
If 2017 was a poem, what would you call it?

This was the question Tabia Yapp ― the founder of BEOTIS, a boutique agency that represents leading writers, speakers and multidisciplinary artists of color ― posed to a group of contemporary poets she admired.
The open-ended question provided respondents with ample space to play. Some poets answered the prompt in two words, while others filled up pages, all while attempting to describe a time categorized by so much fear, anger, hope, action and love.
We’re only two months into 2017. At times, it feels like the year has already stretched beyond its 12-month boundaries. Yet at the same time, 2017 still doesn’t feel quite real. Just as Black History Month comes to a close, the following poets are helping us make sense of this uncertain moment in history, using language as a guide.
Behold, 34 poets of color summarize 2017 in verse*:
more recommended stories
Alex Jones slams ‘grossly inaccurate’ reporting on custody battle
In light of the InfoWars host’s.
Step Inside The Technicolor World Of The International Church Of Cannabis
Caution: May induce a “transcendental experience.”
The First House Antoni Gaudí Ever Designed Is Now An Incredible Museum
It’s no Sagrada Família, but it.
Native American Art Gets Its Rightful Place In The Metropolitan Museum Of Art
This is a historic and long.
Happy 50th Anniversary To ‘The Outsiders,’ The Book That Created A Genre
At 15 years old, S.E. Hinton.