Three Poems for GivingTuesday

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement that encourages people to give back to their communities and to find ways to help others. Whether it is through a gift of money, time, or kindness, this movement is a call to compassion—and no act is too small. Givingtuesday.org provides all the information you’ll need to get started, listing several options and opportunities if you’re not sure where to start. They have great ideas for both groups and individuals that will have you excited to celebrate alongside the GivingTuesday community. The world needs your light, today and every day; here are a few poems that will remind you of just how valuable that is.

1. Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –

That perches in the soul –

And sings the tune without the words –

And never stops – at all –

Hope is a resilient force living inside each of us, but sometimes we need to be reminded of its presence in our hearts. On a day like GivingTuesday, we can provide someone with help or encouragement that may reawaken the hope in their chest and give them the strength to keep moving. Hope soars when we show up for one another, when we love each other, and when we remind each other that we are never alone.

2. RM Drake 

Everyone has this power
and it is strong enough to change the world,
to save the world,
in all its burning madness. 

This can possibly cure
all human suffering. 

Compassion.

It is one of those things.

It is the bridge that connects
everyone to everyone else.

We are all capable of giving compassion to others, no matter what our circumstances are. GivingTuesday is about celebrating generosity in all of its forms. It’s about challenging us to make a positive impact in someone else’s life. It can be through a kind word to a coworker or a donation to a cause you care about. It can be a phone call to your grandma who lives alone or an afternoon of volunteering. The opportunities are endless, and no gesture is too small. Every attempt to make someone’s life a little better should be celebrated on GivingTuesday. We all have unique gifts to offer the world, and initiatives like this remind us to find ways to share them.

3. Alberto Rios 

One river gives
Its journey to the next.

We give because someone gave to us.
We give because nobody gave to us.

We give because giving has changed us.
We give because giving could have changed us.

We have been better for it,
We have been wounded by it—

Giving has many faces: It is loud and quiet,
Big, though small, diamond in wood-nails.

Its story is old, the plot worn and the pages too,
But we read this book, anyway, over and again:

Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,
Mine to yours, yours to mine.

You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.
Together we are simple green. You gave me

What you did not have, and I gave you
What I had to give—together, we made

Something greater from the difference.

Our stories blend and overlap with each other’s, with little moments making big impacts. We all have our reasons for giving and causes that call out to our hearts. And we all have a role to play in one another’s stories. When we give, we remember our “why,” and we remember all the times we needed help and hope as well. We remember all the people who stepped up and made a difference for us. Giving enters us into the bigger story of humanity, where every single person matters and every person can make a difference. 

No matter how we decide to celebrate or support GivingTuesday, we can reflect on the fact that our time and our contributions make a big impact. We can overflow kindness and generosity into the hearts of the people around us in a myriad of meaningful ways. 

So, how will you give back today? Let us know in the comments!