This extract from an Emily Dickinson poem is pinned to my inspiration board above my PC:
"Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops - at all."
My favorite:
I’m Only Human
Dear Self,
You are only human.
You are not perfect,
and really if you were,
how absolutely dreadful that would be.
But Self,
do remember,
that you are not defined by your imperfections,
you are not ruled nor controlled,
merely challenged.
Think of it this way,
you now have a chance to be better than you were,
you now have a chance to understand more about yourself,
people around you,
and the world as a whole.
So in essence what separates the wise,
from those who pretty much take themselves too seriously,
is your reaction to yourself.
Lighten up.
You’re not all that bad.
You’re actually really good.
So when you look in the mirror,
and notice all the blemishes,
smile and say,
this too shall pass.
After all,
you are only human.
Not exactly poetry, but a quote I came across via Criminal Minds!
" What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us".
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
For a variety of reasons, this really resonates with me, and is currently a bit of a source of comfort, and it feels realistic. Also resonates a wee bit I guess with some of the hindu and buddhist spirituality that I’m learning via yoga.
I write poetry - not about my cancer though. I have been writing for many years it is a fantastic way to get rid of those demons that go around in your head.
Poppy xx