social commentary

There's a rich history of poetry serving as social commentary, intended to inspire calls to action.

The Awakening (Part One)
Whatever happened to the world where we were supposed to be treated as equals. Instead the government lies, they pick and choose who to treat as people.
By Alex Rios8 years ago in Poets
Colors
Yellow When she first saw him, he was smiling at her. It wasn’t a normal, friendly-stranger smile; it made her feel safe and welcome. She couldn’t help the question that knitted into her eyebrows when she noticed him looking at her, but he either didn’t catch it or didn’t care. He kept on smiling at her—a smile that felt like the sun.
By Allison Jones8 years ago in Poets
Gun Control
It's time for the world to make a clean slate It's time for the world to wash the blood from its hands It's time for the world to get a grip on gun control
By Janelle Ouellet8 years ago in Poets
Beyond First Glance
Step and stagger fall to the ground. Wake to police, and a siren sound. Two black eyes and headaches remain. Those who loved you are still in pain.
By Jade Grayson8 years ago in Poets
Another Mass Murder
2018, living in a world, it’s nothing but cold. Kid was nothing but 19-years-old. Cold blooded killer didn’t care about anyone else’s life.
By Alex Rios8 years ago in Poets
American Nightmare
American nightmare, I sit in stains. My address is the alley behind the convenience store, in the cardboard box without a view. I am anonymous, and ignored, looked on as the worst sort of person; A freeloader, a bum, a blight, a blemish on the fair face of your society's illusion of perfection.
By Jade Grayson8 years ago in Poets
Copy Paste
I want to be like everyone else—a carbon copy of those pretty, smiling girls That always look flawless. That always have perfectly aligned teeth.
By Allison Jones8 years ago in Poets
But Nobody Spoke Up. Top Story - February 2018.
They thought something was wrong, But no nobody spoke up. They saw the red flags, But nobody spoke up. They witnessed his mindset through social media,
By James Howell8 years ago in Poets
Playing God
Playing God is the hardest thing ever, Making sure you do right, comes with pressure, Making sure you appreciate every moment in life,
By Zainab Bangura8 years ago in Poets
Not Quite Poor
Impressive, how the morning comes without fanfare, unnoticed by the small-town commuters on their way to slightly bigger cities with
By Felecia Burgett8 years ago in Poets
Life in Scrabble
We wrote sonnets in English a while back inspired by William Shakespeare. I called mine, "Life in Scrabble." Honestly, I'm not exactly sure why. There's something about Scrabble and 'anecdoche' that really speaks to me–the metaphor, I mean. I dare you to look up the word, anecdoche. I'm sure you'd be surprised as to how inconspicuously identifiable it is; almost as if you see it all the time, but can never describe it.
By mayukhab117 .8 years ago in Poets
Heavenly Cry
Fall down and come forth, place your body against the altar and stain the wood with your tears, calling out for religion and the god you need; you read about him in the book
By Allison Jones8 years ago in Poets