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.
POETRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH MEMBERSHIP & MAGAZINE
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Poetry for Mental Health
Supporting people around the world through words and poetry ...
"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, nine books, 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 1500 visitors a the month, it
is now probably the largest and most visited website of its kind on the net!"
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, and help you cope through words and poetry.
ROBIN BARRATT - Founder POETRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
NEW - This Week's Featured Poetry (x4)
Week commencing Monday 12th October, 2026.
I LET THIS GO
By Angela Lemke
I let this go.
This memory is not even a memory.
This is a thought. Made up.
It's not real.
There's no emotion attached to it.
This thought. Just a thought.
Not a memory.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Let go.
ABOUT ANGELA: Angela is an emerging writer who uses poetry as a tool for mindfulness, healing, and personal growth. Their work focuses on the power of letting go and reclaiming control over one's own thoughts. This is their first formal poetry submission.
TWILIGHT OF THE SENSES
By James Aitchison
In the dimming days,
in the winter of the mind,
I perceive the truth.
The narrowing of life
is a preamble,
not to be feared.
I cannot dictate eternity,
it is not my choice.
No living being can tell me
of the great secrets awaiting me.
I cannot be assured, nor do I want to be.
I step into the whiteness,
carrying my tiny existence
in both hands,
for I have lived —
I have lived!
SEVEN SECONDS TO THE GROUND
By Grace Wilhelmi
7 seconds to the ground
You just stepped off the edge
The wind whips your hair
You think "this is it, it's finally over"
Surrounded by the cool September air
6 seconds to the ground
You see the concrete below
And the foggy sky above you
The ground is getting closer
And the clouds feel like they're falling too
5 seconds to the ground
Your phone buzzes in your pocket
Your best friend calling to say hi
They'll wonder why you don't pick up
But soon they'll find out why
4 seconds to the ground
You see the tears in your mother's eyes
She won't know what to say
She'll wonder what she could have done
To make you stay another day
3 seconds to the ground
You see your brother punching a wall
Your sister blaming herself
Your father wishing he had known
As he puts your ashes on a shelf
2 seconds to the ground
Now you're wondering why
Why did I do this?
Why couldn't I stay alive?
Why am I falling when I still had so much time?
1 second to the ground
The moment you've been waiting for
But now your mind is haunted
You've finally reached the end
But is this really the ending you wanted?
THE TWELVE STEPS TO FREEDOM
By John Marley
Our hearts have known the true meaning of pain.
Our bodies have been battered and bruised.
Our minds have been tortured again and again
by the alcohol and drugs we have abused.
Our loved ones, family, and friends,
we have hurt them one by one.
We have lied, cheated and stolen,
just some of the crazy things we have done.
Rehabs and penitentiaries
are some of the places we have been,
only to get back out
and do it all over again.
Our lives as addicts have been difficult
because of mistakes that we have made.
Unhappiness, sickness, heartache, and death
are some of the prices we have paid.
Why are we the way we are?
Why do we all do it?
Other people do not understand
because they have never once been through it.
It is time we all made changes.
We must find a better way.
We must live our lives and stop killing ourselves.
What more is there to say?
We must recognize our powerlessness
and admit all the crazy things we have done.
We see that in our Basic Text.
It clearly says it in Step One.
We are taught that a Higher Power will restore our lives,
and trusting in the Power is what we should do.
And we know that this suggestion is true
because it teaches us that in Step Two.
We must open our eyes for once in our lives
so we can finally see.
Against all odds, we must give it to God.
We learn this in Step Three.
We must open our hearts and search our souls.
This is an important part of the story.
It says it plainly in Step Four,
when we take our moral inventories.
We must admit the things that we have done wrong
and the way we have lived our lives.
And when that task is done,
we have fully completed Step Five.
We must be ready to fully surrender
and ask God to make us new women and men.
It says it in Step Six.
And it says it in Step Seven again.
We must identify the amends
we should make for all our sins.
They say it is never too late.
This is what we learned
when we completely explored Step Eight.
Then we are called to take action.
We must actually take the time.
We must repair the wrongs we did to others,
without further injury.
We learn this in Step Nine.
The Tenth Step goes hand in hand
with what we learned in Step Four.
We took our moral inventories.
This step says do it some more.
Then we are told to meditate and pray
so that we may receive God's will.
And when we do what is asked of us,
Step Eleven will be fulfilled.
Last but not least,
we learn Step Twelve.
It says we must take our knowledge
and give it back.
And we must practice
the spiritual principles we have learned,
so our lives will stay on track.
So, the moral of this story is:
do not worry about tomorrow.
And do not live in thoughts of yesterday.
These things we must do,
we must do…
JUST FOR TODAY.
ABOUT JOHN: John is a writer from Columbus, Ohio, whose work explores addiction, recovery, resilience, human behavior, and the difficult process of rebuilding a life. He is currently studying psychology and draws on personal experience to write with honesty and compassion for people whose struggles are often misunderstood by others in society.
Our Books
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 ...
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 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.
What's new at Poetry for Mental Health ...
Poetry for Mental Health's newsletter: September, 2026.
Click the button below to download a pdf version.
NEWSLETTER
Send us your name and email address and we'll keep you updated with what's new at
Poetry for Mental Health. 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 poetry 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.