Poem archive
Read poems by Arizona and Southwestern writers, plus classic work preserved in the AZPoetry literary archive.
Search by poem title, poet, or a phrase you remember. Each archive page is designed to lead readers toward more poets and related work.
2026
“FAILURE TO LEAVE PHOENIX IN ORDER TO SAVE MY LIFE IN THE SUMMER OF 1968” by Michael C. Ford is a poem centered on arizona, place and geography, memory. Its imagery is anchored in Arizona, Tucson. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“GROUNDING OUT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA” by Michael C. Ford is a poem centered on place and geography, memory, family. Its imagery is anchored in Pasadena, California. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“I'm Going Through” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on love and relationships, family, identity. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“50 Deep Breaths” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on memory, love and relationships, family. Its imagery is anchored in Arctic Ocean. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Uptown World” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on place and geography, love and relationships, family. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Gentle Reminders” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on arizona, family, identity. Its imagery is anchored in Phoenix. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Untitled (“Some days I need to be baptized by the beat”)” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on love and relationships, music, identity. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“In this Surreal Moment” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on love and relationships, family, music. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“I'm Down” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on love and relationships, family, music. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Wonder of Woman” by Jimmie Ware is a poem centered on love and relationships, family, identity. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Alzheimer’s Poetry Project” by Aaron Hopkins-Johnson is a poem centered on memory, love and relationships, music. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Chameleon” by Aaron Hopkins-Johnson is a poem centered on identity, aging, nature. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“The Things That Break While Moving” by Aaron Hopkins-Johnson is a poem centered on arizona, place and geography, love and relationships. Its imagery is anchored in Phoenix. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Astronaut” by Aaron Hopkins-Johnson is a poem centered on memory, love and relationships, family. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Charlie Brown” by Aaron Hopkins-Johnson is a poem centered on arizona, music, identity. Its imagery is anchored in Phoenix. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Burn” by Aaron Hopkins-Johnson is a poem centered on family, identity, aging. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“I MET HANK IN 1968” by Michael C. Ford is a poem centered on place and geography, memory, family. Its imagery is anchored in Chicago, Los Angeles. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“A POEM THAT REFUSES TO BE CALLED DUSK” by Michael C. Ford is a poem centered on place and geography, identity, nature. Its imagery is anchored in San Diego, California. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER” by Michael C. Ford is a poem centered on place and geography, identity, aging. Its imagery is anchored in Santa Fe, Nevada. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“YESTERDAY I SAW PENELOPE B” by Michael C. Ford is a poem centered on place and geography, love and relationships, mortality and loss. The poem develops its subject through recurring images and shifts in emotional pressure rather than reducing the experience to a single statement.
2026
“Gunslingers” by Skyelyn Riggs-Davis taking your place across from me. Oureyes meet, hands hover over the big ironon our hips. My sister, my identical twin. You makeme feel like a…
2026
"Down Together" by Roger Clyne We could write our names here in the mudNo one's around to see themWe could hang our shoes right here in a treeNo one's around to steal them I could…
2026
"Running in a Red State" by Cymelle Leah Edwards Don’t be political. Sinclair Wash Trail: Anger is that which your body recognizes as alien; that which has been whittled nonexiste…
2025
Alas, Poor Yorick I regard the sad little manAs I stand in line at Ye Olde Churro HutWith equal measures of pity and hatredHe wears a tri-cornered, tri-colored hat that is by desi…
2025
"Haiku from Seventeen Syllables" by Hisaye Yamamoto it was so much easier to say yes, yes, even when one meant no. About the author Hisaye Yamamoto Haiku, Silence, and Struggle in…
2025
"Green & Red" by Ashley Naftule When I was six,my favorite part about eating watermelonwas harvesting the black seeds. My parents would cut off the green skinso I could slip my to…
2025
"And Ain't I An American" by Jeremiah Blue I do appreciate the eaglebut not enough to call it Americanand tattoo it on my arm with bannersof "God Bless the USA" Because I am hopin…
2025
"it'll take the edge off they say" by Natasha Murdock but I am made of edgesedges of elbows & guilt & feet & babyedges staring me in the face—painmanaged through natural technique…
2025
"My 20th Birthday Haiku" by Joseph Nieves When I was a boyI dreamed of being BatmanNow? Even more so. About the poet Joseph Nieves With the Phoenix Fan Fusion Nerd Poetry Slam hos…
2025
"14 Lines From Love Letters Or Suicide Notes" by Doc Luben IDon't freak outIIWe both know this has been coming for a long time.III I've been staying awake at night, wondering if I…
2025
"If The Drum Is A Woman" by Jayne Cortez If the drum is a womanwhy are you pounding your drum into an insanebabblewhy are you pistol whipping your drum at dawnwhy are you shooting…
2025
"The Tiger" by William Blake Tiger Tiger, burning bright,In the forests of the night;What immortal hand or eye,Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies.Bur…
2025
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo…
2025
"On His Blindness" or also known as "When I Consider How My Light Is Spent" John Milton, published in 1673 When I consider how my light is spentEre half my days in this dark world…
2025
"Get Back" by Paul McCartney Jojo was a man who thought he was a lonerBut he knew it couldn't lastJojo left his home in Tucson, ArizonaFor some California grass Get back, get back…
2025
"Dissolve" by Sherwin Bitsui This mountain stands near us: mountaining.It mistakes morning with mourning,when we wear slippers of steamto erase our carbon footprint. Wind's finger…
2025
"Ritchie Valens" by Myrlin Hepworth you were the child of R&B and jump Bluesflamingo guitar and Mariachi Richard Valenzuela they called you Ritchie saidValenzuela was too much for…
2025
"Satellite TV Sports" by Nick Fox you're listening to the voice of NickFox the Total Sports poet in five fourthree fabulous new diet I lost 500 lbact now and you can for the one o…
2025
Love Bacall by Lauren Perry It had to be you that threw me the matches Bogie, Each musky growl of my voice,You couldn’t resist answering my question with a flick of your wrist and…
2024
grandma and I are caught in Loops hiit's B I'm good how are you I live inLos Angeles and I love it traffic's badbut it gives me time to think my nameit's Beth I live in LA and it'…
2024
I overhear my porcelain teachers clink their teeth together like a toastin celebration of their tongues,proud to be so kind. My father borrows a name so he can feed us. I dream ab…
2024
I prefer red chile over my eggsand potatoes for breakfast.Red chile ristras decorate my door,dry on my roof, and hang from eaves.They lend open-air vegetable standshistorical gran…
