Today, the poetry of Laura Ding Edwards is a comfort.

The Mountain

If the mountain seems too big today then climb a hill instead
if the morning brings you sadness it’s okay to stay in bed
if the day ahead weighs heavy and your plans feel like a curse
there’s no shame in re-arranging don’t make yourself feel worse
if a shower stings like needles and a bath feels like you’ll drown
if you haven’t washed your hair for days don’t throw away your crown
a day is not a lifetime a rest is not defeat
don’t think of it as failure just a quiet kind retreat
it’s okay to take a moment from an anxious fractured mind
the world will not stop turning while you get realigned
the mountain will still be there when you want to try again
so climb it in your own time and love yourself til then

Courage

I hope you speak up
For yourself and for all
For those who feel worthless
And unheard and small
For the lost and the lonely
The ones with no voice
For those who fall silent
And those with no choice
For the last and the little
The unseen and unheard
The pushed out and hidden
Who don’t speak a word
The beaten and broken
The defeated and done
I hope you use your voice
When they feel they have none
I hope you speak up
Even if you’re afraid
And you may never know
Of the difference you made
Speak for women before you
The burnt and the brave
For those still to come
And ones we could not save

You can read more of Laura Ding Edwards’s remarkable work on her website and on Instagram and Facebook.