For National Mental Health Month, 6 beautiful poems about mental health & chronic pain– & despite them!

Chronic pain & mental health poems that are wise, not sappy

Poems about mental health, chronic pain or other invisible disabilities, just like quotes on the subject, tend to be sappy as hell (except those quote pages I put together, of course). And that is extremely not my jam. But something doesn’t have to be about a specific condition to touch a chord re: the boredom, the fight, the loneliness… the whole slog of it all.

It’s National Mental Health Awareness Month over here in the US and damn, we really do not talk enough about the interrelationship between pain and your brain. While your pain is absolutely not “all in your head,” your thought processes can and do affect so many things.

So these are 6 of my favorite poems about life with mental health issues and/or chronic pain– & despite them! Some inspire me, some speak to the pain I’ve endured, and some just make me feel less alone.

This year’s poems are…

• “The Guest House” by Rumi
• “Let July Be July, Let August Be August” by Morgan Harper Nichols
• “I Know You Want to Lie by the Roadside but the Wolves Are Coming, Sweetheart” by Leslie J. Anderson
• “The Path.” by Ullie Kaye
• “Today I asked my body what she needed,” by Hollie Holden
• “Your Heart Is the Sea,” by Nikita Gill

“The Guest House” by Rumi

A fun little factoid: this poem is included in the anthology Tools of the Trade: Poems for new doctors (Scottish Poetry Library, 2014), which was given to all graduating doctors in Scotland in 2014. Wish they’d do that over here!

Translated by Coleman Barks

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

“Let July Be July, Let August Be August” by Morgan Harper Nichols

Not all poetry about mental illness is, yknow, exactly about that. This is a great example of wisdom that, while not specifically about mental health struggles, certainly speaks strongly to my depression and anxiety’s need to control everything. _{(Possibly why this post is coming out during May’s National Mental Health Month instead of April’s National Poetry Month… Ugh. Anyway.)}

The author has a pretty version of it on her IG:

Let July be July. Let August be August.
and let your just be even in the uncertainty.
You don't have to fix everything.
You don't have to solve everything.
And you can still find peace
and grow
in the wild
of changing things

“I Know You Want to Lie by the Roadside but the Wolves Are Coming, Sweetheart” by Leslie J. Anderson

This poem, y’all. I like it so much, I went ahead and made a long dang graphic for it. Check out the author’s instagram or website afterwards for some other extremely solid poetry, a LOT of which I love. Then buy “Take This To Space,” the book it’s from!

I’ve never loved the sobriquet of “pain warrior,” but there’s truth in it– this is a battle for your life, and no matter who’s supporting you, you fight it alone. Keep going. Listen to the warnings of wolves ahead. Keep going. Whet your knife. Keep going. Don’t lie down just yet.

Not a fan of animated GIFs? Just for you, there’s a slideshow of static images at the end.

I’m here with you.
Our feet are bare at the beginning of a long walk.

I know the field looks empty now.
It’s not. The seeds are still growing.

Do not learn the lessons of heartbreak.
The wisdom of sorrow is a lie.

It will tell you wolves are a mercy,
that a bare field is acceptable.

If you need to rest let’s do it now.
Drink water, sleep, hold yourself.
Save your voice for when it’s time to scream.

I won’t lie to you, though.
The wolves are coming.

In your heart is a knife
but also a harvest.

When it’s time,
use one to protect
the other.

The Path. by Ullie Kaye

Long ago I saved this to my Pinterest (there’s even more good stuff there!) and it still really resonates with me. This image isn’t mine– click through to the author’s Etsy to buy prints of this and her other work, including many poems relevant to chronic pain or mental health struggles! (While you’re there, did you know that I have an Etsy too?)

if you are in need of light, go to
the ones who have been through
the darkness. they will guide you.
if you are in need of hope, go to 
the ones who have lost everything 
and somehow still sing hallelujah.
they will show you the way. if you
are in need of strength, go to the 
ones who have been down on their
knees, feeble and broken and weak
to the bone. they will know how to 
gather up the courage to get back 
up on fractured limbs and walk or 
run or begin their freedom march. 
if you need love, go to the ones 
who have been without. who longed but
were forgotten. who sought but 
were neglected. who dreamed but 
were not given a chance. they will 
understand the depths to which love 
can save a soul. sometimes the path 
to knowledge is simply in a human 
whose shoes are worn but whose 
heart is willing.

“Today I asked my body what she needed,” by Hollie Holden

Yep, this is the first time I’m posting my very own awful handwriting. Enjoy! Nah, honestly, writing something down is the best way for my ADHD brain to start processing it. But before you mock my chickenscratch, take a look at this poem. It’s beautiful, and it’s important, and it’s hard as fuck to do.

Today I asked my body what she needed,
Which is a big deal
Considering my journey of
Not Really Asking That Much.

I thought she might need more water.
Or protein.
Or greens.
Or yoga.
Or supplements.
Or movement.

But as I stood in the shower
Reflecting on her stretch marks,
Her roundness where I would like flatness,
Her softness where I would like firmness,
All those conditioned wishes
That form a bundle of
Never-Quite-Right-Ness,
She whispered very gently:

Could you just love me like this?

From Your Heart is the Sea, by Nikita Gill

Last up, we’ve got this bad boy. I figured I’d finish with something about the struggle– inspiration is nice, but I know I’m not always in the mood for it. So we’ll end with something that speaks to the incredible loneliness of depression. I know I’ve felt this before. But always remember: you’re not alone. While right now it might feel like you’re crying for help in a void, don’t ever forget that sthere are those of us who have been there and who understand. The challenge is finding them. But never give up.

Tell me, 
if a person falls apart
 alone in the dark, 
does it make a sound? 
And if it does make a sound, 
is it as loud and devastating 
as a decaying broken heart 
when it is finally found? 
Or is the sound 
a soft strangulation hidden 
that we miss all the time 
behind words like "I'm fine?"

What poetry about chronic pain, mental health or disability have you found that really resonated with you?

That’s all I’ve got this time! But for more media goodness, check out the quote pages I linked up top. Pin this so you remember it’s here, then scroll down for posts re: other media about chronic pain and/or mental health. Finally, share your faves with me! Once you find something great, I’d love to read it. And next year’s National Mental Health Awareness Month will be here before you know it!

Finally, here’s that slideshow version of “I Know You Want To Lie By The Roadside But the Wolves Are Coming, Sweetheart”

Other media about chronic pain or mental health struggles: