8 Poetry Books to Add to Your Reading List

With poetry being one of my passions, I don't just write it, I am also an avid reader of it. You can always find me in the poetry section of any book store thumbing through collections trying to make the difficult decision on which books will be going home with me that day. I read more poetry than any other genre of books. They help to keep me inspired, especially during times when I feel my creative juices are at their lowest and I need the extra boost to get me back to writing. Below is a small list of books I've read that left a lasting impression in my heart and ones I find myself going back to enjoy the words again and again. Since these books have made an impact on me and inspired some of my writing along the way, I thought I would share these gems with you as well. I will be sharing more of my reading lists in the future so be sure to be on the lookout for those.

1. Rumi: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing

2. The Essential Rumi

3. The Essential June Jordan

4. Harlem Shadows

5. The Essential Etheridge Knight

6. The Flame: Poems, Notebooks, Lyrics, Drawings

7. Die or Live Trying

8. Velvet Hounds