3 Poetry Books I Am Keeping Forever

I have been writing poetry since high school on and off. I love it and use it as a way to express myself. Not everyone likes reading it but I fell in love with it while a teenager so it stuck.

I have come up with a list of poetry books that I plan to keep forever because they inspire me to keep writing this form in some capacity and also because I simply enjoy re-reading them.

Maya Angelou: Poems Published by Bantam Books

I have always been a fan of Angelou’s poetry and this past year finally divulged and bought a copy of her collections. In fact I bought two.

One is a paperback I have dog eared, written in, and loved on while the other is a pristine hardback I like to simply read.

The reason for this is because I just love her rhythm. The way she writes and formatted her writing inspires me to keep going.

I have only read one of her autobiographies and should honestly read the rest to get a much better sense of her life but I truly enjoy re-reading my favorite poems from her when I’m feeling down.

Here is a snippet from one of my favorite poems by her: Ain’t That Bad.

Dressin in purples and pinks and greens

Exotic as rum and Cokes

Living our lives with flash and style

Ain’t we colorful folks?

Now ain’t we bad?

An’ ain’t we Black?

An’ ain’t we Black?

An’ ain’t we bad?

An’ ain’t we bad?

An’ ain’t we Black?

An’ ain’t we fine?

Helium by Rudy Francisco

I had watched a couple of his slam poetry videos and liked the style he spoke in. I went on to buy his book and was thoroughly impressed.

Reading Helium was wonderful. I felt like each poem told a story. As you progress through the book you understand how the little boy became that man.

He is a great performer and great writer. He discusses being black, being in love, and even writing.

One of my favorite pieces by him in this collection was Page:

It just sits there, with a mouth

full of entitlement, staring at you

and wondering why it is still

not a masterpiece.

The Teacher’s and Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms

It goes into detail about different poetry forms along with references to actual published works. The way I utilize it is by picking a poetic form and writing in that form for a few poems.

I have to focus and find the right words to fit where they are supposed to go. I enjoy this process a lot.

I found the book in a Goodwill thrift store hidden among comic books. I had to take it home with me afterward. It was published in 1987 and is quite a gem.

What are some of your favorite poetry books?