When you look at me what do you see? Do you see what I am or what I once was. Do you see who I am or do you just see cracks in the clay that make me up? Do you see a person in whole? Or just scratches and imperfections in your own welding; and perhaps those imperfections came from the welder.

Speak to yourself like a coach, not a victim like you’re teaching lightning how to remember its own name. Tell your legs to rise even if they’re shaking, because even earthquakes are just the earth deciding It’s done staying still.

these jokes are old and getting older my humor gets worse as I grow taller touching doorframes on my tiptoes slipping underwater in a summer stream

Carolina blue arrives before the sun fully wakes, resting itself over rooftops and telephone wires, over the slow hush of buses breathing at red lights, over students carrying entire worlds inside their backpacks.

Love me or hate me There’s no in between The look in your eyes Twinkles at the thought of my demise But have you ever thought about what that’d mean

The world is big And we are small But we can make changes

Lined up for vampire service. That’s how I think of it. Today I’m not the one, but my husband is in line to feel the sting of the vampire’s teeth in the form of a steel needle.

Editing and revising are part of the writing lifecycle, and no poem is complete until you have given it the editorial attention it deserves. There are lit mags and presses out there that explicitly say in the submission guidelines not to send them your 4 a.m. first drafts. While we all enjoy a hot take every now and then, there’s some wisdom to exercising a little restraint and sitting with your words until after sunrise.

What is voice in poetry? It’s a mixture of factors like tone, diction, and style, which combine to create a unique way of writing that belongs to a particular artist. When you think of Shakespearean sonnets, you probably have a voice in mind and are thinking of the iambic pentameter and vernacular he used. While we certainly don’t suggest trying to sound like Shakespeare, we do have some pointers for finding out what works best for you in your verse.

North Carolina is home to poets both past and present worth your attention if you haven’t read them yet. We are taking a closer look at key poets in our state’s history and talking about why you need to check them out. Then, we’ll introduce some current big players in the state’s poetry scene and where you can find them when they’re not at their desks writing more verse for us to enjoy.

This week kicks off National Poetry Month and North Carolina does not disappoint with its many events. We can’t possibly cover them all, but we’ve compiled a list of some of the most exciting National Poetry Months events and contests across the state for you to check out bel

I have this habit of picking off bits of me I bite the inside of my lips tear away tiny pieces I used to spit them out now I swallow them deep

Poet, musician, and teaching artist Dasan Ahanu took the time to answer Ink & Oak’s questions via email. He is a talented spoken word poet and integral to the local Durham poetry community. Let’s get into the influences behind his inspiring work and the vision he has for continuing that work in 2026.