Best Healing Poems
your labored breathing
called out to me
and in my soul I knew
what needed to be done
I reached for the drum
to summon the spirits
called out to ancestors
and anyone who’d listen
gently tapping to the rhythm
of our beating hearts
united as one in a prayer
released to the universe
filled the silence of
your labored breathing
drumming for hours
till the pleading was done
everything had been said
the prayer consummated
left in the hands
of the universe to respond
then it did in no uncertain terms
in an exorcism of sorts
draining the passages
to free your breathing
and so it was
in tune with the universe
the healing power
of the drum
Read on air by invitation ~ February 11, 2021 'LATE NIGHT POETS'
Read on KPBX called Poetry Moment by Kara Bowman 2022 [karabowman.com and griefpoetry.com]
AP: 2nd place 2026, 2nd place 2022, 2nd place 2021, 3rd place 2022, Honorable Mention 2022, Honorable Mention 2022, Honorable Mention 2021, Honorable Mention 2021, Honorable Mention 2021, Honorable Mention 2021, Honorable Mention 2021
Submitted on June 13, 2025 for contest YOUR BEST AUDIO POEM sponsored by TOM WOODY - RANKED 2ND
and on May 28, 2021 for contest ALL YOURS (MAY 29) sponsored by BRIAN STRAND - RANKED 1ST
The bleeding sunset lingers on her mind
as night approaches and the sky goes dark.
Her soul is restless; how it craves to find
some words of comfort which could leave their mark,
erasing heartache etched in grooves of tears
on ice-cold marble where lost dreams now dwell,
relief imploring from the grasp of fear,
the twilight shadows full of doubts dispel.
The wind is conscious of her thoughts distraught;
it whispers softly, plays with her long hair,
diverts attention, brings her grief to naught...
A damsel’s heart fragmented he can’t bear.
Dense clouds are drifting and the moon slips by;
the joy of healing it will not deny.
------------------------------------------
A Sonnet for John Hamilton's Contest.
Placed 2nd
In a hyacinth bed of seven stars,
winter fairies waltz in pearl elegance~
a token of faith engrossed amidst scars,
while skies drizzle rain in fruity essence.
Angel of sleep seeks through frost's icy thorn,
fallen feathers soar towards jasmine moon,
when lotus light within soul is reborn,
listen to the tree of life sigh and croon.
Somewhere between daisy dusks and rose dawns,
seeds of sun unfurl promises in gold,
sowing herbs of hope across sequined lawns.
In the realm of healing, love I behold.
I wake—
each dawn
a slender promise
shoulders gilded,
by hesitant sun.
The world, wide as longing
real as the air I breathe—
crests of mountains waiting
horizons keeping their counsel.
My heart, uncertain…. ventures
like a melodic wind carried on—
searching for a sign
where wonder grows wild within.
Between the strums of my old guitar
and laughter in morning dew
I surrender:
each note of yesteryear
kindles today’s quiet lesson
A single osprey rises—
a brushstroke across blue morning
its wings folding around me.
The summit is not a distant peak—
but something brightening inside
Love lays a quiet hand
on places still becoming
healing as patient
as a meadow’s slow green showing
Each blade a testimony
to what endures.
From deep inside me,
between the first prayer
and the stillness after waking,
I find myself turning—
in the rhythm of becoming
the quiet rhyme
of being.
So I walk—
with songs for company
promises for courage
letting the day reveal its poem
one grateful step
where hunger and holiness
are the same ground.
Pain refines,
but grace restores.
This is the whisper
of strength.
There are days
when the world feels heavy,
when the echoes of yesterday
press against the walls of today.
You walk forward,
yet the past lingers like a shadow . . .
a silent presence
reminding you
where you’ve been.
But hear this:
You are not bound
by what was.
You are shaped
by your resilience,
by the moments
when you chose to rise,
even when
the weight of it all
begged you
to fall.
Pain has touched you,
but it has not
broken you.
Instead,
it carved wisdom
into your bones,
strength
into your spirit,
and grace
into your steps.
Healing comes.
Whatever storm
you walk through now,
it is not here
to consume you.
It is here
to remind you
of the fire within,
the unwavering light
that refuses to dim.
Rescue comes.
And in this chapter . . .
you choose to rise.
Let these words
settle within you.
Breathe in
strength,
exhale
doubt.
You are seen,
you are heard,
and
you are never alone.
Music is my therapy,
and yet, confusion rewinds,
in my mind,
dynamic notes of melancholy.
But when ebony keys electrify,
harmony bids darkness goodbye.
The bark peels back like old skin—
Mine, yours, the cinnamon scrolls
Of what we shed to live. August
Bleaches the world to bone, the bark’s faint spice
Rising in the noon glare,
Heat tasting of salt and sand. And still this Crape crowns
Itself with Myrtle fire. Still—
I cannot explain what breaks in me. Still I press my cheek
Against its flaking flesh, feel
The pulse beneath—magenta,
White, pink, the deep red
Of what I've never
Bled for anyone.
Each blossom a small fist
Opening with the muted pop
Of summer rain on dry earth. Each petal, tissue-thin
As the lies I've told myself
About enduring. The Eastern Shore sun
Has made this tree what survival
Looks like: stubborn—
Beautiful, built for the burning
Seasons that strip us
To what we are. Winter comes,
And I am learning
How to be naked—
These mottled limbs
My teachers, conductors' hands
Mid-gesture, never finished
With their fierce music
Of staying alive. Of reaching
Up through the killing
Cold, brittle air ringing
With the clink of frozen twigs toward something
Green promises I cannot fathom—yet still I know
Lives in the light returning.
You abused me physically and mentally,
I believed I was everything you said.
I thought you had my back totally,
But my belief in you was hanging by a thread.
I was locked in a mental jail cell.
you were a warden of abuse,
our union together was pure hell.
You would often say I just blew a fuse.
Your vicious attacks tarnished my self worth,
that I constantly questioned my birth.
When I finally got the strength to leave ,
I sabotaged relationships like you wouldn't believe .
Because I was still in a mental prison of abuse,
you remained the warden of my life.
I gave up on relationships and said what’s the use,
my life with you was pure misery and strife.
I hated you right down to the core,
my hatred for you was never a bore.
Until someone shared the good news,
of Jesus Christ, I had nothing to lose.
I accepted him in my heart on that day,
he represents love and forgiveness.
By showing us how to live, he paved the way,
he walked in love and kindness.
He forgave me for all that I had done,
and it felt really good .
I accepted that the victory was already won.
I took my power back, like I should.
I felt free and no longer bound,
therefore I was able to stand my ground.
I had no choice but to forgive you,
and I am no longer sad and blue.
In that moment I took my power back,
I didn’t stress over what I lack.
I want to share my freedom with others like me,
so they in turn can be totally free.
Inspired by the “Healing Power Of Forgiveness.
Sponsor: Line Gauthier
Note* I made some changes to the original poem due to contest requirement. I am most happy with the original version. Let me know what you all think.
10-30-17
When days are filled with dark clouds, when words can not console
With heart and spirit frozen, sometimes you will lose control
The warm sunlight may fade; and tears roll over night into day
As the first bout subsides, then feelings get mixed in haste
I watched you standing empty from afar, feeling used; out of place
Your misdirected anger turned inward during this phase
With shaky confidence, you doubt yourself taking on all blame
Making excuses, ‘No one’s perfect’; blind, you're not the same
We don't mature equally; some remain selfish brats
Like a child may equate love to games, we can become certified “rats”
In their world, it is all about “me”, “look at me”; and forever in need
Soon, your pain will be washed away and at peace you’ll come to be!
Healing will come from one who loved you long before you were born
Whatever he has willed for you, from your hands will never be torn
Aware of your needs, alll gifts to you will one day lie within your palms
I pray that time, becomes for you a gentle, soothing balm
~*~
Can one learn how to live?
Life is not without difficulties and obstacles
Clear and bright, of one's own reason
or spiritual men and women
The power of faith for emotional health,
can improve your overall emotional well-being
A profound sense of spirituality
gives you a higher quality of life, with healing
How to deal with fear,
and the trigger thoughts that start worries
Knowledge gives another opportunities
to overcome stress in everyday life
The healing will happen,
when we allow ourselves to let go
Mosaic must be glued together from broken pieces,
as tissue, and thoughts flow out
cascading
over jutting rocks
the melodious water
of salvation
cleanses my soul
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Placed 1st in Brian Strand's
Pick A Contest (April 2020)
© 29th February 2020
We gape at the sky
this Fourth of July,
as rockets ignite
to deal us delight,
while strangers unite.
I’m such a dope,
it gives me hope
that Nations torn
can be reborn.
Let God’s gifts
heal our rifts,
our esprit.
Let’s pray
we stay
free.
July 4, 2022
Diminished Hexaverse Poetry Contest Sponsored by Caren Krutsinger
The resounding renovation of the mind can be astounding.
With each breath I take I am but a soul yearning for redemption-
I now seek rejuvenation in the senses that healing brings.
Sijo Poem Poetry Contest
16 syllables in each line
howmanysyllables.com
Heidi Sands
May 31, 2018
Believing in you is
Being just you, the simplicity of you
Embracing each twist and turn
Stepping outside the confines of your mind
Revealing truths and bringing clarity in chaos
Engaging in the art of the here and now
Changing dark unnecessary innateness
Diving into each brushstroke, swaths of colorways
Letting the moment paint a masterpiece uniquely yours
Freeing up the shackles of the mind
Feeling compassion of heart and soul
Taking a voyage to the center of universal reality~
Shedding many prejudices indelibly embedded in thought
Unmasking anxieties that do not change the world,
serving only to distract causing mental coil
Trusting your instincts is your compass
Off putting, although valuable truth may be
a diamond amidst pebbles
Experiencing every morsel of life’s banquette
When you’re sick and you are reeling
Since with symptoms you are dealing
There is nothing more appealing
Than a “How you feeling?” note.
For while sickness has been stealing
Hours and days, it’s been revealing
Just who cares; there’s no concealing
Who forgot to cast a vote.
As your body starts its healing
And you’re back to even keeling
All concerned should know you’re feeling
Better ‘cause they called or wrote.