poetry collections to dive into this winter.
1. The Words Left Unspoken by Allie Michelle
I’ll never forget when I first discovered the poetic genius Allie Michelle. Not only is she an incredibly talented writer, but she also so clearly possesses an open-minded, compassionate, spiritual lens. Seeing the world through her eyes has helped me heal and make peace with the parts of myself I once rejected.
Synopsis: In The Words Left Unspoken, bestselling poet and spoken word artist Allie Michelle (The Rose That Blooms in the Night, Explorations of a Cosmic Soul) offers a luminous journey through the raw terrain of the human heart. Guiding the reader through the stages of breaking and becoming, her words remind us that loss, longing, and love are not detours from life, and to respect our struggles in the same way as our successes.
This is a book for anyone who has ever swallowed their truth, dimmed their light, or carried silence where words longed to be spoken. Michelle’s poems—paired with striking black-and-white illustrations on every page—serve as both balm and battle cry.
Whether you’re navigating heartbreak, seeking connection, or longing to come home to yourself, this collection offers permission to feel it all. With her signature blend of fierce vulnerability and spiritual insight, Allie Michelle reminds us that even in our most fractured moments, we are whole—and that the unspoken parts of us are often where our greatest truths live.
2. Self Love Poetry: For Thinkers & Feelers by Melody Godfred
My now-boyfriend, then-best-friend-but-secret-crush, gifted me Melody Godfred’s poetry collection for Christmas last year, and it helped me find the courage to confess my feelings for him. Self Love Poetry: For Thinkers & Feelers has a way of challenging your negative self-talk and encouraging you to pour into yourself, following your heart with grace and bravery. This collection offers poetry for the left brain (thinkers) and the right brain (feelers), alternating like a balanced, therapeutic guide to being human.
Synopsis: In Self Love Poetry, Godfred explores concepts like authenticity, surrender, resilience, gratitude, believing in yourself, and, of course, love, through 100 pairs of poems, each dedicated to a central theme.
On the left side of the book are “thinker” poems that light up the analytical, more literal, left side of the brain, and on the right side are companion “feeler” poems that speak to the creative, more emotional right side of the brain. Combined, these poems electrify the mind, body, and soul through a completely unique poetry experience that inspires each of us to embrace all parts of ourselves.
This empowering poetry book will not only engage you to think and feel, but will make you feel seen, show you how to love yourself, and encourage you to seek out the hope and beauty in the world … and in yourself. It’s the perfect gift for yourself or someone you love, especially in difficult times.
3. twentysomething: a coming-of-age poetry collection by Julia Burke
If you want to laugh your a— off while processing your most devastating dating experiences—the epitome of being a 20-something—this poetry collection is for you. The book takes you along one woman’s relatable and oftentimes comical journey through singlehood, messy relationships, adventure, grief, and self-discovery. Each poem cultivates narrative intimacy, as if you’re connecting with a friend over coffee.
Synopsis: Modernizing Socrates’ ancient wisdom—”Know thyself”—twentysomething is a coming-of-age poetry collection tracing the journey toward self-discovery amid the beauty and chaos of early adulthood.
With both heart and humor, twentysomething celebrates an era of being single defined by newfound confidence—shaped by the lessons born from all-consuming love and eye-opening heartbreak. It also captures the often comedic (think: dating disasters) and always fun-loving (cue: city nights with friends) realities of life in your twenties.
This inspiring collection invites you to reflect on these transformative years of your own life and the unexpected wisdom, wild joy, and deep longing that come with them.
4. Naked Human by Christopher Poindexter
When I was in college studying Writing Arts and taking my first poetry class, I found Christopher Poindexter on Instagram and instantly fell in love with his words. His ability to paint the human experience through vivid imagery and vulnerable personal anecdotes was the exact inspiration and comfort I needed to chase my dream of becoming a writer. I owe much of my own success as a poet and author to him.
Synopsis: The blooming of madness. Christopher Poindexter’s first book is an exploration of humanity at its finest and at its worst. This is a story written between 2011-2015 about the discovery of what makes us human: doing whatever it takes to keep the loneliness away.
5. Poems and Peonies by Chelsie Diane
Gifted to me by a friend during a difficult time, Poems and Peonies by Chelsie Diane quickly became one of my favorite reads. The poet’s words have helped me shed decades’ worth of internalized shame and conditioning. With raw honesty and unfiltered self-reflection, each poem is a testament to our power as women (and humans).
Synopsis: A stunning and honest debut poetry collection for women taking back their one wild and precious life as their own, an unapologetic look at the beauty and pain and reclamation of what has always been hers.
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