…as William Stafford suggests in For My Young Friends, it is only by allowing our fears in, by bending with them instead of trying rigidly to ignore them, that we can grow. Our fears are always on the edge of our vision, with us whether we acknowledge them or not. By understanding them better we can also understand ourselves. Fears are our motivations just as much as desires are. They are what makes us who we are, and what keeps us safe.
Sometimes it helps to have a little poetry medicine to help us through our fears or at those times we are in grief and may need some comfort. A healing word at just such a time can calm and soothe us. Just such a collection has been published under the name The Poetry Pharmacy. I have just ordered my copy and done some internet research on it. The following article gives insight into the motivation of the compiler, William Sieghart and his own experiences of the power of poetry medicine.
I am sharing it in the hopes to bring the idea of poetry as medicine before a wider audience. Writing poetry can provide a door way into our own soul and heart, but sometimes reading a poem that resonates with us is a lot like being comforted by a friend and may make us feel less isolated and alone in knowing someone else has been there too. It may also provide wisdom or a different take on what we are struggling with. I hope some find this helpful.
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170927-the-words-that-can-make-us-calmer
Emerging From The Dark Night 