Writing with Poetry

Exploring poetry can be an inclusive opportunity for both group and individual reflection. Poetry engages personal experience in a friendly and non judgmental way, opening the heart and mind to a greater understanding of ourselves and others.

Settle in, find a comfortable place, and have a writing utensil and journal nearby. 




Be a Circle

by Mark Nepo

I wish you the ability to breathe
after pain, to begin again, though
nothing else seems possible.

I wish you resilience: to part like
the ocean and accept like the sky,
to be held like a root.

I wish you survival: to take in life
like a trapped miner finding an
airhole and praising it as God.

I wish you courage: to ask of
everything you meet, “What
bridge are we?"

I wish you chances to listen:
to all that holds us up.

I wish you the-kindness-that-you-are
coming to brighten your face
like orange leaves scattered
at the end of fall. 

I wish you endless journey that
seldom appears as we imagine.

I wish you curiosity: to make a
boat of wonder and an oar
of gratitude.


Nepo, Mark. "Be a Circle." The Way Under the Way: The Place of True Meeting

Sounds True, 2016, pp. 287.




Writing Prompts

Read this poem two to three times, slowly. Then, explore one or both of the following writing prompts:

  1. The author lists a series of “wishes.” Spend a few minutes to write out your own list of wishes.
  2. Choose one stanza that resonates with you the most. In your journal, write any insights that arise.

Meditation and Reflection Resources

Deepen your spiritual practice with this accessible library of free resources!