2020 was a difficult year for most residents on planet Earth. With the new surfacing pandemic of COVID-19, the worldwide lockdowns (I would rather refer to them as house-arrests), tragedies of illness, hospitalisation and loss arising within households... it was physically, mentally and emotionally wrecking for everyone... E V E R Y O N E!
May 2020 in London, I came across a reposting from Helena Bonham Carter's story where she was reading Wilde Geese by Mary Oliver, from The Poetry Pharmacy:
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile, the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
Condition: Self-Recrimination
Also suitable for: alienation, loneliness, regret, self-loathing
I'm not sure if it were only the effect of the words or Helena Bonham Carter's well-reading skills, but I was definitely drawn immediately to it (the poem) and wanted my own copy of this new book Helena was referring to.
First impressions (don't really) count:
I'll admit that my heart sank at the sight of the book when it first arrived! I don't particularly go out of my way to pick out a book with a rather vibrant cover... Alas, I had to flip through its pages before I decided to chuck it away ^^"
There is a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn't change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can't get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time's unfolding.
You don't ever let go of the thread.
The way it is by William Stafford
Condition: Purposelessness,
Also suitable for: apathy, nihilism
Poetry in English is a (relatively) new field of interest, and I was yet to be impressed. Sir William Sieghart has sectioned his poetry selection in this volume under these headings:
1. Mental and Emotional Wellbeing
2. Motivations
3. Self-Image and Self-Acceptance
4. The World And Other People
5. Love And Loss
This format of The Poetry Pharmacy is undoubtedly a novel take on poetry presentation, unlike anything I've ever come across! Each of the one selected diagnoses was shortly described, with a suiting poem/excerpt prescribed for it, provided on the opposite page(s).
It is short. It is sweet. It fulfils its meant purpose: healing old wounds and comforting the distressed soul. I find this poetic intervention an astounding approach to its cause! Unique and absolutely fascinating! I find this poetic intervention an astounding approach to its cause! Unique and absolutely fascinating!
In this book of prescribed poetry, I found a new friend... I'd take it with me on my daily walks to Hampstead Heath (the only place that was still open back then...). I'd find a new spot, and I'd sit for hours with my book, my embroidery, the bees and the trees... good times :')
I have listed The Poetry Pharmacy under my Favourite Books for 2020. I'm not sure any other poetry book would generate the same impact as this one (Rumi is something else! I've reviewed The Illuminated Rumi previously, and might review a couple more some time in the future).
Short analysis:
Book cover: (5 stars)
It is simple and convenient. You'd definitely not want to judge this gem by its cover! I admit I was quite disappointed with its blinding colour... No sooner than the moment I started reading, that I realised I was absolutely mistaken!
Content: (5 stars)
W.S. produced a poetic gem. No, none of the poems were his, albeit, he was able to dig out the most soothing selection from the deep oceans of poetry and prescribe them to a diverse set of diagnoses and conditions
Poems: (4.5 stars)
I am in love with the selection of poems W.S. provided in this volume of The Poetry Pharmacy. What stood out most (in my opinion), was the inclusion of some of Rumi's and Hafez's works as well, for I never thought I'd find any of their poems in this book! Nevertheless, I must admit that some of the poems in the book did not strike a cord compared with the rest...
Aftereffect: (5 stars)
The Poetry Pharmacy left a distinct imprint on my soul. The poems have fulfilled the tasks they were prescribed for. This book was my companion at a difficult time when no words were gratifying... when the sun was not bright enough, and the days might have been closer to meaningless. Thank you Sir Sieghart, your poetry selection has possibly accomplished a lot more than it was meant for (maybe that's just me)...
Final rating: 4.9 stars /5
I would definitely recommend this book for a novice in the area of poetry, you'd find the best of everything out there in this small book. It's a good start for new poetry readers; a sweet gift on a birthday, Christmas, or any other named event.
If you're a lost soul, awaiting words of comfort, I prescribe this book for you. Enjoy it, handle it with care, and pay it forward. This book could be your companion during your most difficult times, and your happiest... just give it a chance to unravel the beauty it holds within its lines.
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 and entertain 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.
The Guest House by Rumi
Translated by Coleman Barks
Condition: Emotional Repression
Also suitable for: guilt, avoidance of pain, unhealthy coping mechanisms
Thank you for reading!
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