Poetry Therapy Exercise and Poem by Wendy Croll, MA, LPC

Poetry and creative writing have been practiced to process trauma and promote healing for centuries. One of our trauma therapists, Wendy Croll, MA, LPC gave us permission to share her poem about quarantine and the current crisis in our world. Below you can also find a poetry therapy exercise for creating calm.

The expectations are the same

         take care of those who need us the most, comfort those in pain

who have lost their lives or their brothers and sisters lives

just be there

offer hope through prayer, meditation

                                               teach breathing techniques and express your fears, sorrow and pain through music

believe in humanity and social distancing

and together we can breath, a different kind of breath

                       one that holds are children closer, allowing us to cry at our own fears 

                            and rejoice in the re-birth of a world we are just beginning to re-explore

take solace in the stillness of a moment, before it passes us by

engage in the harmonious laughter of others in a joke too good to pass up

I hear you. I hear all of you. 

your inner dialogue

your anxiety and grief

you are not alone. we are with you.

I told our member so quietly as she buried her sister and brother-in-law in the same week

I hear you as I whispered to another member, as he lost his childhood friend

you are not alone

In some ways, I appreciate the solitude the crippling pandemic has brought

knowing full well, I am the lucky one

I live with my family and 3 cats 

I have access to the internet and have been able to maintain both of my jobs, for now

my day is full of member and staff meetings and food delivery

my evenings offer a quiet ear for the weary hearted, as a therapist

college students unable to graduate, clients with increased PTSD, unresolved trauma

                                                                                      business owners unable to pay their staff

                                                                           how passive-aggressive. Spring can be on humanity

                          giving us a sense of hope as the world awakens, so do we allowing ourselves to love deeper and fight harder

                          do not fight for the world that was, fight for the hope of the world to come 

                           we whisper with apprehension. I hear you. I hear all of you. hold those you love a little closer, embrace the moment

                                                                                  allow yourself to cry, for you are not alone

                                        this too shall pass.

~Wendy Croll, MA, LPC

Poetry Therapy Exercise

1. Find a space free of distractions and that is comfortable for you. You may want to have a calming cup of tea, candles/essential oils, and cozy pillows and blankets. Be sure to have something to write with and some paper or a journal.

2. Once you are comfortable, take three calming breaths: breath in for four, hold for four (if tolerated), out for four, and rest for four. Please feel free to modify this breath practice to your comfort.

3. Take a moment to check-in with your body nonjudgmentally and notice where you’re at in this moment.

4. Start to imagine in your mind a place that feels calm to you. Notice what you see, what you smell, what you hear, what you taste, and any sensations associated with this place. Take your time here to really notice all the colors, objects, sounds, aromas, and elements of this space.

5. Write down a detailed description of your calm space with as many details as you can.

6. Whenever you are feeling stressed come back to this poem and remind your mind and body what it is like in your calm space.