Hello Beloveds! So, you’ve been having all the feels? Anxiety, anger, confusion, sadness, fear – overwhelmed by grief and our cray-cray crazy current state of affairs? I hear you, friends!

These big, dramatic moments unfolding around us can serve as major distractions, right?

Well today I want to invite you to try something new. Let’s go find a quiet nook. Let’s strip things down, power down our cell phones, and remember that life’s most simple and sincere moments often serve to comfort and console us. This is why I love poetry!

Poetry is that familiar bridge that connects us with ourselves and with others. Poetry is the balm that heals the wounds of grief and loneliness. Whether it’s a handful of sentences or just a few simple words – within those words you may find a cozy new friend or rediscover an old one. In poetry’s world, you are never alone.

And it’s because no one is exempt from feelings of grief and loneliness that poetry is universal – it spans across time and space. Through the artistic work of others, we can keep each other company in the most frightening moments. When a crisis like the Covid pandemic arrives and pulls back the curtain, we suddenly see ourselves for who we really are: mere mortals afraid of our own demise.

When I’m out on the streets of Manhattan, in an ocean of masked faces, I can see people’s anxiety expressed in their eyes. They are afraid. Afraid to come close. Afraid to get sick. Afraid of losing the people they love.

I, too, am afraid of losing the people I love! And when the fear of loss becomes overwhelming, I turn to words. Words and poetry have always been my jam, since the age of three.

Poetry isn’t about academia or form – at least not in my eyes. Rather, poetry is about people. About connection. Poetry reflects and defines the human condition. In some of my darkest moments, the lyricism and prose in poetry have been a source of inner strength.

So no matter what the heck is happening outside of us, nor out in the world, poetry wants to be our friend! 🙂

I’m sharing here five poems that I adore, which have helped me feel more connected and less alone. These poems fill my lungs with air, they make my heart soar, and I hope they’ll inspire you, too!