TRIGGER WARNING!
This website contains poetry and true stories about trauma, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-harming, depression and other significant mental health issues, as well as personal stories of emotional neglect and physical and sexual abuse, which some people might find disturbing.
Poetry for Mental Health
Supporting people with mental health challenges by motivating and inspiring them to write poetry.
FUNDRAISING
It's time to fundraise, so PLEASE donate and help support Poetry for Mental Health as it continues promoting, publishing and showcasing poetry for mental health into 2026.
Please press the DONATE button for £10.00 (GBP), or the
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"Poetry for Mental Health has supported thousands of people around the world through words and poetry!"
"Formed at the outbreak of COVID by helping people cope mentally by inspiring them to write poetry; four years, six books, hundreds of poets, and thousands of pieces of poetry later, we are still inspiring people to write poetry for positive mental health! With around 1400 visitors now each and every month, Poetry for Mental Health is now probably the largest and most visited website for poetry and mental health on the net!"
ROBIN BARRATT
Founder POETRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
"No matter what your age, background and experience, culture or identity; whether an established writer with many published titles to your credit, or an aspiring poet who has never written a word of poetry in your life, our philosophy here is to embrace, welcome and support everyone, everywhere suffering from mental health challenges, and help you cope through words and poetry ... Get writing!"
Today's Featured Poetry
02nd April, 2025.
THE WHAT WAS RIPPLE
By Andrew Farrow
Be well, move well, step out, see the world,
speak your truth, but hold what you know.
It’s possible that the fact’s an act, a fractal trace,
a pact not to be cracked, echoing into empty space.
What is what was, is not because, what is not what it was, now it claws.
But even as it claws, the threads unwind, revealing signs, a light to find.
Yet through the haze, patterns reform, a storm now the norm,
bends, refracts, finds a way, shifting light at the break of day.
There’s a ripple in the middle, don’t fiddle, or twiddle with the riddle,
It’s brittle, it’ll sting a little.
There’s a spark in the genes, like a whispered code,
hidden deep in the folds, waiting to corrode.
Listen, hear the rhythm slip, it’s a beat, a hum, a drum that runs,
it flips, it twists, rewrites dreams.
Feel the shift in the script, the drift in the grip,
truth bends, splinters, breaks, and sways,
like shadows dancing in sunny rays.
In the cracks of the mirror, something calls,
a voice that hums, that glows, and rises as the curtain falls.
A ripple’s a whisper, the current below, you chase it, you face it,
embrace what’s unseen, a pulse in your veins, a life in between.
What lies beneath is not to fear, the ripple leads where hearts can draw near.
So, be whole, stay true, seek new, and trust the spell of the spin,
the ripple begins where the heart draws in,
its rhythm spreads deep, life starts again.
ABOUT ANDREW:
Andrew recently spent four years in social care as an area field supervisor for a domiciliary care provider in West London. He also used to be a peer support officer and facilitated a weekly creative working group for disable people, including those with mental health conditions. His poetry often delves into the emotional and reflective aspects of life, touching on themes that align with mental wellbeing and personal transformation. He hopes his poetry can resonate with readers who find solace in poetry.
More Featured Poetry ...
On the themes of mental health, from poets around the world.
Poetry by: Amber Drake, Christopher Johnson, Joanne Beechey, Todd Matson, Michael H. Brownstein, Douglas Gladis, Christina WP, Carrie Farrar, Andrew Farrow, Alexis W. H. Chung, John Victor, MZH, Shyla Register, Kelly Maida, Alex Vorhies, Kristian Ford, John Moody, Emmi-Heléna Daals, Acton Bell, Lynette Lim, Iris Taylor, Emily Astey, R. Schilke, Ruth Zwald, Maryellen Polikoff, Norma Zimmermann, Caroline Allen, Riley M. Frank, John Tunaley, Ashe, Mike Whiting, Gary Shulman, Abby Alexander, Ella Grimes, Sara Ponferrada Reed, Wynn Vu, Harriet Coppard, Mike Gosalia, Rabindra Anselm Mariathasan, Pam Ski, Garima Sachdev Kapoor, Joan Kantor, Jamie Gannon, Susannah Chatfield, Emma Follett, Nigel Pinhorn, Boakesey, Bella Hope Smith, Milena Dimitrova, Nivedita Karthik, Annette Towler, Lana, Tara Reyes, Donna McCabe, Tony Cooney, Peter W. Morris, Mark Andrew Heathcote, Paul Parker, Angus Shoor Caan, Duane Anderson, Shahida, Joan McNerney, C.W. Blackburn, David T. Culkin, John F. Zurn, Christine Botros, Francis H. Powell, Simon Drake, Dionne Risley, Roo Newsome, Sherri Levine, Kathleen Chamberlin, Tandra Mishra, Caroline Berry, Angela Masciale, Chris Stokes, Reno Mcgreggor Connelly, Vatsala Radhakeesoon, Martin Embree, Dan Healy, Tadgh Quill-Manley, Reuben Scott, Paulette Hampton,
Dr. Sabrina Rubin, Donna Crossno, Sasha Irwin, Bella Hope Smith, Lindsay Walter, Dale "Coyote" Johnson, Jennifer L. Alukonis, Alexander A. Henning, Emma Welch, Sophie Squires, Chris McClelland, Sasha Irwin, Faiqa Ali Chughtai, Hari Berrow, Annie Walsh, Andrea Mitchell, Victoria Fitzgerald, Mohammed Ali, Chad Boucher, Jason Kirk Bartley, Zack Benz, Jordan Claeys, Nicole Crossno, Valentina Fulginiti, Ethan Boyd, Heidi Hildeman, Oscar Lozano, Anthony Ward, Addie Suter, Dionne Risley, David M. White, PhD, Melissa W. Sorgi, Kyra Merryman, Hilary Canto,Amelia May Hart, Reese, Anneli Knight, Keila Cruz, Bhagvati Patel, Cynthia Foss, Amber Roeder, April Bulmer, Chelsea Garcia, Trish Lundy, Divya Paliwal, Jeanette Stephenson, Luke Preston, Autumn Johnson, Amy Harris, Braxsen Sindelar, Kristen Moody, Sindy Stern, Sam Hendrian, Deby Cedars, Kiran Harrar, William Gray, Ruben Smith, Crystal Hall, Diane Kennedy, Phil Griffiths, Nadine Dunseith, Cynthia Foss, Titan Sanchez, Alex Turner, Brielle Hoban, Aviva Lilith, Spruce Craft, Frea Wooten, Tim Boardman, Rosalynn Gildart, April Bartaszewicz, Prudence Massaria, Binod Dawadi, James Aitchison, Natalie Hussey, Kiran Harrar, and Amanda Hancock.
"Why is poetry so very good for people with mental health challenges? Because it helps them see the world in their own way, and in a way that makes sense to them.."
Robin Barratt
Books
Click on the covers for further details of all our titles. With thousands of contributions from hundreds of writers and poets around the world, our anthologies are probably some of the largest collections on mental health ever published. Please buy a copy -
ALL
profits from the sales of our titles go towards promoting and publishing poetry for positive mental health.
“No matter how bad something may seem at that moment in time when you feel all is lost, it can get better if you can only give it more time."
Lynda Tavakoli
Personal Journeys
In their own words, poets and writers write about their own personal journey with mental health.
Interviews
Poetry for Mental Health chats to writers and poets about their journey with mental health.
NEW - Articles
Articles about poetry and positive mental health. MORE ONLINE SHORTLY.
Featured Poets
Featuring over 60 poets around the world, with up to six pieces of their work, and a little about the author and the stories behind their work.
"People can benefit from writing poetry because it can take the images and the talk in your head and transfer it to paper. It’s like getting the words out
of your head so that they don’t linger there."
Nadine Dunseith
NEW - Writing Poetry for Mental Health Workshops
Poetry for Mental Health will shortly be runing half-day workshops across the East Anglia (and beyond) for charities, groups and organisation that would like to use poetry as therapy for its members and the people it supports. A lovely way to learn how to put thoughts, feelings and emotions down on paper! Private one-to-one workshops will also be available.
A separate page with further details will be online here shortly, in the meantime, contact us for for more information.
Other info ...
Directory of Support Services
Charities, groups and organisations worldwide offering mental health help and support to people in crisis.
Mental Health First Aid
Identifying warning signs of common mental health crisis, and how to guide a person towards safety and appropriate help. Read more ...
NEW - Classifieds
A great way to advertise your mental health related products and services to a global audience.
Donate
Please donate and keep Poetry for Mental Health running for yet another year.
Newletter
Be kept updated with our news and calls for submissions.
NOTE ON CONTRIBUTIONS: We publish mental health poetry from around the world, and for a number contributors to this website, English is not their first language. Unlike some other platforms, we don't heavily edit a poet's own work (if we did, it would then not be their own work!), so please focus on a poet's messages and meanings, and not necessarily on any grammatical mistakes or translated imperfections that may arise within their contribution.