Small Poems

Small Poems

The work of Nayyirah Waheed

Discovered on Instagram, Nayyirah Waheed has made a career of writing short, minimalist poems.  

“there/ are/ feelings. / you haven’t felt yet./ give them time./ they are almost here.”

"I will tell you, my daughter / of your worth / not your beauty / everyday (your beauty is a given. every being is born beautiful) / knowing your worth/ can save your life."

“all the black women. in me. are tired”

At first they might appear as a small stack of words, a scattering of ask after a fire. Though small they are mighty, weighty, have relevance.

“sometimes the night wakes in/ the middle of me./ and/ I can do nothing/ but/ become/the/ moon.

I first read about Nayyirah Waheed HERE. Check her iout and her self-published volume, salt.

And, why not, try to compose a very short poem . . .