Helium by Rudy Fransisco

This is one book I always recommend to people who are trying to love (modern) poetry. Rudy’s language in Helium is so simplistic yet gorgeous.

Ariel by Sylvia Plath

Ariel is a haunting wade through the mind of the late Pulitzer winner. On my nihilistic days, I return to the collection; it dwindles that feeling of aloneness.

Autopsy by Donte Collins

Donte’s voice—whether grieving or protesting—hits me like a fist. You don’t have to experience their grief before you feel the emotions each poem is designed to stir up.

Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar

By a poet I adore so much, there’s a lot I love in this largely confessional work—the surreal imageries and metaphors leave me stunned each time. Here’s a short excerpt from my favourite poem in the collection: “sometimes I feel beautiful and near dying / like a feather on an arrow shot through a neck”

Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

I always go back marvelling at how elegant Ocean writes, and the way he talks about the body with so much devotion. Oh, it’s also perfect for Poetry Twitter, thanks to it’s numerous quotables.

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Samuel Adeyemi is a young writer from Nigeria. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Palette Poetry, Frontier Poetry, 580 Split, The Shore, African Writer, The African Writers Review, Jalada, and elsewhere. When he is not writing, he enjoys watching anime and listening to a variety of music. You may reach him on Twitter and Instagram @samuelpoetry

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