Resistance, Rebellion, Life: 50 Poems Now

The editor of this volume of poetry believes that poets are the antithesis of Donald Trump, in the sense that poets refine their phrases and words are important to them. Trump speaks without thinking. This point of view is an interesting concept to hang a collection of contemporary poetry around. The impetus for this volume is a sestina that won a poetry contest and is, incidentally, one of the best poems in this collection. It is called “Swearing the Oath” and is about the naturalization of an immigrant. Another brilliant poem is “The Elephant in the Room.” While a Robert Pinksy poem is included in this collection, many of the poets were unknown to me.

I would imagine that it’s difficult to write poetry to order, and many poems did seem forced to me. However, at this important time in history, it is important to speak out in resistance to oppression. There are no more valuable voices than those of our poets. The size of this book makes it a good take-along book for reading on the run.