Poetry

For more than 110 years, Poetry magazine has been a monthly gathering space for poets and readers. The magazine publishes contemporary poetry and prose, primarily in English, and translations from contributors all over the world. Poetry has been published in Chicago since its founding in 1912.

Poetry

EDITOR’S NOTE

Poems

INAUDIBLE LASSO

BLUE MUSTANG • Luis Jiménez, 2008

DREXCIYANS • After Rashid Johnson

GOD IS NOT A FATHER

OCTOBER

BILLIE, SON OF BEEBEE

KOKO TAYLOR IS THE HEALER OF WOUNDED WOMEN

MUDLARK

MARIPOSA

DUCHAMP’S NUDE DESCENDING A STAIRCASE, NO. 2 (1912)

NEHAJO

THEY STOP • Translated from the Slovenian

DIE MEINUNG

THE OPINION • Translated from the Slovenian

BOGATI STARA MILA LEPIJO NA SVEŽA MILA

THE RICH STICK OLD SOAPS ONTO FRESH SOAPS • Translated from the Slovenian

DRAGI SABA

DEAR SABA • Translated from the Slovenian

ON TRANSLATING TOMAŽ ŠALAMUN

THE EMPRESS OF GELATO • After Wallace Stevens

COVERED BRIDGES

ALL HOUSES BURN • December 2025

BALLAD OF THE CUBAN SALSA BAND • Madison, Wisconsin, 1980

WATCHING OVER ME

AFTER THE SERVICE

I START THE DAY WITH GOOD INTENTIONS BUT THEN REMEMBER EVERYTHING

ECHOCARDIOGRAM, OR OPENING MY CHEST TO THE WORLD

THE WAITING ROOM

A TREE IS A NOUN WHOSE VERB IS FALL

HIGHER NOON

IF I DON’T FEED THE BIRDS SOMEONE ELSE WILL

FIRST THE PALM, THEN THE FIRE

SELFIE

WHY HE WON’T TALK ABOUT PRISON

NOW WHAT?

UNLEAVENED

HAND ME OVER

Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize • Robert is our ultimate envoy for the poetic art.

STILL SINGING: A CELEBRATION OF ROBERT PINSKY

U.S.O.

CONVERSATION WITH MAX: MIMESIS

ODE TO MEANING

THE WANT BONE

SHIRT

AT PLEASURE BAY

HISTORY OF MY HEART

DECEMBER BLUES

JUST IN TIME: LEARNING FROM ROBERT PINSKY

Hard Feelings • Things didn’t work out, and now you have the rest of your life to wallow in it.

ON JEALOUSY: STEAMING LIKE A CHRISTMAS HAM

ON HUMILIATION: HUMUS OF THE EARTH

Contributors