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 abuse, which some people might find upsetting.
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Poetry for Mental Health
Supporting people around the world through words and poetry.
"Poetry for Mental Health has supported thousands of people through words and poetry! No matter what your age, background and experience, culture, nationality, 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."
About ...
ROBIN BARRATT - Founder POETRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
"I formed
Poetry for Mental Health at the outbreak of COVID, as a way of helping people cope mentally through lockdown and the pandemic by inspiring them to write poetry. Six years, seven books (just started working on our eighth), many hundreds of poets, and many thousands of pieces of poetry later,
Poetry for Mental Health
is still inspiring people to write poetry for positive mental health! And with almost 1900 visitors for the month of Jan, 2026, it
is now probably the largest and most visited website of its kind on the net!"
COMING SOON ... OUR NEXT COLLECTION!
PTSD - Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
A collection of personal stories and poetry about life and living with PTSD.
Publication date:
mid
April 2026.
NEW - This Week's Featured Poetry (x4)
Week commencing Monday 13th April, 2026.
MAKE ME BELIEVE IT
By Thy-Justice Amaranth Lumen
Make me believe it
Just a little bit
And for a while we can sit
Sit and talk about the dark pit
The one that would harshly hit
The one that would shred us to bits
The one that made us stand
And take hold of each others hands
Skipping together, through all of this land
Blessed and free were we, oh it was grand
He blessed every last one of their strands
In the land of hope and light
The one that felt just right
The one that stayed within our sight
Despite the pit making you feel fright
For all of night
With flames of doom,
The ones that pound like a boom,
Its ashes would be swept away soon
As soon as he had found his broom
He would sweep that entire room
For it was him whom—
Led them away from their wounds
And wrapped them safe in a soft cocoon
So when they entered their light
That’s when we can end our fight
For after the boom in that big room
We would smile again, not just yet, but soon
And together we would skip to the moon
ABOUT THE POEM: "This was written when detained under the mental health act when I couldn't see the light ahead of me, but writing this poem and others, helped me through that difficult time."
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PICK A THERAPIST
By Norma Zimmermann
Find someone sturdy
who won’t blow over
at the slightest breeze.
Rubber boots and gaiters are needed,
to tramp though the swamp,
catch you when you trip and fall
into murky water.
A punching bag body
you can upper cut, jab, cross, kick,
who will treat your bruised hands tenderly.
An umbrella is essential,
protection against a downpour of tears,
mingled with snot, powered by grief.
Someone who points true north,
in case you get lost
and your compass is broken.
Someone with strong fences,
where wild horses gather,
but cannot pass over.
Someone who will know
when it’s time to leave,
after the final act.
WHAT A GREAT JOY
By Jennifer Warwick
What a great joy, I don’t have to drink anymore.
Straighten my brain, I don’t have to drink anymore.
Smile in sobriety, I don’t have to drink anymore.
The hard part is done, I don’t have to drink anymore.
Drinking was the old way.
Yesterday’s gone, it’s a new day.
What a great joy, I don’t have to drink anymore.
Beer after beer, I didn’t have to think anymore.
Staggering along, lost with no song.
Feeling much darker than blue.
I didn’t drink that many,
It can’t be true.
Now I’ve got wet brain, my thoughts are a jumble.
The only words leaving my mouth are unintelligible mumble.
Suffer inside, no one feels my distress.
Suffer inside, no one feels my distress.
But,
What a great joy, I don’t have to drink anymore.
Straighten my brain, I don’t have to drink anymore.
I BLINK
By Noemi Leon
I blink I see cars and clouds zoom by
I blink I see buildings wither and bloom again
I blink I see life small and big
I blink I’m here
I blink I’m filled with,
Joy
Laughter
Curiosity
Love
Determination
Freedom
I’m 8 again.
Filled of love of the people around me
I blink that circle shrinks
I blink tired eyes
I blink time chimes
I blink I’m filled with,
Exhaustion
Depression
Dread
Hopelessness
I blink I’m 22.
I blink back on the bus clouds passing cars driving
I blink scared of the unknown
I blink but I’m here
I’m here to stay till it’s my time
I blink and breathe
Next time I blink how old will I be.
I blink I’m me.
ABOUT THE POEM: "I’m new to poetry, and have never actually been great at words in general. I'm scared of the unknown, of the afterlife and how fast it feels. I’m an adult now, but feel like I was a child just a blink ago away. The vigorous changing of time is just so beautiful, yet terrifying - with no control over it. I’m scared, but also I'm not."
Lots more Featured Poetry here:
Our Books
Personal Journeys
In their own words, writers and poets write about their own personal journey with mental health.
Interviews
Ten amazing writers and poets talking about their own personal journey with mental health.
Featured Poets
Featuring poets from around the world, with up to six pieces of their work, and a little about the author and the stories behind their work.
And lots more ...
Featured Books
Promoting poetry books and publications.
And lots more ...
Other ...
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.
Newsletter - What's new at Poetry for Mental Health - March 2026
What's new at Poetry for Mental Health - March 2026.
Download 0.8 MB pdf file
Send us your name and email address and we'll keep you updated with what's new at
Poetry for Mental Health, plus calls for submissions for our titles and website. IMPORTANT: we'll never pass your details onto anyone else ... ever!
Publishing Services
We publish books for other people too!!!
Would you like to see your poetry collection published as a paperback and Kindle, and available for other people to read around the world? Prices start from just £150.00 for a chapbook / short collection. Click on the link for more info. Plus Promoting Your Book- information and advice for promoting and marketing your book. We have published over 100 books for other people. Just a few examples below:
We have published over 100 books for other people. Just a few examples below:
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.