Why Poetry Matters When the World Feels Unsteady

Written By Georgia Heard

Autumn Sunset Over Bear Camp Pond, New Hampshire

This morning I drank my coffee from my mother’s bird teacup and opened a new book, The Salt Stones, that a friend had given me. Outside, the days are tipping toward darkness, and the headlines feel heavy. Yet holding the cup, I felt steadied. Here, in these quiet moments, I remember: poetry has always been a way to gather light.

When the world feels unsteady, poetry can steady us. It reminds us to pause, notice, and carry small rituals into our days. For both teachers and writers, poems can serve as anchors, mirrors, and doorways — helping us through uncertain times.

Poetry as an Anchor

A single poem, read aloud, can become a comfort ritual. For teachers, opening class with a poem creates a moment of stillness that can anchor your students. For writers, a few lines in a notebook can serve as a grounding practice — a way to mark the day with presence.

📚 Try Wendell Berry’s The Peace of Wild Things, which holds the comfort of returning to the natural world, or my book Awakening the Heart, which offers teachers practical ways to bring poetry into the classroom.

Poetry as a Mirror

Poetry reflects back feelings we sometimes struggle to name. When we see our feelings mirrored on the page, they feel less overwhelming, and we feel less alone.

For students, poems by Mary Oliver, Naomi Shihab Nye, or Kwame Alexander offer accessible, heartfelt language. For writers, reading or writing poetry allows us to notice what is simmering beneath the surface of our own lives.

📚 This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman is a classroom favorite — it shows young people how poetry can hold regret, forgiveness, and love all at once. And in My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness I wanted to offer students a way to hold their emotions too — to notice them, name them, and find comfort in words.

Poetry as a Doorway

Poetry doesn’t just steady us; it also opens us. A simple prompt can inspire a poem — inviting us to step through the doorway of our imagination.

For teachers, even one short daily prompt can build classroom community. For writers, poems can be the threshold into new projects, genres, or healing.

📚 I love A Poem for Every Night of the Year compiled by Allie Esiri — it’s a treasure chest of daily poems to share with students, family, or yourself.

An Invitation

My morning coffee next to The Salt Stones by Helen Whybrow

Here’s a small prompt you can try — or share with your students:

Prompt: When the world feels unsteady, I find light in…
Write about one small ritual, gesture, or object that carries you through.

Poetry won’t solve the world’s chaos. But it can offer us a steady thread, a mirror for our hearts, and a doorway to possibility. And sometimes, in darkening times, that might be enough light to keep us going.

Booklist for Teachers & Writers

Georgia Heard
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