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Poetry

Against a red and white striped fabric background reminiscent of a vintage tablecloth, a painted illustration shows a half-eaten apple core and three whole red apples. The core reveals pale flesh within its reddish-brown exterior, while the whole apples display subtle green undertones in their deep red coloring, creating a poignant scene that reflects Carrie Green's poem about family memories and grief through food symbolism.

Eating Apples

A family memory—as small as how Uncle Buck ate an apple—connects generations, even through loss and grief.

By Carrie Green /
Weathered hands wash dishes at a sink, with strong fingers gripping a sponge and glass under running water. The intimate close-up captures the raw authenticity of Lucinda Zoe's Appalachian poetry, echoing mountain family stories through the daily rituals that define faith up in coal country.

Not One Single Scar

Through vivid imagery and raw emotion, Zoe explores the complexities of faith, family, and identity in the heart of coal country.

By Lucinda Zoe /

I Was a Ferry Among the Stars

A poignant exploration of grief, memory, and the enduring connection to lost loved ones. In the streets of a city haunted by absence, solace is found in the eternal presence of those who have passed.

By Christian J. Collier /
A stylized Southern Appalachian winter landscape illustration in shades of turquoise and white. Inspired by the words of poet Christ Wood, a full moon dominates the night sky, surrounded by concentric circular halos. Snow-covered trees with black trunks frame the scene, their branches laden with white snow. Snowflakes fall throughout the image, creating a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere. The composition curves upward toward the moon, creating a sense of movement and drawing the eye skyward through the snowy forest.

Dear Winter

Deep in the heart of the season, this Tennessee poet tells winter to bring it on.

By Chris Wood /

When the World Opens Up

Christian J. Collier, a rising voice in Southern poetry, explores loss, faith, and the complexities of Black identity in the South. His work challenges traditional masculinity and interrogates the divine.

By Andy Fogle /
Hands holding vertical wooden studs as they raise the wall of a new house, against a blue sky background, with light-colored lumber arranged in a parallel pattern. Multiple pairs of hands are visible gripping the wooden beams.

Why We Keep Building Houses

South Carolina poet Ray McManus maps what matters in this tribute to the late president.

By Ray McManus /

The Poetry Editor’s Favorite Poems

Our poetry editor picks his favorite poems from Salvation South in 2024.

By Andy Fogle /
A moody landscape painting depicting a misty lake at night, with dark silhouettes of trees framing the scene. A full moon glows through cloudy skies, casting an ethereal light over the water, creating an atmospheric, serene image of a place that is perfect for nightswimming, and the perfect accompaniment for this piece of Southern nature poetry.

Lake Purdy

Seething with new life, the whole cosmos is present around this one body of water, where the young people are nightswimming.

By Elizabeth S. Gunn /
A layered coconut cake with white frosting on a blue-rimmed plate, served on a decorative doily with a silver cake server. The cake is completely covered in shredded coconut and is three layers tall.

The Cakes of Your Grandmothers

Originally from Tennessee, a longtime Florida educator considers hunger, place, and memory.

By Lisa Roney /
Watercolor painting of tree roots and rivers framed by delicate spring foliage, with sunlight filtering through leafy branches onto rippling blue-gray water.

Roots and Rivers

Kentucky poet David Cazden explores the intricate connections between memory, nature, and the passage of time in two vivid and evocative verses.

By David Cazden /
Gas pump nozzles in green and black stand ready at a fuel station, their chrome accents gleaming against a soft-focus background of summer foliage.

At the Gas Pump

From lottery tickets to bluebells, a Tennessee poet captures the crux of American life at the pump.

By Keith Gorman /
Umbrellas representing how we care for our children even when times are hard.

Quietly Waiting for Catastrophe

Sometimes the mind goes to grim places. Sometimes that’s what makes us hold onto each other a little bit tighter.

By Spencer K. M. Brown /