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.
by Rumi
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome them all
even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture.
Still treat each guest honorably,
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
Meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Rumi: Selected Poems, trans Coleman Barks with John Moynce, A. J. Arberry, Reynold Nicholson (Penguin Books, 2004)
Writing Prompts
Read this poem two to three times, slowly. Then, explore one or both of the following writing prompts:
