Over the last few months, many of us have relied on the wisdom of friends, family, and colleagues to keep us strong. In this poem, Rupi Kaur shares some wisdom from her mother. Happy Mother’s Day!

Welcome back to Sensory Saturday! In “Breakage,” poet Mary Oliver brings us to the edge of the sea, a place that many of us are itching to return to. See if you can hear the gulls dropping shells onto the rocks, and feel the shell's rough edges. Know that you will go back.

The downward slope of the curve is maddeningly slow. Many of us are wondering, maybe more than ever, how much longer this journey lasts and what the finish line looks like. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” from the musical Carousel, encourages us to “walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown.” Leslie Odom Jr. used the song to serenade frontline workers at the close of the 2020 NFL draft. Listen closely to the words, they are truly perfect.

Early in the 20th century, Max Erhmann penned the words: “Do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.” He named his completed poem Desiderata, which is the plural of desideratum, or “a thing that is wanted or needed.” It is his most famous poem, and its words certainly resonate today.

Pointing to silver linings can be risky. So many people are lonely and so many are sick. Still, there is much to be grateful for. This poem reminds me of Khaled Hosseini's observation in his novel The Kite Runner-- "There is a way to be good again."

Thank you to Drs. Josy Abisaab and Michele Rosenthal for sending this poem.

Many of us have wondered if we are doing enough in the face of this formidable challenge.  Have we healed enough patients?  Been brave enough?  Cared enough?  Been careful enough?  This song by Alicia Keys carries a simple message: you are doing a good job.  Take a deep breath and listen.

Thank you to Blanca Carpio and Dr. Lucy Willis for sending this link.

The more difficult the situation, the more valuable hope can be. It is one of the most powerful and sturdy forces available to us. This is why Emily Dickinson’s poem about hope, penned nearly two centuries ago, is as relevant today as ever. I am hoping for a better tomorrow.

London’s West End (the UK’s equivalent of Broadway) closed its theaters on March 16, and they remain closed today. But the actors continue singing as part of a group called 70 West End. This video, “Do You Hear the People Sing,” from Les Miserables, is their tribute to the National Health Service Workers and volunteers. In the words of actor Christopher Biggins, they chose this song to “remind everyone how much stronger we are when we work together.” We have all seen the truth in these words.

It’s Sensory Saturday! This poem by New York Times columnist Roger Cohen was featured on the Podcast “The Daily” on April 24. It conjures up all of the sights, sounds, and tastes of the city that we miss so much. Dear NYC: we love you. Please come back.

Thank you to Dr. Vivien Yap for sharing this poem.

This excerpt comes from a longer poem by nature lover Mary Oliver. She encourages the reader to “let grief be your sister” but also to “rise up” and enjoy all of the beauty the world offers up. Her words are perfect for the present moment.

Thank you to Dr. Michael Stern for sharing this piece.

The grayer the sky, and the colder the day, the more important it becomes to nourish our hearts and those of our friends. We can keep each other going.

I love this Alicia Keys song because it honors the people being hit hardest by this pandemic—the nameless, homeless, single mothers, student doctors, and “the people on the front line knowing they don’t get to run.”  She is so graceful and so poised.  She reminds me to “keep on keeping at what you love.”  And that is why we do what we do.

Chilean poet Pablo Neruda speaks in this poem about standing still. He says, "Perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness." Hopefully tonight, as we mourn lost colleagues, friends, and family members, that will be true.

“The Guest House,” by 13th century poet and theologian Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (typically referred to as Rumi) is a poem about accepting all experiences in life, and being grateful for each-- even the negative. His words are hard to accept at the moment, but maybe it’s all the more important to try.

It's Sensory Saturday! These dancers from the Ballet de L’Opera National de Paris are far away from us and distant from one another, but the sense of the tactile that they evoke is extreme. The music they chose, “Dance of the Knights,” comes from Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet,” and is positioned within the Capulet Ball where Juliet first meets Romeo. It is full of the desire to touch and be touched, and, as the director notes, “fear, hope, and the will to raise one’s head.” They dedicated the dance to the frontline workers, hoping “to make the confinement of the French a little less painful.” Enjoy every moment of this breathtaking piece.

Thank you Dr. Lucy Willis for sending this.

Milan’s iconic La Scala Theater first opened its doors in 1778, when it premiered Antonio Salieri’s opera Europa Riconosciuta. Besides closures for renovations, it has suspended performances only twice in 242 years: once for a fire in 1776, and once after a bombing in 1943. In February, the pandemic forced its doors closed again. Despite this setback, the musicians of La Scala’s Symphony Orchestra have kept on with their craft, just as we have, and will continue to do-- with grace and an eye for what remains good in the world. Here they are, performing Pachelbel’s Canon from their homes.

Thank you to Dr. S. Nena Osorio for sharing this video.

Tonight is the first night of Ramadan. Some of the customs, such as gathering to pray or to break the fast together, may be difficult to carry out this year. But the customs of meditation and reflection will stay intact. I love this poem by Pakistani American poet Raza Ali Hasan. In it, he evokes a sacred space where anybody could take refuge.

It can be hard to square the sadness of death with the sheer beauty all around us in the world. But here is Mary Oliver reminding us: “it is heaven itself to take what is given, to see what is plain; what the sun lights up willingly.” The daisies in the field remain absolutely beautiful.