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poetry books for sad girls (recs from a poet)
24
items a collection of raw, honest, and deeply relatable poetry—mostly by women and BIPOC writers. these pieces explore everything from heartbreak and healing to identity and existence. all handpicked by me: a neurodivergent, WOC, and published poet :)
Sections
4
love
introspection
classics
contemporary
love
My Girl is the second installment of a poetry series that considers the universal human experience through a neurodivergent lens. Following A Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes, this collection focuses on the dynamic of a tumultuous, interpersonal relations...
My Girl
a raw, emotional collection about love, manipulation, healing, and finding yourself again. if you’ve ever questioned your reality in love, this eels like reading the thoughts you didn’t know how to say out loud. perfect if you’re processing, reflecti...
Love and Gaslight
this collection is perfect for those dipping their toe into poetry, or those who prefer a more modern read. also a great option for those whose native language is not English looking for meaningful, digestible poetry.
Whiskey Words & Shovel Boxed Set Volume 1-3
read this book before u consider settling for the aint shit men.
official description: “Love Letters of Great Men (Volume 2) is a collection of romantic love poems written by leading male historical figures. *** Volume 1 plays a key role in the plo...
Love Letters Of Great Men - Vol. 2
soft, haunting collection of fragments about love, longing, and girlhood from the blueprint lesbian poet. dreamy, ancient, and romantic.
The Complete Poems of Sappho
a poetic mixtape dedicated to those who struggle with their mental health. divided into two parts, “side A” holds 92 poems, titled as “tracks,” and “side B” holds the “remixes,” or blackout-poetry versions, of those 92 poems. touches on grief, ident...
Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back|Paperback
introspection
an amazon top 5 poetry book within a week of release, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes is a poetry collection rooted in the intricate themes of neurodivergence and explores the universality of the human experience. this collection invites readers on a p...
A Girl With Kaleidoscope Eyes
i genuinely wish i could read this for the first time again. absolutely incredible and heart-breaking.
here is the official description: “The Air Year is a time of flight, transition and suspension: signatures scribbled on the sky. Bird's speakers ...
The Air Year
lyrical and layered. blends history, grief, hope, and personal reflection in a way that feels both intimate and expansive. it’s the kind of collection you come back to when you need to feel held and heard.
Call Us What We Carry: Poems
this book was SO good as both a reader and fellow writer.
official description: “Part 1980s and 1990s nostalgia, part exuberant storytelling, I'M SO FINE: A LIST OF FAMOUS MEN & WHAT I HAD ON turns a sharply humorous magnifying glass onto gender...
I'm So Fine: A List of Famous Men & What I Had On
minimal but powerful. each poem feels like a pause to breathe, reflect, and feel. explores love, loss, healing, and growth with quiet honesty. easy to read, but sticks with you.
Clarity & Connection (The Inward Trilogy)
tw: suicide. intense and raw. plath’s poetry here is electric, full of fire, pain, and fierce emotion. it’s a dive into the dark and the beautiful. perfect if you want poems that don’t hold back and force you to confront dark emotions.
Ariel: Restored Edition Facsimile of Plath's Manuscript
classics
perhaps the greatest poet of all time. a classic. beautifully written. the work of rumi most reminds me of the quote “love in it’s essence is spiritual fire.”
official description: “Through his lyrical translations, Coleman Barks has been instrument...
The Essential Rumi, New Expanded Edition
dark, dramatic, for yearners. this has all his classics—ravens, ghosts, lost love vibes. perfect if you like your poetry a little gothic and a little obsessed.
Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe (Signet)
yes, this is children’s poetry. and yes, every adult should remind themselves of this book’s lesson.
The Giving Tree
raw. sharp. impossible to shake. softness mixed with rage, it’s like reading someone’s soul with the skin peeled back.
The Collected Poems
short, strange, and timeless. her poems feels like secrets or confession you were never supposed to read.
Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)
a bit more expansive and romantic about life itself. dreamy, spiritual, and rebellious in its own way.
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, Paperback
contemporary
no words. one of my all-time favorites. puts your shadow self into words. dark, moody, and unapologetically real. explores themes of love, pain, and self-discovery with raw honesty.
Black Book of Poems
this book taught me the importance of perspective in a narrative and how it can be utilized as a literary device.
official description: “Everyone has an image of Laura Li, the most popular girl in school: "stone hearted", "warmhearted", "conceited d...
Split Image
a raw, electric collection that dives deep into love, identity, grief, and resilience. Gibson’s poems are unapologetically queer, feminist, and political, blending personal reflection with universal truths. the kind of book that sees you, holds you, ...
You Better Be Lightning (Button Poetry)
a powerful collection of poetry that delves into the raw emotions of being Black in america. written during 2020, it captures the grief, anger, and resilience felt in the wake of events like the deaths of breonna taylor and george floyd. dr. mcgowan’...
I am The Rage: A Black Poetry Collection
lyrical and deeply human. explores identity, loss, and the beauty in everyday moments. her writing is both accessible and profound. captures the complexities of life with clarity and emotion. resonates on such a personal level.
Bright Dead Things: Poems
a sharp, lyrical response to the U.S. government’s 2009 apology to Native peoples. dissects the language of bureaucracy and colonialism with precision by blending personal reflection with historical reckoning. this collection is challenging and thoug...
WHEREAS: Poems