Poetry and quotes to comfort, inspire and motivate

Poetry and quotes (c) KarinSieger.com

Poetry and quotes can often help us through difficult times, provide comfort, inspire and motivate. I would like to share with you a round-up of some of the beautiful contributions received from the global Twitter community. 

These words of wisdom are old or contemporary, by the more or less famous, by people we know or don’t. Each contribution also carries in itself a personal story, which, even if not told here, I would like to recognise and express my gratitude for your generosity.

 

 

Ida Linse from the Netherlands shares 2 poems, which remind us that perspective can give freedom.

 

 

About: Ida Linse, Marijke Bruining, boek #mindfulness bij #kanker, BOOM uitgevers, #meditatie #cancer #onlinetraining. facebook.com/mindfulnessbij

Amsterdam-Deventer-Ermelo

mindfulnessbijkanker.nl

 

 

Will Aylward from Germany shares powerful encouragement for us all.

 

About Will: I’m a Coach and RTT practitioner who helps stuck people feel free and empowered without stress and struggle. Trier, Germany. willaylward.com

 

 

Kavyasiddhi of Kava Counselling in Manchester, UK shares Mary Oliver's thoughts about some of our profound human struggles.

 

Twilight Sunrise Lake by Hansbenn via Pixabay

Kavyasiddhi has also very generously recorded the poem for us and explains what it means to her and the work she does. The reading is included in my Soul Cravings podcast episode on “Why writing and reading is good for you” embedded in the bottom section of this article.

About: Counsellor with a Buddhist background. Member of @CounsellingNW

Manchester, England, kavacounselling.com

 

 

Alison Smith from Birmingham, UK, includes the reassuring words of Julian of Norwich. She wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language to be written by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love.

 

About Alison: Our star signs are perfect for each of us & the planets are beautifully aligned. #astrology #horoscope #planets

Birmingham, England alisontheastrologer.com

 

 

Taryn from South Africa shares some wisdom about why our fear does not define who we are. She has also kindly recorded a reading of this poem, which I find very moving.

 

Beach Person by FreePhotos via Pixabay

Taryn has also recorded this poems. The reading is included in my Soul Cravings podcast episode on “Why writing and reading is good for you” embedded in the bottom section of this article.

About Taryn: Writer | Programmer | Data Fiend |#Dragon #Thunder #Coffee

South Africa dragonscodex.net

 

Victoria from Manchester, UK, reminds us that meaningful thoughts don't need to be complex.

 

About Victoria: Founder and managing director of strategic PR and communications agency . , MCIPR and former solicitor.

 

 

Peter from Bude, England, contributes a beautiful favourite about hope, feather-light yet reliable and strong.

 

About Peter: #HealthyFood, #exercise, #education, #SelfKnowledge, creating #wholeness.

Bude Little England, Nr Europe pjforguk.blogspot.com/search/label/w…

 

 

Gary from the Wildest Cumbria in the UK reminds us of the importance of connecting to our ancestors. He has also kindly recorded these words for us. And he shares a very special moment when he engages with them.

 

Long Meg and her daughters (c) Gary Liggett

Gary reads the poem and shares a special moment with us spent with Long Meg and her daughters, a stone circle in Cumbria – all included in my Soul Cravings podcast episode on “Why writing and reading is good for you” embedded in the bottom section of this article.

About Gary: English film maker, author & poet | Work held in permanent collections, MoMA, New York and The Wordsworth Trust, England, Wildest Cumbria

 

 

Kathryn from Cardiff in Wales shares the importance of heartfelt togetherness.

About Kathryn: #MBACP #Counsellor, Clinical Supervisor. She/her. Interested in spirituality, self-compassion and resilience.Views are mine retweets are not. Cardiff, Wales

 

 

At a time of intense grief Maryanne from British Columbia in Canada turned to Robert Frost.

 

 

About: A Widow’s Awakening, by Maryanne Pope, is a creative non-fiction book about the on-duty death of her police officer husband. 2000 copies sold. #gopinkgazelle

British Columbia pinkgazelle.com

 

 

Judy Claughton from the South East of England reminds us of the power of positive thinking.

 

 

About Judy: A bit of work and bit of play adds balance to make Judy smile. Chat on wellbeing at work, marketing/ PR, meditation and finding inspiration for work & life.

South East, England balancetime.co.uk

 

 

Aedin from Boston, Massachusetts shares very private words of encouragement.

 

 

About Aedin: Computational oncology, , biostatistics, #rstats, R, @bioconductor, women in STEM, parents in STEM, a bit of rugby, Tweets are my own

 

Wendelien from Hampshire UK reminds us of the words of Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913.

 

 

About Wendelien: Palliative & Bereavement Counsellor & Supervisor, Soul Midwife, Death Cafe facilitator, Reiki, Co-Author Grief Book, Kidney transplant supporter in chief.

 

 

Naomi from Australia brings Rumi's beautiful and powerful 'The Guest House' to our round today.

 

About Naomi: Social Worker & Researcher: Palliative Care, Grief & Bereavement, Caregivers, Rural Health. Music Therapy background.

NE Victoria, Australia

 

 

Vasiliki adds a personal note of classical Greek philosophy.

 

 

About Vasiliki: Positive psychology #advocate. Extraordinary people expand our awareness and nurture our #Authenticity. teacher.  lifelong #learner

Greece

 

 

Ma Baker from South West London, UK, share their business maxim.

 

 

About Ma Baker: Fulham microbakery & Bread School, #TripAdvisor number 1 Class in London #GreatTasteAwards 3* winner #WorldBreadAward Gold. Top 5 London Baker #EveningStandard

SW6. LONDON mabaker.london

 

 

To round off, Ilene from Silicone Valley shares 3 poems reminding us of gratitude and what it's all about.

 

 

 

 

About Ilene: #Surviving #breastcancer#metastaticbreastcancer Rx de novo ‘15 #survivor #cancerpatient#stage4needsmore #Etsy #Vintage shop @YeuxDeux, #poet #blogger

Silicon Valley, CA cancerbus.com

 

 

Listen to my podcast 'Soul Cravings'

The episode on ‘Why writing and reading are good for you’ includes some beautiful poetry readings by contributors to this article.

 

Image by congerdesign via Pixabay

4 Comments

  1. Thank you for including the voices singing words that inspire me and lift my spirits. It’s not ironic that as writers we read and find sometimes the most apropos to express what we cannot with an economy of words. As I get older I’ve added Robert Frost to my list of favorite poets. It’s a long way from university where I studied the romantic poets and novelists both British and American. Who knew this would provide cold comfort in times of terminal illness. Perhaps the messages of Love in the Time of Cholera can resonate too, as they once had no meaning that I could fit into a life with meaning derived from work. I’m not a new or a better me better off by way of cancer. I’m just as good as before but derive meaning from more spiritually infused origins.

    I throughly enjoyed reading poetic inspirations from other people. Thank you so much for bringing words together visa vis the magically connected global network of voices to sing harmoniously in a choir of hope. You’re, “like totally awesome,” as they say in California.

    ?
    Ilene

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