Seven Poetry Books for When You Can’t Find the Words
These compilations, selected by Trinity staffers, offer companionship and inspiration when we need it most.
Meditate on everyday wonder
The Kingdom of Ordinary Time by Marie Howe
There’s a tactile quality to Marie Howe’s work that I love — a sense of place. She’s very aware of how the physical world is a conduit of God’s grace. She faces hardship with tender courage, and her honest words are a glittering stream of consciousness, inviting us into the wonder — and the humor — of our lives. — The Rev. Kristin Kaulbach Miles, director of Parish Life
From the collection:
Find your center
Spirit Wheel: Meditations from an Indigenous Elder by Steven Charleston
This breathtaking book is filled with more than 200 short, thought-provoking meditations that can help us find the words when we simply don’t have them. I find this collection, centered on the kinship of all things, to be a very grounding source when I’m overwhelmed. I use it for prayer — in the mornings with a cup of tea or before going to bed. Charleston’s work has special meaning for many people in our community: It’s used for prayer and reflection before meals at Trinity Retreat Center. — Emily Smith, assistant head sacristan
From the collection:
“Bless the Doubters”
“What I Saw as a Child”
Feel God’s wide embrace
Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West by Daniel Ladinsky
This powerful collection reminds us that dogma only gets us so far. Daniel Ladinsky’s short and creative reinterpretations of beloved mystical poets — including Rumi, St. Teresa of Avila, Meister Eckhart, and more — convey a vision of the Holy One in language that is intimate, earthy, joyful, and free. Imagine having learned these encouraging words from St. Francis of Assisi in Sunday School: “God’s admiration for us is infinitely greater than anything we can conjure up for [God].” Or this new take on 14th-century Persian poet Hafiz: “Know the true nature of your Beloved. In [God’s] loving eyes your every thought, word, and movement is always, always beautiful.” God is sending us love notes through poetry! — Kathy Bozzuti-Jones, associate director, Spiritual Practice, Retreats, and Pilgrimage
From the collection:
“First He Looked Confused”
“Each Soul Completes Me”
“Troublemakers”
Since no one really knows anything about God,
those who think they do are just
troublemakers.
Transform your world, inside and out
Meditations of the Heart by Howard Thurman
Even if you’ve never heard of Howard Thurman, you’re likely familiar with his theological and spiritual insight, which was a key influence on the American civil rights movement through the work of Martin Luther King, Jr., Pauli Murray, and other leaders he advised. In this 1953 collection of short, poetry-like meditations, Thurman’s emphasis on the individual relationship with the Divine — “your crucial link with the Eternal” — melds powerfully with his profound vision of the societal transformation needed to bring justice to our communities. These writings remain a timeless tool for cultivating spiritual integrity in personal, and communal, Christian practice. — Jude Wetherell, communications manager
From the collection:
“Look Well to the Growing Edge”
“I Will Sing a New Song”
For kids — and the child in you
When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons by Julie Fogliano, pictures by Julie Morstad
It's no surprise that kids love music, but children can appreciate the lyrical nature of poetry from a young age, too. I picked out this book because I liked the illustrator, not expecting my 4-year-old daughter to be a secret poetry lover. After a busy day of school and work, the rhythm and cadence are a great way to slow down and find peace — and a little magic — at bedtime. While this is a children’s book, it’s one I never tire of reading aloud, maybe because it brings me back to discovering nature as a child. When my daughter surprises me by quoting a line from out of the blue, it fills me with amazement and hope that this little New Yorker will grow to love books and nature, too. — Sarah Yadeta, copywriter
From the collection:
december 29
and i woke to a morning
that was quiet and white
the first snow
(just like magic) came on tip toes
overnight
Remember your inherent goodness
Thirst by Mary Oliver
Something about Mary Oliver’s work feels both wholly comforting and dangerously empowering, like exhaling a deep breath and standing tall and courageous at the same time. Her words melt away the stress and the shame that so often keep us from relaxing into what makes us human — the very things that, in God’s eyes, make us good. This is a book about grief, yearning, and the gift of being alive. — Shane Fryer, senior writer
From the collection:
Hold two truths at the same time
Such Color: New and Selected Poems by Tracy K. Smith
Former poet laureate Tracy K. Smith expresses the depth, the beauty, and the mystery of human existence through the lens of incarnation — divine love made real in our earthly lives. She exquisitely holds the paradoxes and both/ands of our world in this volume of beloved selections from her previously published works, including the Pulitzer Prize–winning Life on Mars, plus invigorating new poems. — The Rev. Kristin Kaulbach Miles
From the collection: