Week Fifteen – One Woman Hamlet

Hello All,

My Favorite Bit of Information From The Week:

Poetry On Mental Health

Introduction: In honor of National Poetry Month, I have decided to share some of my favorite poems about mental health with you. Poetry and the act of reading in general can be very cathartic for me when I am having a hard time. I also find poetry can be a great window into the mind of someone with mental health struggles. So, if you are curious about those you love who may be suffering, poetry can be a great tool to cultivate understanding and support.

My top seven mental health poems are as follows, one for each day of the following week should you wish:

1. Having It Out With Melancholy by Jane Kenyon. This link leads you to the poem, and also an audio clip of Amanda Palmer reading it, I love to listen to it while reading along.

2. Here is a picture of one of my favorite Rupi Kaur poems:

This article lists a culmination of Rupi Kaur’s mental health based poems, some on the lighter side, some on the darker side- both valuable.

3. Explaining My Depression to My Mother, A Conversation by Sabrina Benaim. This youtube reading is a look into a young woman’s dealings with Depression.

4. Suicide Note by Akeemjamal Rollins: This youtube reading is a look into a young man’s dealings with suicide.

5. Here is a weird animation from one of my favorite books The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry. It is a poem of sorts not specifically about mental health, but it really does it for me- it gets me out of my head and thinking about the wonder and weirdness of what’s around me, something that is hard to do when I am anxious or depressed.

6. Wild Geese, By Mary Oliver: While not specifically about mental health, it heels me and speaks specifically to those who are lonely. You can also hear her reading it here.7.Tulips by Sylvia Plath: The legendary Sylvia Plath on Depression.

For an article on the history of Poetry and mental health, and for a podcast on the same topic, check out “Additional Resources” at the bottom of this E-mail.

Update on my Show:

I know I posted this the past two weeks, but I am really excited: OUR WEBSITE IS OFFICIALLY UP AND RUNNING! Please check it out if you have a second!
www.onewomanhamlet.com
AND! An update Video for you to check out.

Many, Many thanks: Margo Siwak and Joe Siwak for the design of the logo, and to Jillian Best and Bill Best for the Website creation and Design! I feel very blessed to have such beautiful humans in my life.

Also, edits, edits, edits! This month is dedicated to really fine tuning more of the script.

Thank You: Thank you VERY much to all who have donated thus far, making this project possible.

Ways to Support: If you would like to donate to my show, share this project with a friend, or find out more about it please check out my gofundme here: https://www.gofundme.com/one-woman-hamlet