This week is World Kindness Week, and with that in kind, my Poetic Sundays takes a detour sharing some of the best kindness poems for you rather than a poetic form. You can, of course, take inspiration from these poems and write your poem kindness poem!!

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Poetic Sundays: Five Wonderful Kindness Poems For You

I have read many poems about kindness and compassion over the years, and yet to read so many more.Today, I picked five random selections from the ones I loved for you.

If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

~ Emily Dickinson

The World’s Need

So many gods, so many creeds
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind
Is all the sad world needs.

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

The Real Good?

What is the real good?
I asked in musing mood.
Order, said the law-court;
Knowledge, said the school;
Truth, said the wise man;
Pleasure, said the fool;
Love, said the maiden;
Beauty, said the page;
Freedom, said the dreamer;
Home, said the sage;
Fame, said the soldier;
Equity, the seer: –
Spake my heart full sadly,
“The answer is not here.”
Then within my bosom,
Softly this I heard,
“Each heart holds the secret,
Kindness is the word!”

~  John Boyle O’Reilly

Compassion

A beggar in the street I saw,
Who held a hand like withered claw,
As cold as clay;
But as I had no silver groat
To give, I buttoned up my coat
And turned away.

And then I watched a working wife
Who bore the bitter load of life
With lagging limb;
A penny from her purse she took,
And with sweet pity in her look
Gave it to him.

Anon I spied a shabby dame
Who fed six sparrows as they came
In famished flight;
She was so poor and frail and old,
Yet crumbs of her last crust she doled
With pure delight.

Then sudden in my heart was born
For my sleek self a savage scorn,–
Urge to atone;
So when a starving cur I saw
I bandaged up its bleeding paw
And bought a bone.

For God knows it is good to give;
We may not have so long to live,
So if we can,
Let’s do each day a kindly deed,
And stretch a hand to those in need,
Bird, beast or man.

~ Robert William Service

Little Things

Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.

Thus the little minutes,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.

So our little errors
Lead the soul away
From the path of virtue
Far in sin to stray.

Little deeds of kindness,
Little words of love,
Help to make earth happy
Like the heaven above.

~ Julia Fletcher Carney

Bonus

There is Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem titled simply Kindness, Cathy Song’s The Kindness of Others

Recently

On My Blog and On the Homefront

My recent posts (since the last scribblings, as always)

• Five Wonderful Artsy Books to Gift Now and Later + More
• Tech Titles and More That Would Make Great Headlines
• Sunday Scribblings #164: Code Poetry: Exploring The Magic of..

On the homefront, for me, celebrating Deepavali this year was a bittersweet experience. Being unable to wish my mom a Happy Deepavali and discuss with her the sweets and snacks being made for this year was tough. But spending it with family and eating an amazing lunch at our cousin’s place was heartwarming. It was certainly a subdued celebration this year though.

And I also spent the last couple of days packing up for my mother-in-law as she is heading back to India this week. It will be an emptier nest without her at home here. Her stay here helped us all so much as I could travel to India to spend time with my mom without worrying about who is taking care of the family here, and in so many other ways as well.

Upcoming

On My Blog and On the Homefront

Posts coming your way for sure, a variety this week (at least in my mind!) And my son is heading home for Thanksgiving break this Friday <3

Celebrations

Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also!)

• Literary birthdays this week include: Robert Louis Stevenson on the 13th of Nov; Astrid Lindgren and Gary Provost on the 14th of November;  Marianne Moore on 15th Nov; Chinua Achebe on Nov 16th; Christopher Paolini on the 17th of November; Maggie Stiefvater and Margaret Atwood on Nov 18th; Ruta Sepetys on Nov 19th
• It is I Love to Write Day on November 15th, thanks to John Riddle of Delaware.
• The 15th of November is also the the Day of the Imprisoned Writer (started by PEN)
• World Philosophy Day observed annually on the third Thursday of November (16th Nov, 2023)

Foodie Celebrations

• Start it off on Nov 13th with National Indian Pudding Day
• Follow up with tangy-spicy tastes on November 14th, for it is National Spicy Guacamole Day and National Pickle Day.
• National Bundt (Pan) Day, National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day, and National Raisin Bran Cereal Day all fall on the 15th
• And then it is National Fast Food Day on November 16th
• A favorite treat (for me) has its own celebration on the 17th –  National Baklava Day. And maybe I should try making some bread, for it is also National Homemade Bread Day
• Then Apple Cider Day on the 18th
• followed by more liquid celebrations with National Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day on the 19th of November

Other Celebrations and Observations

• World Kindness Day is on the 13th of November
• November 14th happens to be Children’s Day in India (in honor of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India). (and I always silently celebrate my maternal grandpa’s birthday)
• The 15th is National Philanthropy Day, National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day, America Recycles Day, and National Ample Time Day (do you know where that ample time is?)
• International Day for Tolerance is observed on the 16th of November. This date, being the third Thursday in November this year, is also Use Less Stuff Day.
• November 17th is National Take A Hike Day, so explore local hiking trails..
• Mickey Mouse Birthday is on the 18th of November, so get some of those old comics and read them, and/or watch a few videos to spend time with everyone’s favorite mouse (:))…
• International Stand Up to Bullying Day is observed twice a year in February and November. In November, it is on the third Friday of the month
• The 19th celebrates a classic board game, so get your game on with National Play Monopoly Day 
• Volunteering is always a wonderful way to show kindness, and Family Volunteer Day celebrated annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving makes that easy..

Wrapped Up: My Sunday Scribblings

So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. Which of the kindness poems appealed to you the most? Do share your own favorite kindness poems with me. And as always, do let me know if you plan to celebrate any of these mentioned celebrations this coming week/month?

Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon.