Poetry of Presence I & II

Poetry of Presence Collection

Some poems are good medicine.
And some “good medicine poems” are
mindfulness poems.

Mindfulness poems invite us to bring our whole self to whatever moment we’re in, and truly live it. They encourage us to be more present, more attentive and compassionate, in the living of our days. They grant us a taste of being good enough, just as we are, in this world, just as it is.

These Poetry of Presence collections are books for the times we live in. They’re inspiring reads for lovers of beautiful, accessible poetry. They’re also valuable resources for literature teachers, spiritual directors, meditators, interfaith clergy, mindfulness trainers, social workers, counselors, poetry therapists, hospice and grief workers, and medical personnel.

Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems

Poetry of Presence is a collection of more than 150 mindfulness poems, mostly by contemporary or recent poets. These poems call us to the Here and Now, and help us to dwell there. The Here and Now is all that truly belongs to us, and as the poets say, it’s enough.

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Anthologized poets include Yehuda Amichai • Margaret Atwood • Ellen Bass • Wendell Berry • Robert Bly • Billy Collins • Mahmoud Darwish • Thich Nhat Hanh • Joy Harjo • Tony Hoagland • Miroslav Holub • Marie Howe • Erica Jong • Kabir • Galway Kinnell • Ted Kooser • Howard Nemerov • Kathleen Norris • Mary Oliver • Rainer Maria Rilke • Rumi • May Sarton • William Stafford • David Wagoner • Alice Walker and many more.

Check out the companion guide by poet and teacher Gloria Heffernan here.

“I’ll keep this by my side to read one poem a day to return to a state of mindfulness, breathing language through the heart. If you choose one anthology, I say let it be this one for the amazement⎯for the voices that, surprisingly, will speak to what you want to find in yourself.”
Grace Cavalieri, host and producer,
“The Poet and the Poem from the Library of Congress”

Poetry of Presence II: More Mindfulness Poems

This follow-up volume to the immensely popular Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems contains nearly 140 poems, most by contemporary or recent poets. Many of the poems delve into relational or social mindfulness, helping you explore “the tough stuff” of living among others with presence. They invite you to face relational challenges without turning away from them. To deepen your awareness of them. To seek equanimity in the midst of them. To address them with compassion, hope, courage, and humility.

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Anthologized poets include Ellen Bass • Wendell Berry • Lucille Clifton • Albert Garcia • Ross Gay • Amanda Gorman • Thich Nhat Hanh • Joy Harjo • Linda Hogan • Ted Kooser • Dorianne Laux • Li-Young Lee • Ada Limón • W. S. Merwin • Naomi Shihab Nye • Mary Oliver • Rainer Maria Rilke • Rumi • William Stafford • Joyce Sutphen • Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer • David Whyte • and many more.

NOW AVAILABLE: A companion guide by poet and teacher Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. Use the anthology to deepen your writing practice. Learn more here.

“These mindfulness poems help us wake up to the suffering of people who are different from us. That’s a long process—I’ll be waking up until the moment I die. But once we start to wake up, we enter the conversation on human rights. We want to tend those afflicted by the ways of this world. God was sneaky, giving us beautiful poetry to get us involved!”
—Sister Helen Prejean,
leading voice for death penalty abolition,
author of Dead Man Walking and River of Fire

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Why Mindfulness Poetry Matters

“Whether or not we have a formal mindfulness practice, mindfulness poetry can help us keep (or regain) our footing in a world of tremendous upheaval. It can help prepare us to act with clarity amidst confusion, with lovingkindness amidst cruelty. It can also provide a refuge, where we can recharge when we’re worn down, where we can just be.”

—From “The Invitation,” the book’s introduction

Praise for Volume II

Tara Brach on Meditation and Overcoming FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) (#94) - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

“Poetry of Presence II is a gift to the soul. Each poem in this cherished collection is a meditation unto itself, a portal into the mystery of sacred awareness.”

—Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and Trusting the Gold

“A beautiful collection of poetry that sings like music. It opens the heart and invites mindful loving awareness into the rhythm of every part of life.”

⎯Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart

Sister Helen Prejean (@helenprejean) / Twitter

“These mindfulness poems help us wake up to the suffering of people who are different from us. That’s a long process—I’ll be waking up until the moment I die. But once we start to wake up, we enter the conversation on human rights. We want to tend those afflicted by the ways of this world. God was sneaky, giving us beautiful poetry to get us involved!”

—Sister Helen Prejean, leading voice for death penalty abolition, author of Dead Man Walking and River of Fire

Temple Emanu-El hosts Kaplan Scholar-in-Residence on Feb. 18-19

“This extraordinary collection of poems reminds us that we’re not meant to live alone. It affirms what we have in common as human beings, as well as what makes us unique. It invites us, even in the midst of struggle and heartache, to choose to be present in relationship with others, offering radical acceptance, kindness, and courage.”

—Rabbi Karyn Kedar, author of Amen: Seeking Presence with Prayer, Poetry, and Mindfulness Practice

49: Christina Baldwin: The Life Purpose of a Spiritual Storyteller

“The editors understand how to present a collection of diverse poems. After all their work, they have the wisdom to pull back the curtain and let the poetry take center stage. Their generosity presents readers with a book to be savored—set on a bedside table, read in the kitchen, carried in a purse or briefcase … one poem at a time, let loose in our hearts and minds.”

—Christina Baldwin, author of The Seven Whispers and Storycatcher

“Looking deeply at the lives they live and encounter, these poets honor the organ donor, the worker who mops up blood and excrement from hospital floors, the startling nobility of a disabled teen . . . so many people, moments, and things we often fail to notice or turn away from. Thank you, poets, for opening our eyes and our hearts.”

—Richard Brady, author of Walking the Teacher’s Path with Mindfulness: Stories for Reflection and Action

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Thanks to Ginny Connors and her team at Grayson Books, Poetry of Presence is soaring and Poetry of Presence II is leaving the nest. But as editors we need your help keep these books in the air. Why?

Grayson Books can keep this book in print only as long as we, the editors, continue to cover the high cost of permissions to reprint previously published poems. Please consider a modest donation to help us meet that expense.

Click on the button below to make a secure gift by credit card or Paypal. Or, if you’d prefer, send us a check, payable to Back Productions LLC, 46855 200th St., Bruce, SD USA 57220.

We thank you in advance, with full hearts. Your generosity will put both Poetry of Presence volumes into the hands of more readers.

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Some poems are good medicine. And some “good medicine poems” aremindfulness poems.

Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems

Poetry of Presence II: More Mindfulness Poems

Some poems are good medicine.
And some “good medicine poems” are
mindfulness poems.