Best Empathy Poems
When life parades a fine line
between alienation and rationality,
internal intruders of the soul shroud spotlights.
In my dreams
I'm playing charades with the grim reaper.
surrounded by selfish acts from satanic spirits.
Featherless angels of twilight need tender pearls,
as gifts from the elusive self-centred sun,
when a jealous mercenary moon manipulates murkiness.
Sometimes,
all I have is my shadow and me,
but it abandons me in times of darkness,
leaving me at the mercy of nature's invisible imitations.
Behind forgotten frozen gates of winter,
static stars have shunned black hearted skies,
refusing to flicker in their metallic beams.
I've become a nemesis
to the empathy of the elements,
personifying mimicking,
miming onyx coated raindrops,
sprinkling dust storms
with freckled shades of crimson.
Destiny drifts in wayward winds
towards contrasting crossroads,
hoping for soothing golden arms of dawn to uncloak
defrosting hearts with rainbow rays of gleaming light.
If the universe reversed its selfless role,
would some still be lost chasing clusters
within silhouettes of a waning crescent,
graphically illustrating illusions whilst crystal gazing?
Beyond where our fingers can sketch reality.
ignorance is consumed in our own
bubbles filled with hollowness,
reluctant to see the weariness
of the grey winged nebula.
Symphony of seasons are temporary like emotions.
Harmony harbours in harvesting heirloom roses,
among gossamer meadows of compassionate butterflies.
Colours of Earth's fabric never falter in a cocoon mind
resembling an eclipse's ebony and ivory tones.
Imagine misunderstandings,
When we talk about our friends,
If we did that talking to their FACE,
We'd be apt to make amends ...
Imagine, if hearing gossip,
We repeated not a peep,
Instead of giving it longer legs,
We'd put that tale to sleep ...
Imagine at the toll booth,
There's four cars just behind,
So, you pay the toll for ALL of them,
And start up something kind ...
Imagine that you're driving,
And someone flips the bird,
But in return you wave and smile,
Now road rage is deterred ...
Imagine if, when angry,
We let the steam disperse,
Before we hurt each other,
With a hateful name, or worse ...
Imagine all the things that
People say behind your back,
It's not about YOUR character,
But the character they LACK ...
Imagine that you're hurting
But a friend is hurting, too,
So, you give their pain the focus,
And it eases your pain, too ...
Imagine someone lies to you,
And you're feeling quite betrayed,
'Til you stop to count the fibs YOU'VE told,
And the enemies you've made ...
Imagine if you're lacking,
And you need a helping hand,
Instead, you help ANOTHER,
Ah - now you understand ...
That only light can fight the dark,
Only love can vanquish hate,
So, imagine a little EMPATHY ...
And you'll see - it's not ... too ... late!
Your empathetic sensitivity
was placed there for a reason
listen to your heart's soul
not being the lake but reflecting its waters . . .knowing each ripple
Sept. 29, 2022
For JCB Brul's Empathy Poetry Contest
Kindness is…
Kindness is the harmony of birds’ songs in the breeze
It’s the way the moon so hauntingly reflects with calming ease
It’s heaven’s chorus ‘round the world while folks pray on their knees
Umbrella sharing, homeless shelters, shade from tall oak trees
Kindness is a child handing you a wild daffodil
A patient, helping hand when you have caused a major spill
Acts of empathy, warm soup, and comfort when you’re ill
Advice no matter length nor wear to help you find your will
Kindness is sharing smiles with random strangers you meet
It’s noticing the crowded bus and giving up your seat
Holding wide the heavy door until the last entry
Making someone’s day a win instead of a defeat
Kindness is the text I cherish from my precious son
A compliment, a subtle nod, a hug from a loved one
Kindness, tangible or not, an idea never done
Be selfless, and each day create your kindest tale yet spun…
1st Place!
Submitting into Joy, Hope, and Kindness Poetry Contest
Sponsored By: Angela Tune
Written on: February 5, 2022
The caricature of a gentleman, nameless, scorned,
The infamous savage of the famous street was wobbling:
Scruffy, shaggy, ruffed beared, tousled haired,
Disheveled,
there went the odious appearance, bumbling.
Soubriquet: lunatic, fierce, rowdy with murky torn clothes,
Was sitting stigmatic with grubby means,
Was teased and thrown stones,
To drive away from the decorous street!
He was spotted pitied with meagre chuck,
While feeding a destitute;
Taunting and sneering didn't perturb him,
Gave his share simpering, only to be starved!
The antithesis of savage, the man of the hour,
Silently paved his way then, bare footed tottering,
To be again the savage of the decorous street!
A teacher asked me for this homework, to give some advice about the difference between empathy and sympathy, then I wrote this poem, but we didn't go over it yet. I'd like to share with you all and I hope people can be more empathetic in 2016. Here you go (it is a bit silly, don't laugh at me):
I have this homework to do
which is to give some advice
about when you walk in someone's shoes
or just say something to be nice
It's about empathy and sympathy
there are some slight differences
but I'll put it simply
and I have to make sentences
Sympathy has no affection
it's like saying "I'm sorry that you're blue"
but empathy fuels connection
you feel as if the other person were you
you come up with the right thing
just because what you say is true
you don't judge the other human being
empathy is as if it were you
In order to connect with someone
It is simple and I'll explain:
you feel like your hearts were one
you also suffer from the other's pain
If someone shares their sadness
you recognize their emotion
your heart is not callous
empathy is like an open ocean
One thing we do sometimes
is we're sympathetic to be polite
Sorry, empty words are like crimes
I wonder if it is right
The truth is love matters more
than words we say in vain
if a friend comes sad to your door
open your heart to relieve their pain
How can we comfort a friend
who has been picked on by the boss
or to bring peace and put an end
to their pain because of a loss?
Connection is what you have to find
and be honest and sincere
do not try to make up their mind
and if you feel, just drop a tear
this is what empathy is about
to feel, to know, to share
life stresses us out
but we care, we care...?
When in bondage your spirit flies
Your voice a distant, bleeding dove
On the table of my heart lies
The silent shadow of drooped love
More Than A Glance
How is my worth defined,
The wealthy facade I designed?
The money and clothes,
The people I know,
Why not for the strength of my mind?
Do you know where I reside?
Places criminals won't even hide,
Wrong side of the tracks
Where most turn their backs
No safer when you go inside...
Do you know how I get by?
Doing things that make me wanna cry
Will I be okay
If you show me the way?
Since you believe I can change, I will try...
One teacher, one student, one chance
Your belief set my soul free to dance!
I see knowledge galore
The whole world to explore,
Because to you, I was worth more than a GLANCE...
Submitting to A Strand 1072 Poetry Contest on 02/12/2022
Empathetic Light
Lady Diana, the exquisite Princess of Wales.
A heroine now in hundreds of tales.
An accomplished pianist at Buckingham Palace.
A hopeful ballerina, a kindergarten teacher.
A radiant young woman who loved to dance,
A royal young activist.
A humanitarian princess with courage, not discouraged.
A demure beauty, dedicated to duty.
To replace fear with compassion, she modeled for the world charitable actions.
"Hold my hand, I’m not afraid”
whispering to a man who suffered with AIDS.
Her hugging and empathy never ceasing, her tender love always increasing.
A hospital president for sick children, her mission.
Cautiously walking through land mines, one scary step at a time.
Explosives in the ground, she showed their purpose no longer found.
Her little princes, one on each arm.
William and Harry adored their mum.
To normalize life at times,
Disney rides, McDonald’s fries…
Paparazzi hunted her for years, bringing danger and tears.
The most photographed woman in the world.
A wedding dress of 10,000 pearls
An elegant, humble golden girl.
One evening a tragic trip through a Paris tunnel.
Drive faster,
speed up,
turn them off
put them down
stop clicking
turn around.
Then a horrific shame, who was to blame?
Indescribable loss at a human cost.
God wanted her back in 1997.
The Princess Of Wales, was our present from heaven.
They say a billion mourned. The world’s hearts truly torn.
Memories of mummy nobody could take.
Two royal sons, their hearts did break.
Now fathers with children to love, new charities to support and take care of.
I miss her now and missed her then.
Your sister, my mother, her nanny, my friend.
She changed the world for nations until her end.
The lives she touched were made healthier and bright by
Lady Diana's empathetic light.
feeling what you are feeling ~ wanting to make it all better for you
SECOND PLACE WINNER
Written September 28, 2022
submitted to "Empathy" Poetry Contest
sponsored by JCB Brul
There are wonderful properties in various types of flowers that enhance our lives.
A husband ponders over a bouquet of colored flowers to present to his wife.
Flowers have an aroma that infuses the air all around.
Their fragrance is carried on the wings of the wind without a sound.
Their colors are so vibrant and beautiful and a wonderful dose of eye candy.
Flowers are found in the mountains, valleys, and sometimes even where it's sandy.
A picture may be worth a thousand words but a bouquet of flowers says it all.
The benefits of flowers in the house enhance the atmosphere whether the bouquet is either great or small.
A man knows nothing till he’s walked in another man’s shoes,
Through streets paved with struggles, past choices, win or lose.
In the heart of the city where dreams are both made and bruised,
He learns the songs of others, in tones he never used.
It’s a journey through stories, in steps worn and wise,
Where the echoes of others’ lives meet under shared skies.
He sees through eyes that have witnessed, beyond his own views,
The weight of silent battles, the depth of hidden hues.
With every mile, he understands, not just with his mind but his heart,
That every soul sings a different tune, right from the start.
In the rhythm of footsteps, in paths both old and new,
He finds the truth in the saying, as his perspective grew.
It’s not just about the walking, or the miles that he’s trod,
But the listening, the learning, from the ground, his feet have flawed.
For empathy is the melody, in this journey, he chooses to use,
To understand another’s life, to step into their shoes.
So let him walk, let him discover, let him see and let him feel,
The mosaic of human experience, complex, raw, and real.
For only in walking this path, in the dance of another’s blues,
He truly understands the depth of what he thought he knew.
And when he returns, with stories etched in every step of his shoes,
He’ll know the world a little better, with perspectives broad and hues.
For in the end, it’s about the journey, the stories, the paths we choose,
A man knows nothing, truly nothing, till he’s walked in another’s shoes.
In the shattered mirror of hollow empathy, I see fragments of myself drifting,
Like ash butterflies dancing in the cold wind of unspoken truth,
And their words—"I can't empathize"—are silver arrows piercing through
The illusory veil of superficial consolation, revealing the inner garden
Where I alone grow the cucumbers of wisdom, where I water the flowers of courage.
And I hear footsteps fading away down the corridor of memory, the steps of friends hurried
To their daily markets, to the Turkish dramas that swallow their evenings,
Leaving behind only the echo of a pat on the shoulder and a worn-out phrase
"Don't worry, it will all pass"—a devalued coin in the ATM of compassion,
While I remain here, in the fortress of self, counting my resources.
Ah, how strange this revelation—that in the absence of foreign comfort
I discover my own healing hands, my own wellspring of strength!
Like a tree finding water in its depths when the sky refuses to weep,
I learn to be self-sufficient, to measure my garden of limits with steady steps,
To cultivate my own remedies, to be my own sun and my own rain.
I no longer knock on foreign doors begging for understanding like a crust of bread,
But build from the bricks of imperfections a temple of maturity,
Where the echo of my steps resounds with fulfillment, not with a void to be filled,
Where each scar is a medal of self-sufficiency won in battle,
And where loneliness is no longer a fear, but a throne from which I contemplate my strength.
I hesitated
Sorry I brought up the subject
I choke up
But he insisted
So I blurted it out
In the end I bared it all
He listened
He said he understood
And sympathized
I didn’t buy it but
It felt good to tell him
The weight off my shoulders
AP: 3rd place 2022
Posted on March 8, 2019