3 Poems for Comfort in Tough Times

When I think of the poets who have brought me comfort recently, Angie Waters, AKA A. Shea, immediately comes to mind. Angie is a writer who has such a talent for writing about the hard stuff in a way that is hopeful and heartfelt. Her pieces have an immense depth of emotion and resilience. They serve as a beautiful reminder that we can experience the magnitude of our emotions and still be strong, and that’s a message of comfort that we can all hold onto during these tough times. 

I chose three pieces for further reflection which spoke to me deeply, but I know that you’ll find your own favorites as well if you take a look at her body of work. I hope these three poems bring your hearts some peace today. 

1.

“Dance with sorrow
when it is your partner
when you cannot
keep time with hope
Step into the arms
of what your heart
is facing
and embrace it
until it lets go.”

I love the imagery of dance in this piece. The soundtrack to your life will sometimes be a sorrowful one, but it doesn’t mean you have to turn it off, drown it out, or run from it. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is truly let ourselves feel the weight of what we are experiencing. We need to give the sorrow or heartbreak its turn so it doesn’t keep echoing in our subconscious, impatiently waiting for a chance to step in. Once we’ve taken the time we need to fully feel the immensity of what we are facing, we can start the next step of letting it go and moving on. There’s such a tragic beauty to this piece, and it is so relatable. 

2.

“Scars
dot the dark spaces
of her mind
like constellations
in a chalkboard sky
each a story
she fights
to rewrite
into a victory.” 

This piece so cleverly replaces the concept of scars with stars, and the vast, black night sky is represented through the visual of a chalkboard. There is such beautiful intentionality in the wording of this poem that is meant to remind the reader of their fighter’s spirit. The scars in this poem are sources of light in the dark spaces, and I find that to be such a hopeful perspective for all of us as we think about the scars in the sky of our lives. In time, some of our darkest stories can be rewritten in light. Some of our deepest scars may someday be a testament to survival after deep sorrow or pain. Victory is possible not by deleting the scars but reimagining the part they played in the story.

3.

“Wash the sadness
from your soul
in those whispered waves
of hope
the quiet voice that knows
how deep your strength is.” 

I love the idea of hope as whispered waves. They ebb and flow around our hearts and wash away the sorrows we’ve experienced. Angie writes “waves” instead of “wave,” which reminds me that hope and healing are a process that may need to come in multiple waves. In this poem, the water serves as a symbol of stillness and strength, which are both so important when we are trying to move past a deep hurt in our hearts. When hope feels far away, we can think of it as waves and remember that it will always return to us, ready to soothe our soul and strengthen our resolve. This is such a beautiful and timely piece of wisdom from Angie. 

These are challenging times for so many, and we could all use some comfort amidst the chaos. These poems were particularly soothing to me, and I think you’ll find that Angie is a poet with an immense heart and incredible skill for walking with people through their pain through her writing. The best comfort to me during all of this has been remembering the gift of community. It has reminded me that we are never alone with how we are feeling and that our feelings are valid and important, now and always.