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
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, and help you cope through words and poetry.
About ...
"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, eight 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!"
ROBIN BARRATT - Founder POETRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
"It is undeniable that putting thoughts, feelings and emotions into words, on paper, can be both therapeutic and an incredibly effective method of self-help and healing ... "
Just Released !!! ...
My Mental Health
Writers and poets around the world talk about their own personal journeys with mental health.
For further details, to see a full contents list, and to order a copy, click on the link below:
NEW - This Week's Featured Poetry (x4)
Week commencing Monday 03rd August, 2026.
RIGHT NOW, IT JUST HURTS
By Aaliyah Muili
Right now,
I am not searching for unseen benefits.
I am not building bridges out of pain,
or writing lessons into my scars.
Right now,
it just hurts.
And I need that to be okay.
I am tired of pretending I am okay,
tired of being strong just because people expect it.
Tired of smiling when all I want is quiet.
To be left alone.
Or held, without having to explain a thing.
I do not want advice.
I do not need answers.
I just want someone to say—
"I see you.
Even in this mess.
Even when you cannot speak."
Because the truth is—
I do not always know why I am crying.
I just know something inside me feels heavy.
Like something broke
and no one noticed the sound.
So, if I seem distant,
do not take it personally.
If I do not answer right away,
do not think I do not care.
I am just trying to keep my pieces together.
Right now,
I do not need fixing.
I just need space
to feel what I feel
without guilt.
Because healing?
It starts here.
In the ache.
In the silence.
In the not knowing.
And tomorrow I will hope again.
But right now—
right now, it just hurts.
ABOUT AALIYAH: Aaliyah is an 18-year-old Nigerian writer based in the United Kingdom. Her poetry explores mental health, identity, body image, family, faith, and healing. Through honest free verse, she hopes her work reminds readers that they are never alone in what they feel.
MY CHEMICAL NIGHTS
By Gabriela Sanderson
I reach for the blister,
how many will it be tonight?
An easy prescription,
no mathematical lambs,
no fake melatonin,
no stupefying wine.
Rest your head on the pillow,
Sleeping Beauty,
close your eyes.
Soon your night will be dark
and in that darkness
without dreams,
without music,
just a chemical lullaby
for grown-ups,
you'll know the void
in black and white,
in silence,
and your eyelids will keep
the faces of love away
for a hundred years.
You cannot fear
nightmares
when there is nothing.
Will there be a kiss
at the end of your night?
INSIDE HER MIND
Thy-Justice A Lumen
Inside her mind
That’s where you would find
A place where two different worlds would collide
Where she wouldn’t feel as though she has to hide
After burying her feelings deep inside
But now they ran as free as the tide
It was there within the ocean
That she saw her every emotion
They shimmered with light
The light upon the waves caught her sight
When the sun that shone upon them beamed so bright
It lifted her spirit and held her heart tight
No longer would she fear the darkness of the night
When the ocean whispered that she didn’t have to fight
The whisper that no one else could hear
The one that relieved her of all her fear
So despite the ocean not being anywhere near
Still, she could feel its atmosphere
And Inside her mind it was crystal clear
That she would return to the ocean year after year
It would relieve her of all her pain
And wash away her inner shame
She felt it deep inside her veins
That she was never to blame
And she knew she’d never again be the same
So now as she had stepped into the sea
Changed forever
And finally free
To be all she had wished to be
For it was the ocean
That made her see
That it would hold her heart
eternally
THE RAFT OF SALT AND STORM
By Anna Hostetter
I cast my line in murky, clouded deep,
Where promises are lies I’m forced to keep.
I ride the swells of calculated spite,
Beneath the storm-tossed roof of an endless night.
The lightning strikes—an anguish white and keen,
Reflecting only chaos, keeping me invisible and unseen.
A raft of splintered wood, a fragile seat,
Adrift upon a tide of a dark deceit.
My screams are swallowed by the howling gale,
No shore in sight to offer a sail.
The hunger gnaws, a hollow, starving ghost,
On this unforgiving, sunless coast.
I drink the salt, I pray for sweet relief,
But find only a drowning, salt-filled grief.
The ocean roars, transforming into a cold, indifferent friend,
Causing me to surrender toward the infinite, bitter end.
ABOUT ANNA: A survivor and a poet, Anna explores the intersections of trauma, memory, and the persistent, trembling light of resilience. Her work acts as a map of the internal landscapes we traverse when life’s foundations fracture. Anna is a writer of dark, gothic-inspired verse, dedicated to documenting the survival of the human spirit. Through her poetry, she seeks to turn the 'ruin' into a place of witness—where the wound is not hidden, but held and transformed. She believes that even in the deepest silence, there is a stubborn ember that refuses to surrender. She is currently dedicated to mental health awareness, advocating for the power of voice as a tool for healing and finding one's own pulse in the dark.
CLICK HERE to read more of Anna's work.
Lots more Featured Poetry here:
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: July 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, 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 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.
