What Poems Do You Love?

Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things

- from "Kindness" by Naomi Shihab Nye

For the past few days, I've been reading Kim Rosen's book, Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words, in preparation to interview her for the Arts and Healing Podcast.

In Saved by a Poem, Rosen talks about the healing power of reading, speaking, and memorizing poems. You can read a short piece on Oprah.com about how Naomi Shihab Nye's poem, "Kindness," carried Rosen through losing all of her savings in 2008.

I'm loving the book, and have been inspired to dig out favorite poems from my twenties by Alice Walker, Sharon Olds, Adrienne Rich, and James Merrill.  Now, I'm on the hunt for new poems to love in my forties.

What poems do you love?  What poets have accompanied you through difficult times? Have you ever been, "saved by a poem?"

For a little inspiration, here's the awesome Maya Angelou reciting "Still I Rise."

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