Nobody gets a kick out of writing hardship poems, for obvious reasons. We write what we know, and most of us are just as happy keeping hardship a stranger. That said, we all go through times of trial, and writing or reading cathartic hardship poems can lift our spirits considerably. Sometimes, we need to wallow in our misery a bit. Other times, we need to vent about it. Much of the time, though, we are simply looking for a ray or two of hope. In this section, Hardship Poems, you can be sure to find plenty of all three. I hope you also find some relief, as I did in writing them.
FINDING THE POEM YOU WANT: As you scroll through this section, simply read each snippet sample (usually the first four lines) to get a feel for the poem. When you find something you like, click “CONTINUE READING” to view the entire poem.
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Even the peaceful soul must know distress.
Knowledge was never gleaned from nothingness.
Duress is key, yet joy brings lessons too.
Bitter and sweet (combined) divine what’s true.
Hope was not meant
to lock in the result
that we hope for.
Hope is simply a force
to ease burdens and
light our way through.
Brokenness heals –
cracks wide our throbbing doors –
lets go, lets God,
lets out the flood that pours
from swollen skies.
It’s up to me to live my days
in sunlit hues or shady haze.
Though circumstance vies for control,
I chart the weather in my soul.