“I thought it was very valuable to have a space that gave me the chance to think and talk about something that really mattered to me. I ended up talking about something that has been on my mind for months. Something I haven’t been able to verbalize, or haven’t allowed myself to give words to before.”

“The impact this poetry experience had on me was phenomenal. It had a ripple effect that impacted so many more people in my life than just myself. It helped me get through the day with ease, as if weight had been lifted off my shoulders that I didn’t even really know I had.”

“You are such a fine listener, and I am taken aback by your careful recollections of what I said to you. You truly captured the essence of my grief and the events that tumbled in and became a part of it, too. Your poem is tender and a comfort.”

“The experience with the poet could not have been more powerful. We met when the doctors had recommended that my mother move to hospice for her final days of her life. The poet asked if I’d like a poem and posed a number of questions that got me talking. The poet had perfect pitch – and her poem, well, it brought tears to my eyes and to my older brother’s.”

“Being a good listener is arguably the most important and quintessentially human way that we can continue to support each other - strangers and loved ones alike - as we navigate the chaos and complexities that our world continues to bring.”

“I found it to be an unexpected bright spot in my day. Poetry captures a moment, and if you are in a medical setting and worry tempts you to project into the future, staying in the moment is helpful.”

“Lots of things just sort of blurted out. It was raw and emotional and quite a bit messy (thank you for the tissues).”

“It was a nice reminder that people care about others, even if they don’t know them – something that I sometimes struggle to find at school and even with friends at home I have known for a while.”

“You had me crying even before I read your poem! Just beautiful. I had a smile on my face all day and posted to Facebook and the love kept coming all day.”

“I’m 50, and that was the first time I’ve ever felt heard.”

“The poetry experience was very therapeutic and it made me realize how much I had been holding onto this entire year.”

“I heard once that the stories we tell ourselves in the seconds after an accident or traumatic event help determine the trajectory of our recovery and of the narrative that we create around the event itself. My experience with the Listener Poet helped me frame a narrative around my difficult news and direct my focus in a healthy, constructive way. I am grateful for this experience and for the keepsake of the poem.”

“I really appreciated your deep heartfelt listening. I rarely feel that heard. The poem is such a vivid reminder of that interaction.”

“I just read your poem. In short, it took my breath away. I was reading out loud and froze before reading the second half. I knew all I said and thought but seeing it written made it real.”

“I was surprised how helpful it is to just have someone listen and ask gentle but meaningful questions.”

“You have NO idea how much your poem has deeply touched me! What a talent to just listen to me for a few minutes and write such a heart-warming poem.”

“This is a wonderful thing that you all are doing and I hope it continues and allows others to experience what I did and receive such a wonderful and thoughtful poem at the end. I have something that I can cherish and have shared with others. It captures my connection with my mother so intensely and beautifully.”

“It had a massive impact on my day and the day of others as well. Came up to my office and saw a physician reading the poem who proceeded to tell me a joke, and I haven’t had anyone tell me a joke in YEARS. It was a throwback to the days where my grandfather and his buddies would tell jokes and it gave me such a pure, nostalgic rush that I am still chuckling about it weeks later.”

“I am still so very grateful for the time we had together. It was truly healing for me. When we go back to the offices, your poem will have a prominent place. Reminding me of strength, growth, and hope.”

“I cherish this poem. It is already framed on my home office wall. The experience inspired me to reflect on the bright spots of a generally horrific year. And as we know, gratitude is an overwhelmingly positive emotion. Consequently, I smiled the rest of the day, and I treated my co-workers with extra grace as I remember they are sharing this COVID experience in their own ways. Thus, the framed copy on my wall. I want to hold that thought from that perspective.”

“Honestly just talking about my experiences and having someone truly listening lifted my spirits for the day and since. It helped me explore feelings and thoughts more deeply and uncover some that were buried. My wife asked me, “Why are you smiling so much?” Even now, reflecting on the experience itself just feels good. Having a poem at the end of it about me and my experiences and thoughts and feelings was humbling – who am I for someone to write a poem about me? It was truly powerful and I am honestly tearing up a bit thinking about it. It is such a simple thing that brought some humanity to a crazy time in my life and even my wife reading it feels a bit of that as well.”