Five contemporary poetry collections, written by and for LGBTQ+ people

1. Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell - This is just one part of a brilliant four-part series of poems written by a queer writer from Sydney, Australia. Adorned with the cutest little jellyfish drawings, this collection features ten sections that are separated by a range of sentiments and feelings. In general, the poems are about heartbreak, love, and raw emotion. Peppernell encourages people to read the different sections when they need them the most, rather than in order from front to back. For context, the first section is titled, “If you are dreaming of someone,” and the second to last section is titled, “If you need a reason to stay.” This was the first collection of poetry I ever purchased and it still resonates with me so deeply. I truly cannot recommend it enough. 

2. Take Me With You by Andrea Gibson - This collection was first published in 2018, right after I graduated high school and right after I came out to my family. During such a terrifying time in my life, Gibson’s (they/them) poetry spoke directly to my soul. Broken into three parts, this book discusses love, gender, politics, family, sexuality, and forgiveness. Many of the individual poems also feature illustrations from artist Sarah J. Coleman, and each one only enhances the words that it accompanies. Within this collection, reader’s see genuine love, heartbreak, fear, anger, hope, longing, and so much more. For those interested, Gibson is also an outstanding spoken/slam poet. Their work always strives to deconstruct gender norms, politics, and more, and they are an exceptional example of what queer theory strives to accomplish. 

3. yesterday i was the moon by Noor Unnahar - Yet another powerful collection of poetry, this book has uneven and ragged edges--quite literally, the pages are unevenly cut and I don’t know if that was intentional but I would like to think that it was an artistic choice. The writer is a young Pakistani woman who is also a multi-medium artist, and she explains that all of her art is laced with poetry. The poems follow a path from teenager to adulthood, while also grappling with love, emotional loss, heritage, broken homes, self discovery, and cultural background. This collection also transcends any concept of normal and whether it’s a two-line or a thirty-line poem, there is something for everyone in her words. 

4. DROPKICK romance by Cyrus Parker - This collection is implicitly divided into two sections, with the first half featuring poems about a toxic, long-distance relationship and the latter half detailing the journey of learning to love again. With such candor, this collection highlights the realities of violence and emotional abuse in queer relationships, which tends to be a taboo subject in contemporary discussion. If y’all are interested in a funny quirk about the author, they are a self-described “pro-wrestler-turned-poet” and outside of their writing, they hope to “dropkick the gender binary.” Circling back though, within these poems, Parker’s words illustrate the progression from pure exhaustion and devastation to optimism and confidence. It is a must read for anyone who has suffered at the hands of a harmful relationship.   

5. Junk by Tommy Pico - This book is a single poem, rather than a collection, and it is written as a stream-of-consciousness. It breaks all the rules of poetry and it explores queerness and the intersections of being an indigenous person. Between discussions surrounding queerness, politics, cultural erasure, and more, Pico finds room to still mention Janet Jackson and chili cheese Fritos (which will make way more sense after reading). I specifically recommend this book to queer and questioning men and nonbinary people of color, this poem was meant for them. One piece that resonated with me was his mention of the dangers associated with online dating for LGBTQ+ people and how healthy skepticism can be life saving, especially for underage queer folks. Other than that one note, I would argue that this book is best read without a summary because no description will ever do it justice. Truly a brilliant piece of work.