The Healing Power of a Poem

“Poetry is a life-cherishing force …. For poems are not words, after all, but fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, and something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.”   Mary Oliver, poet:  A Poetry Handbook

One of the places where I, paradoxically, feel most grounded, interconnected, and “at home” is when I am standup paddleboarding, even (or perhaps especially) when I am paddling alone.  That time on the water surrounded by the sights, sounds, scents and rhythms of the natural world awakens and enlivens my spirit and speaks to my soul. 

While paddling, I have become quite enamored by the semi-annual migration ritual of Canadian geese.  There is something quite mystical about having geese flying over me in formation while on the water, and as I muse from where they come and to where they are going, I am left wondering the same about myself.  Such has been the case for me recently during their annual spring migration.  

Another “place” that can powerfully ground, connect, and awaken me is when I immerse myself in a poem that speaks to something deep inside.   When that occurs, poems can become a form of “healing art” – medicine for my soul.      

These two aspects merge for me in the poem “Wild Geese” by the poet Mary Oliver, which is shared below.   As you read it, consider the following questions:

  • What are some words, phrases, or images that speak to you and “where” do they speak to you?

  • Are there any emotions that bubble up for you?  If so, give them a name.  Any memories?

  • What are some places that feel like “home” to you?

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

This week, consider a poem that has spoken to you over the years, and share it as well as what it has meant to you with your PeerRxMed partner.  Afterall, tapping into some “life-cherishing force” is something we could all use more of and sharing that force becomes a double bonus!

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The Life-Changing Practice of Setting Intention

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Is It Really Empathy That We’re After?