poetry in time of plague
poetry that speaks to experiences with HIV/AIDS across the years
“My T cells are strewn about the leaves of a mighty tree, like the hair of an old man, like the stars of a collapsing universe.”
- essex hemphill, vital signs
created by aliyahmk
last updated August, 2026
Comments
what a beautiful concept for a list! i <3 danez smith
I've been going through some of the lists you've made and omg you seem so cool !! also this is an amazing list :)
aliyahmkOP
oh thank you so much!! by your taste in books i assume you are also cool!
oh, this is beautiful 🥹
aliyahmkOP
so glad you appreciate the list <3 i did get very emotional putting this together and feeling the profound love and resistance offered by so many of these poems
yes! this epidemic was/is a long and hard struggle for many communities. i am glad they were able to express their experiences, their love towards their community, and their resistance against oppression through poetry 🥹
