[Podcast #285] Poetry All Year Long

Brave Writer Podcast

Do you ever wonder why poetry feels like a balm for the soul—especially when life gets hard?

In this Brave Writer podcast episode, we read aloud a collection of favorite poems, reflecting on how poetry helps us process emotions, connect with our children, and find beauty in everyday life.

We talk about:

  • why we keep reading poems even after National Poetry Month ends,
  • how Poetry Teatime can foster emotional resilience,
  • and why letting poetry “just be” can deepen our appreciation of it.

We also share personal stories, original poems, and ways to make poetry a natural part of your family rhythm.

Tune in to hear the poems that moved us—and maybe find one for your pocket too.

Show Notes

Poetry Month may come to a close, but our love affair with poetry doesn’t end on April 30th. In fact, some of the most moving encounters with poetry happen outside of celebration windows—in the quiet moments of parenting, in grief, in joy, and in the ordinary rituals that make up a family’s life. That’s why we keep poetry alive in our homes year-round, and why we believe in the transformative power of Poetry Teatime.

Poetry, after all, invites us to pause. It teaches us to notice. In a world of fast-paced curriculum and productivity checklists, poetry says: Slow down. Listen. There’s beauty here.

When we host Poetry Teatime, we aren’t simply teaching literary devices or memorizing verses. We are offering a gentle rhythm of connection—a space where kids and parents alike can gather around language that moves the heart. Some poems make us laugh with their linguistic acrobatics; others hold our sorrow with tender hands. That range is what makes poetry so vital. It meets us exactly where we are.

Let the poem do the talking

There’s no “right” way to read a poem. In fact, we try not to explain them too quickly. We let them linger. We let them land how they land. Children, especially, need room to respond from their own internal worlds. Whether it’s a limerick or a profound meditation on loss, a poem has the power to express something our kids may not yet have the words for. And often, it’s through modeling—reading aloud without agenda—that children find the courage to write their own.

Poetry as a path to expression

We’ve seen firsthand how a child who has never written much can be sparked by a single poem. Sometimes they imitate a favorite structure. Other times, they write straight from the heart. One parent told us her son wrote a poem about a traumatic car accident only after weeks of quiet Poetry Teatimes. He hadn’t wanted to talk about it—but the poem gave him a way to process. No worksheet or essay assignment could have reached him in that same way.

Language for what we feel

Poetry helps us live with our feelings, not fix them. It gives us metaphors when direct speech is too much. And it reminds us that there is a lineage of humans—across centuries—who have felt what we’re feeling. When we read aloud, especially in the shared ritual of teatime, we’re connecting to something larger than ourselves.

Make poetry a year-round tradition

That’s why we return to poetry not only when we’re teaching but when we’re grieving, celebrating, or just needing a reset. A good poem doesn’t age. It expands with us.

So whether you missed Poetry Month entirely or celebrated every day, it’s never too late—or too early—to open a book of verse, pour some tea, and read a poem together. That quiet presence poetry brings? It’s something we need all year long.

Resources

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Produced by NOVA

Brave Writer Podcast

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