In my own life, I have found myself turning to poetry more and more, both the reading of it and the writing of it a tool for navigating my own emotions. The difficult times in life are no exception, and I find an inspiring poem can go a long way. Poems tend to draw us in, and allow us to reflect on our thoughts through another lens. I see poetry popping up everywhere while I travel, as I navigate new experiences, but also in the times that I am slow and still poetry guides me and inspires me. So I wanted to share some of my favourite poets and one of my own poems around the topic of “don’t give up”.
Whether you are an avid reader of poetry or not, I challenge you to try turning towards it in hard times. I have know a lot of people to find comfort in the words of others. Life throws a lot at us in life but the most important thing is just don’t give up!
The first poem I want to share on the topic of don’t give up poems is my own, it is called Tenacious:
Tenacious
I’m trying to find something
I’ve never seen,
a feeling that floats among the voices
of strangers and colours
of time.
Drawing a map
on the back of receipts
to a dreamt place I always wake
before reaching.
I lose my way in the fog
of indecision and shadows
of my questioning belief
in me.
But still I trudge on,
crawling past the comparisons
until I’m sprinting
through the rain.
I think I see it
through a camera lens
or in the reflection
of the window pane.
I’m still looking on
and on and on.
I also want to share some of my favourite poets that are always an inspiration to me. If you are looking for a beautiful poem, simply look up Sarah Kay, Andrea Gibson, Phil Kaye, Neil Hilborn, Rudy Francisco, Olivia Gatwood, Megan Falley, Sabrina Beniam. Keep reading poetry and it is only a matter of time before you find the perfect inspirational poem you needed to hear. Keep writing poetry and it is only a matter of time before you write the perfect inspirational poem you needed to write.
Here are some specific poem recommendations from the above poets, trying to stick close to the theme of don’t give up poems. Some, perhaps, more closely related than others, they all feel like a reminder to not give up to me.
Every Time I Ever Said I Want to Die – Andrea Gibson
This Is Not The End of The World – Neil Hilborn
Miles From Any Shoreline – Sarah Kay
Holy Thank You For Not – Megan Falley
While you’re at it, check out these other poems related to travelling:
- Running Away From a Home I Haven’t Yet Built is a poem for people who feel like they are still searching for a home.
- The Language of Love is a poem about poem about loving someone who speaks a different language than you.
- A Travel Romance Poem: Love For a Moment is about about falling in love while travelling, knowing it won’t work out but doing it anyway.
- A Heartwarming Travel Poem About Guatemala is a poem about a travel moment in Flores Guatemala that gave me some insight about some of the cultural differences between Guatemala and North America.
- Silence is a poem about, well, silence and what it can represent. Not just silence in the literal sense, but silence as a feeling.
- Ocean Meditation explores all the things you can learn from the ocean and the feelings they bring up.
- Or check out more of my poetry on instagram @everywhereshetravels.poetry.
