Poetry to Remind You That You'll Be Okay
Everything is temporary
Last week, I shared how, when I was writing Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately, I didn’t realize I was writing about mental health in a way that would connect with so many people. I was just trying to put my feelings somewhere. My mom always said that reading the book made her feel hopeful.
Maybe that’s because it’s full of reminders that what we feel—especially the heavy stuff—is often temporary. Sadness passes. Uncertainty quiets. Even the loneliest moments can open into something lighter.
It won’t always feel this heavy. It won’t always feel like you’re stuck. And it won’t always feel bad. Sometimes (maybe not right away, and maybe just for a little while) it’ll even feel good. The kind of good you didn’t think you’d feel again. The kind of good that sneaks up on you and stays.
I hope these excerpts from my debut poetry book meet you where you are and help you remember that good comes back around.
Excerpts from Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately:
"The strongest people I know are not strong by definition, at all. They are mistake-makers. They are mess-creators. They are survivors." -Track 6 "You are not okay. You are not fine. But you will be. When I say, you will be okay, I do not mean you will wake up one day and be the same person you were before the pain. Pain changes a person. But, you will discover a new version of yourself." -Track 17 "Be proud. You are removing yourself to better yourself and you will stand on your own two feet again eventually. So crawl, walk, or run; the “how” doesn’t matter. Your new life is waiting for you." -Track 46 "There is an empowerment uncorked in grief. Pain might make you stronger, but it will make you a lot of other things first. Maybe at its worst, it will temporarily destroy you; but, maybe, at its best, it will become your superpower." -Track 61 "This is not a classic underdog story; I am not a phoenix. I did not rise from the ashes— I crawled out from under the soot, fingernails cracked, palms bloody, face muddy. I told you I’d be okay one day. Today is that day." -Track 62 "A lot of what I knew left with you, and that made me tired. Ask any school-aged child, learning new things can be frustrating and draining. It hasn’t been a fluid progression of bad to better, but my repaired days have begun to outnumber my damaged ones." -Track 66 "I woke up every day, cried or didn’t cry, regained my balance, and went the hell on with my day, which eventually turned into me getting the hell on with my life." -Track 84 "I came this far on a broken heart— functioning at maybe, on a good day, 40% efficiency. I think you should be nervous about what I will accomplish once I heal. The mountains I’ll move. The miles I’ll cover. The skin I’ll get under." -Track 87