Poetry

My Heart Leaps Up ~ A Poem by William Wordsworth

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When was the last time something as simple as a splash of color in the sky made you stop in your tracks and just… smile? In our world of glowing screens and endless to-do lists, we often forget that the best medicine for a tired soul isn’t found in an app, but in the same “rainbow moments” that made us leap for joy when we were five years old.

My Heart Leaps Up

William Wordsworth

My heart leaps up when I behold
A Rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the man;
And I wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

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Finding Your Inner Glow: Why Nature is the Ultimate Mood Booster

Have you ever felt that sudden, wonderful “spark” in your chest when you see something beautiful outside? That’s exactly what William Wordsworth is talking about in his classic poem, My Heart Leaps Up.

In our fast-paced, digital world, it’s so easy to lose touch with that childhood sense of wonder. Wordsworth reminds us that staying connected to nature—the same way we did as kids—is actually a vital part of staying healthy and vibrant as we grow older. Think of it as “natural piety” or a daily dose of Vitamin N (Nature)!

Even in a high-tech society, that simple joy of seeing a rainbow can ground us and keep our spirits high. It’s all about maintaining that beautiful thread of wonder from our youth into our busy adult lives.

As you read this poem, ask yourself:

“What is one small ‘rainbow moment’ from my childhood that I can rediscover today to bring more peace to my heart?”

Podcast: Beating the Holiday Blues: Why Feeling Blue Doesn’t Mean You’re Broken

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Feeling blue during the holidays doesn’t mean you’re broken. In this opening episode of Beating the Holiday Blues, Dr. Ray Calabrese explores why sadness often rises during the season—and why that’s completely human. Through music, poetry, and psychology, this episode offers reassurance, permission, and gentle hope for anyone feeling emotionally out of step with holiday cheer.

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New Podcast: Your Friends Are Medicine: The Hidden Health Benefits of Belonging

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We don’t heal alone. Explore the science and poetry of connection — and why your relationships may be the strongest medicine you have.

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New Podcast: Between the Scars: A Road Back to Living

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When grief threatens to pull us under, we face a powerful choice: life or death—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. In this episode of Journey from Grief to Healing, we reflect on a verse from Deuteronomy, poetic wisdom from Wordsworth, and even a photo of a pizza-loving great-granddaughter to explore how choosing life can ignite the embers of hope within us. This is your invitation to keep going—and to find joy in the little things.

5 Points to Ponder

  • Deuteronomy 30:19 inspires the theme—every day presents a clear, soul-level choice: life or death, hope or despair.
  • Hope lives in us—it’s written into our DNA. Choosing life rekindles that dormant ember.
  • Pain is part of living, but not the whole picture. Love, joy, and connection make up far more of our human experience.
  • Small joys matter most—a photo, a shared slice of pizza, a dancing daffodil can remind us why life is still beautiful.
  • Poetry as healing—Wordsworth’s “Daffodils” captures the heart’s quiet return to joy and the miracle of simple beauty.

New Podcast: When Grief Pushes, Life Pulls

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When Grief Pushes, Life Pulls

When someone we love dies, we don’t choose to move on—life nudges us forward. Gently. Quietly. Sometimes stubbornly.

In this episode, we explore how the light returns after the darkness, one moment at a time.

✨ Featuring moving poetry by Jovan Jovanovich Zmaj and Henry Van Dyke

🎙️ Real talk. Real healing. Real hope.

New Podcast: The Storm Has Passed: Finding Your Way Through Grief

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📌 Podcast Summary

In this episode of Journey from Grief to Healing, Ray reflects on how grieving reshapes our understanding of loss, compassion, and what it means to live fully again. Through personal stories, metaphors, and poetry by Tagore and Mary Oliver, Ray guides listeners from the darkness of grief toward the light of renewal. If you’ve ever felt stuck behind the bars of sorrow, this episode offers a gentle nudge to help you open the door to hope, joy, and the wonders waiting beyond.

5 Salient Points

  • Grieving transforms how we empathize with others—we only truly understand grief when we experience it ourselves.
  • Avoiding grief delays healing; grieving is therapeutic and necessary for moving forward in life.
  • Support—whether from friends, therapists, or grief groups—helps us “row the canoe” of sorrow with more strength and direction.
  • Grief can feel like being locked in a cell, but the door is often open—we need the courage to step through to freedom.
  • Embracing life again, like Mary Oliver’s dog in the snow, is an act of joy, resilience, and reclaiming our right to happiness.

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Helping ~ A Poem by Shel Silverstein

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Help

Shel Silverstein

Agatha Fry, she made a pie
And Christopher John helped bake it
Christopher John, he mowed the lawn
And Agatha Fry helped rake it

Now, Zachary Zugg took out the rug
And Jennifer Joy helped shake it
Then Jennifer Joy, she made a toy
And Zachary Zugg helped break it

And some kind of help is the kind of help
That helping’s all about
And some kind of help is the kind of help
We all can do without

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New Podcast: The Land Beyond: Where Grief Ends and Hope Begins

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In this episode, Ray shares a powerful message for anyone standing at the edge of change: it’s okay to be afraid. It’s normal to want to stay where it’s familiar — even if it hurts. But healing begins when we take that first step into the unknown.

With personal reflections, poetic insights, and a story that feels like your own, this episode reminds us that the land beyond is closer than we think.

Podcast: Bouncing Back from Grieving: The Power of Resilience

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Grief can feel like it robs us of our strength, leaving us lost and uncertain. But deep within, resilience waits to be rediscovered. In this episode of Journey from Grief to Healing, Dr. Ray Calabrese explores how life’s challenges—whether childhood falls, heartbreak, or profound loss—shape our ability to rise again. Drawing on poetry, personal reflections, and the wisdom of resilience, this episode reminds us that healing is possible. Your journey isn’t over, and your best days are still ahead. Tune in and take the next step toward renewal, hope, and peace.

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Ars Poetica ~ A Poem by Paul Verlaine

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Ars Poetica

Paul Verlaine

Come, let’s restore form to our verses!
Of senseless lines we’ve had enough,
Of lines disorderly and rough!
Law-bound the poet’s universe is.

Let music in our verse be present,
The crystal clarity of springs
And that first freshness thunder brings,
The fragrance that makes woodlands pleasant!

And let our verse fuse well together
Thought, image and sonority.
A glass of old wine they must be –
And not a frothy mug of blether.

Enough of idle words and chatter!
Let’s fall in love with order due,
Clear images and feelings true
And strive to grasp the points that matter!

In simple words let our recital
Be of this complex age we live in,
In wise words warmth and guidance giving!
Verse – to be good – must first be vital!

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