Poetry: A First Aid Kit for the Soul

Poetry is a great ally in moments of great love and joy, but also of despair. She knows a select list of poems for those gray days.
Poetry: A First Aid Kit for the Soul
Sergio De Dios González

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist Sergio De Dios González.

Last update: 24 October, 2023

Poetry is without a doubt the medicine of the soul. It’s a comfort, a refuge of peace, and a way to feel like we’re not alone in the world.

Throughout history, many people have written words that we can identify with. And this is priceless; universal  feelings  never go out of style.

Through poetry, we can unload our emotions if we’re the ones writing it, or we can touch the soul of the person who reads it, which can serve to help them.

We can all have our own poetry first aid kits full of our favorite poems. Poems that we identify with and that we can read when we’re alone with a cup of tea or looking at the ocean.

Here, we offer you a little first aid in the form of poetry. We hope you like it!

Never lose hope. You can always start over.

“Start again
even though you feel like your strength is gone

Start again
even though you feel like you’ve ran out of goals
and you have no dreams left to fulfill
Take hold of them again and start to achieve them
…”
-Mario Benedetti, “Start Again”-

 

There are always stones in the path, not just for you, but for everyone. Sure, there will be times when you feel weak, and you’ll have sad days…but always remember that “nothing bad lasts for 100 years.

Every difficulty, every adversity is an opportunity to keep growing.

We shouldn’t hide away because of fear.

“Traveler, the path is made
of your footprints, nothing more;
Traveler, there is no path,
the path is made by walking.”

-Antonio Machado, “Traveler, There Is No Path”-

Remaining seated on the sofa out of fear of living, discovering, going through disappointments…If we do that, we’ll have a life without suffering, but we’ll also have lost many wonderful things in the process.

Go out and discover everything that’s waiting for you on the long path of life.

mountain road

Above all else, we should seek to be happy.

“I have committed the worst of all sins
that man can commit. I have not been
happy. The glaciers of oblivion
drag me along and then lose me, ruthless.”

-Jorge Luis Borges, “Remorse”-

It’s true, we should be happy above all else. Or at least we should try…when the storms come, we should confront them with integrity and strength, the inner strength that helps and protects us. But when the storms pass, we should try to be happy, happy with the little things.

Enjoy, feel, laugh…it would be a shame if you regretted the passing of years, thinking that you could have been much happier.

Simply swapping the people who never supported you for people who make you happy, taking the reins of your life in a given moment, and changing situations that you don’t like can make you happier.

Happiness is also an attitude towards life!

Love hurts sometimes.

“I don’t love her, it’s true, but how much I loved her
My voice looked for the wind to touch her ear…

I don’t love her anymore, it’s true, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, and forgetting is so long.”

-Pablo Neruda, “Poem 20”-

Heartbreak is hard to explain, although there are many great poems that put words to our feelings in an unrivaled way.

So if you’re suffering from heartbreak, read a poem and you’ll feel like you’re not alone, like many people have gone through the same thing. You’ll certainly feel much more reassured and comforted.

Don’t cling to the past.

“Don’t cling to the past, or to sad memories.
Don’t open the wound that has already healed.
Don’t relive old pain and suffering.
Whatever happened, happened…
Be like the sun that’s reborn every day,
Without thinking about the night that just passed.”
-Miguel de Unamuno, “Be Like the Sun”-

 

Is it possible to put more truth into such few words? It’s true, we shouldn’t cling to the past. The past is the past. Don’t put yourself in a spiral of negative thoughts. Work on your emotional intelligence.

Let’s focus on the present and on taking advantage of every moment of every day!


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.