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A Poem a Month

An opportunity to receive a poem in your inbox each month.

“It allows us to cherish what we’re given,” poet, Naomi Shihab Nye, says of poetry in a recently rebroadcast conversation with Krista Tippett.

Poetry allows us to cherish what we’re given. Whether it be a heartbreak, a second chance, a soft morning mist, a moment or…an onion, poetry, with its impossible-seeming combination of soft lens and precision, brings to our awareness that which might otherwise go unseen, unrecognized, un-cherished. Poetry opens us to life, to surprise, to shadow, to beauty, to insight.

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As you may have recognized by our frequent posting and references, we love to share poetry that resonates with our values here at gratefulness.org. April is National Poetry Month and it is with happy hearts that we celebrate and share the value of poetry by offering you an opportunity to receive a poem each month in your inbox. We have provided this service for some time for our monthly donors but it has become clear to us that our world might be well-served by more of us engaging with poetry. To this end, we are reminded of the words of William Carlos Williams in “Asphodel, That Greeny Flower”:   

It is difficult
to get the news from poems
             yet men die miserably every day
                                   for lack
of what is found there.

Poetry offers a different kind of news. News of a world that it is much vaster, more intimate, connected and whole than we might learn about from other sources; a world in which we cherish what we’re given, who we are, and who we might become.

More on poetry and gratefulness:

Remembering Ourselves Whole Again: How Poetry Speaks from the Heart of Gratefulness – a blog by Dale Biron. “…great poems help us re–member and re-connect ourselves to ourselves, to others, and to the great other.”

Odes to Everyday Things – a collection of poems celebrating everyday wonders. Odes written by our community here at gratefulness.org. You can download the collection as a PDF or read as an eBook.

A Fierce and Enduring Gratitude: How Poetry Supports Us In Good Times and Bad – an on-demand eCourse that explores poems as wise and timeless tools that can support us on our path to gratitude, happiness and joy.

O Gaia: Nature and the Poetic Intuition – an essay by Br. David Steindl-Rast. “Poetry gives us access to those reasons of the heart which reason cannot fathom. Only the poet within each of us has eyes for the inherent sacredness of nature.”

Poems – our poetry collection includes writing from Jane Hirshfield, Alberto Ríos, David Whyte, Lisel Mueller,  Rumi,  Emily Dickinson and many others. Our gratefulness for poets and poetry knows no bounds!

We’d love to hear what poems allow YOU to cherish what you’re given. Please share below…

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  • Brittany
    I just finished listening to that podcast with Naomi and Krista last week. I was so moved by hearing her recite her own poetry and knowing the background stories of them. I haven’t been a lover of poetry for long…but lately…it just moves me. Thank you for this offering!
    • Saoirse
      Thanks for your comment, Brittany. Yes, we too loved the conversation between KT and NSN – warm, rich and inspiring. And it’s interesting to hear that you have found yourself drawn to poetry lately. You are not alone as it turns out. We’ve been hearing from many others who are finding comfort, insight and clarity through poetry. Perhaps you will find this article from today’s NYTimes of interest. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/magazine/tracy-k-smith-believes-america-needs-a-poetry-cu...
      Thanks for your comment, Brittany. Yes, we too loved the conversation between KT and NSN – warm, rich and inspiring. And it’s interesting to hear that you have found yourself drawn to poetry lately. You are not alone as it turns out. We’ve been hearing from many others who are finding comfort, insight and clarity through poetry. Perhaps you will find this article from today’s NYTimes of interest. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/10/magazine/tracy-k-smith-believes-america-needs-a-poetry-cure.html
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  • Ed Schulte
    Here is a poem, it is actually… A reply DASKALOS gave to a participant in the audience after she asked why her efforts to effect a “healing” on another person didn’t cause what she intended. It came out poetically and made it easier to explain to her that she / and any other Human / cannot be a “Healers” but they can to an instrument / channel / by which the Holy Spirit and Logos can do their work if it is karmically appropriate on that other person. I take free, I give fre...
    Here is a poem, it is actually… A reply DASKALOS gave to a participant in the audience after she asked why her efforts to effect a “healing” on another person didn’t cause what she intended. It came out poetically and made it easier to explain to her that she / and any other Human / cannot be a “Healers” but they can to an instrument / channel / by which the Holy Spirit and Logos can do their work if it is karmically appropriate on that other person. I take free, I give free, And God is looking after me.” DASKALOS ( London, 1993 04 25 )
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  • grateful sea
    Last week (Easter week), two signs of spring — return of the kingfisher to a farm pond nearby and first sighting of a dragonfly all golden in the sunlight — brought me back to a long beloved poem, As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Gerard Manley Hopkins. I was delighted to find a very moving recitation/video of it (by Evan Koons) right here on the gratefulness website. Thank you for providing this link! Truly, I continue to be surprised and enriched by the beautiful collection of ...
    Last week (Easter week), two signs of spring — return of the kingfisher to a farm pond nearby and first sighting of a dragonfly all golden in the sunlight — brought me back to a long beloved poem, As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Gerard Manley Hopkins. I was delighted to find a very moving recitation/video of it (by Evan Koons) right here on the gratefulness website. Thank you for providing this link! Truly, I continue to be surprised and enriched by the beautiful collection of poetry (and reflections on poetry) offered here. You do an amazing job, dear Gratefulness Team! I also want to say that Dale Biron’s e-course A Fierce and Enduring Gratitude was a joy. Finally, I especially treasure Brother David’s thoughts on poetry and so was even more delighted this past week to find here his essay titled O Gaia: Nature and the Poetic Intuition, which I will reread and reread and share, I am sure. His explanation of the vow of ‘stabilitas loci’ helps me cherish the particular circumstances of my life at this time; so I take this in as an affirmation, “When you can’t go far, go deep.” My heart overflows with gratitude for all of this.
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    • Saoirse
      Thank you for your reflections and generous appreciation, dear Grateful Sea. It warms my heart to hear that you are taking delight and comfort in your discoveries on our site – wonderful. And thank you for surfacing “O Gaia: Nature and the Poetic Intuition,” a rich find and a good reminder. I have added it above to our list of poetic resources. Love that you loved Dale’s course and all else. May these treasures continue to enrich your life. Thank you!

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