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The Poetry Pharmacy Returns: More Prescriptions for Courage, Healing and Hope
'A matchless compound of hug, tonic and kiss' Stephen Fry on William Sieghart's bestselling Poetry PharmacyThe Poetry Pharmacy is one of the bestselling (and most giftable) poetry anthologies of recent decades. Now, after huge demand for more prescriptions from readers and 'patients' alike, William Sieghart is back. This time, tried-and-true classics from his in-person pharmacies are joined by readers' favourite poems and the new conditions most requested by the public - all accompanied by his trademark meditations (warm, witty and understanding, with just a twist of the challenging) on the spiritual ailments he seeks to cure.From ageing bodies and existential crises to long-distance relationships and embracing your slovenliness, The Poetry Pharmacy Returns caters to all-new conditions while drilling further down into the this time, the challenges of family life, and of living as a person among others, receive a much closer look. Perfect for the treasured friends, barely tolerated siblings, beloved aunts and revered grandparents in your life.
150 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
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2021 people want to read
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March 25, 2022
Poetry is what in a poem makes you laugh, cry, prickle, be silent, makes your toenails twinkle, makes you want to do this or that or nothing, makes you know that you are alone and not alone in the unknown world, that your bliss and suffering is forever shared and forever all your own. All that matters about poetry is the enjoyment of it however tragic it may be all that matters is the eternal movement behind it – the great undercurrent of human grief, folly, pretension, exaltation and ignorance – however un-lofty the intention of the poem.
(Dylan Thomas)
The second volume in William Sieghart’s poetry pharmacy project follows the same concept and premise as volume one - The Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-and-True Prescriptions for the Mind, Heart and Soul - in which William Sieghart administers a “prescription” in the shape of poem to those affected by what he classifies as “conditions” – as there are romantic dilemma’s, overthinking, second-guessing, letting go, fear (of change, of mortality, of loss), feeling lost, bombardment by minutiae, being browbeaten, feeling isolated, neediness shyness (would it be wrong to suggest this collection might particularly appeal to those among us which are of the more introverted inclination?).
Sieghart introduces each poem by a page-long meditation reflecting on what we might need if we are overwhelmed by certain emotions and why he selected that particular poem to come to an aid. Because in the first collection some of his considerate reflections distracted me from the poetry and made me wish to first discover the poem by myself, I first read the poems randomly and started over by reading the collection cover to cover, this time also turning to his commentary. Like when reading the first volume, I noticed the measure in which a poem resonates might vary depending on one’s state of mind or mood; currently I could appreciate some of Sieghart’s observations more profoundly, perhaps because I was more open to his optimist and soothing voice this time.
The poems are presented in five categories, touching on hesitation and choice, strength and healing, silver linings, hearth and home, conflict and reconciliation, being numerous.
One of the poems that resonated most with me was Alice Walker’s Expect Nothing, replete with intuitive wisdom which offers seemingly simple but powerful advice how to live life lighter and in a more independent way. I humbly agree with Sieghart that much of our anger with the world and with others comes from disappointed neediness.
Expect nothing
Expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.
become a stranger
To need of pity
Or, if compassion be freely
Given out
Take only enough
Stop short of urge to plead
Then purge away the need.
Wish for nothing larger
Than your own small heart
Or greater than a star;
Tame wild disappointment
With caress unmoved and cold
Make of it a parka
For your soul.
Discover the reason why
So tiny human midget
Exists at all
So scared unwise
But expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.
(Alice Walker)
Also the thought that only through practise we can learn the art of losing gracefully touched a chord with me, as expressed so wittily in the elegant verse of Elisabeth Bishop:
One Art
The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.
—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
(Elizabeth Bishop)
Why not treat yourself on a smile, even if the reason for it might seem small?
The Orange
At lunchtime I bought a huge orange
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.
And that orange it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park
This is peace and contentment. It's new.
The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all my jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I'm glad I exist.
(Wendy Cope)
As Sieghart doesn’t shy away from picking iconic or renowned poems (which doesn’t render them less unimpeachably excellent or powerful, like Martin Niemöller’s First They Came ), there might be little to discover in this collection for readers who are well-versed in poetry – for me there was plenty. Of the 55 poems, about one fifth come in translation (Anna Akhmatova, Pablo Neruda, Hafiz, Rumi), most have been written in English by canonized poets (Robert Frost, Elisabeth Bishop, Mary Oliver, Anne Brontë; Margaret Atwood, Wendy Cope, Philip Larkin, Emily Dickinson, Seamus Heaney, quite a few poets from the first volume turn up again; finding Kae Tempest was a pleasant surprise). Like in the first volume, the greater part of the poems were enjoyably light-hearted and accessible; the share of poems which also stirred me aesthetically because of tone, musicality, imaginative metaphors however was likewise limited which probably just implies I need to read them once more (Sieghart is right in suggesting multiple reading of poems, they might grow on you the next read, revealing their layers bit by bit).
According to W.H. Auden poetry might be defined as the clear expression of mixed feelings - Sieghart’s anthology is both a fine and generous illustration of and tribute to Auden’s insight.
(***1/2)
(Dylan Thomas)
The second volume in William Sieghart’s poetry pharmacy project follows the same concept and premise as volume one - The Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-and-True Prescriptions for the Mind, Heart and Soul - in which William Sieghart administers a “prescription” in the shape of poem to those affected by what he classifies as “conditions” – as there are romantic dilemma’s, overthinking, second-guessing, letting go, fear (of change, of mortality, of loss), feeling lost, bombardment by minutiae, being browbeaten, feeling isolated, neediness shyness (would it be wrong to suggest this collection might particularly appeal to those among us which are of the more introverted inclination?).
Sieghart introduces each poem by a page-long meditation reflecting on what we might need if we are overwhelmed by certain emotions and why he selected that particular poem to come to an aid. Because in the first collection some of his considerate reflections distracted me from the poetry and made me wish to first discover the poem by myself, I first read the poems randomly and started over by reading the collection cover to cover, this time also turning to his commentary. Like when reading the first volume, I noticed the measure in which a poem resonates might vary depending on one’s state of mind or mood; currently I could appreciate some of Sieghart’s observations more profoundly, perhaps because I was more open to his optimist and soothing voice this time.
The poems are presented in five categories, touching on hesitation and choice, strength and healing, silver linings, hearth and home, conflict and reconciliation, being numerous.
One of the poems that resonated most with me was Alice Walker’s Expect Nothing, replete with intuitive wisdom which offers seemingly simple but powerful advice how to live life lighter and in a more independent way. I humbly agree with Sieghart that much of our anger with the world and with others comes from disappointed neediness.
Expect nothing
Expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.
become a stranger
To need of pity
Or, if compassion be freely
Given out
Take only enough
Stop short of urge to plead
Then purge away the need.
Wish for nothing larger
Than your own small heart
Or greater than a star;
Tame wild disappointment
With caress unmoved and cold
Make of it a parka
For your soul.
Discover the reason why
So tiny human midget
Exists at all
So scared unwise
But expect nothing. Live frugally
On surprise.
(Alice Walker)
Also the thought that only through practise we can learn the art of losing gracefully touched a chord with me, as expressed so wittily in the elegant verse of Elisabeth Bishop:
One Art
The art of losing isn’t hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.
—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
(Elizabeth Bishop)
Why not treat yourself on a smile, even if the reason for it might seem small?
The Orange
At lunchtime I bought a huge orange
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.
And that orange it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park
This is peace and contentment. It's new.
The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all my jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I'm glad I exist.
(Wendy Cope)
As Sieghart doesn’t shy away from picking iconic or renowned poems (which doesn’t render them less unimpeachably excellent or powerful, like Martin Niemöller’s First They Came ), there might be little to discover in this collection for readers who are well-versed in poetry – for me there was plenty. Of the 55 poems, about one fifth come in translation (Anna Akhmatova, Pablo Neruda, Hafiz, Rumi), most have been written in English by canonized poets (Robert Frost, Elisabeth Bishop, Mary Oliver, Anne Brontë; Margaret Atwood, Wendy Cope, Philip Larkin, Emily Dickinson, Seamus Heaney, quite a few poets from the first volume turn up again; finding Kae Tempest was a pleasant surprise). Like in the first volume, the greater part of the poems were enjoyably light-hearted and accessible; the share of poems which also stirred me aesthetically because of tone, musicality, imaginative metaphors however was likewise limited which probably just implies I need to read them once more (Sieghart is right in suggesting multiple reading of poems, they might grow on you the next read, revealing their layers bit by bit).
According to W.H. Auden poetry might be defined as the clear expression of mixed feelings - Sieghart’s anthology is both a fine and generous illustration of and tribute to Auden’s insight.
(***1/2)
February 10, 2025
The Poetry Pharmacy Returns -by William Sieghart – A Prescription for the Soul!
Poetry has a way of holding our hands through life’s storms, and The Poetry Pharmacy Returns is like a warm cup of tea for the soul. William Sieghart curates poems that act as remedies for different emotions—grief, anxiety, self-doubt, and even those fleeting moments of joy. If you’ve ever found comfort in words, this book is like a personal therapist in verse form. the first book provided comforting doses of verse, this sequel deepens the experience, offering new perspectives and poetic remedies for modern anxieties. With carefully selected poems, Sieghart continues his mission of using poetry as a source of healing.
✨Standout Poems & Moments:
🔹"Love After Love" – Derek Walcott
"Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you…"
This poem, featured in the section on self-love, is a powerful reminder to embrace who we are and find home within ourselves.
🔹"Wild Geese" – Mary Oliver
"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting."
A poem that reassures us that simply being is enough. It’s a comforting read when self-doubt creeps in.
🔹"The Guest House" – Rumi
"Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond."
This one reminds us to embrace all emotions, even the difficult ones, as they all serve a purpose.
🔹"Everything is Waiting for You" -David Whyte
"You must note the way the soap dish enables you, or the window latch grants you freedom."
→ This poem teaches us to find beauty in small things when moving on feels impossible.
📖Final Thoughts:
This book isn’t just a collection of poetry—it’s an emotional first-aid kit. Whether you’re going through a heartbreak, a life transition, or just need some reassurance, there’s a poem for you. It’s a book to keep on your bedside table, to return to in different seasons of life.Sieghart’s commentary on each poem adds a personal touch, making it feel like a conversation with a wise friend.
⭐ Rating: 3/5 – A deeply moving sequel that deserves a place on every poetry lover’s shelf!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Poetry Pharmacy review-: 4/5 stars ~https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Poetry has a way of holding our hands through life’s storms, and The Poetry Pharmacy Returns is like a warm cup of tea for the soul. William Sieghart curates poems that act as remedies for different emotions—grief, anxiety, self-doubt, and even those fleeting moments of joy. If you’ve ever found comfort in words, this book is like a personal therapist in verse form. the first book provided comforting doses of verse, this sequel deepens the experience, offering new perspectives and poetic remedies for modern anxieties. With carefully selected poems, Sieghart continues his mission of using poetry as a source of healing.
✨Standout Poems & Moments:
🔹"Love After Love" – Derek Walcott
"Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you…"
This poem, featured in the section on self-love, is a powerful reminder to embrace who we are and find home within ourselves.
🔹"Wild Geese" – Mary Oliver
"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting."
A poem that reassures us that simply being is enough. It’s a comforting read when self-doubt creeps in.
🔹"The Guest House" – Rumi
"Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond."
This one reminds us to embrace all emotions, even the difficult ones, as they all serve a purpose.
🔹"Everything is Waiting for You" -David Whyte
"You must note the way the soap dish enables you, or the window latch grants you freedom."
→ This poem teaches us to find beauty in small things when moving on feels impossible.
📖Final Thoughts:
This book isn’t just a collection of poetry—it’s an emotional first-aid kit. Whether you’re going through a heartbreak, a life transition, or just need some reassurance, there’s a poem for you. It’s a book to keep on your bedside table, to return to in different seasons of life.Sieghart’s commentary on each poem adds a personal touch, making it feel like a conversation with a wise friend.
⭐ Rating: 3/5 – A deeply moving sequel that deserves a place on every poetry lover’s shelf!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Poetry Pharmacy review-: 4/5 stars ~https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 18, 2019
(The sequel to The Poetry Pharmacy.) Sieghart does poetry-specific bibliotherapy, believing that it has the ability to touch emotionally hurting people and perhaps fill the role once played by religion:
“Suffering is the access point to poetry for a lot of people: that’s when they open their ears, hearts and minds.”
“I knew full well the power of poetry to create that crucial sense of connection and security, of not being the only one”
“we need something that can stand in the place of the liturgies that many of us, in this secular society, have increasingly left behind.”
As in the first volume, his choices are populist, and he relies too heavily on a few favorite poets: Mary Oliver has FOUR poems here, while Hafiz and Naomi Shihab Nye get three each. The poems are generally undemanding in that their meaning is clear at face value and for the most part they don’t employ any noticeable forms or sonic techniques. They are to be read for their messages, which is not a problem. But it does mean this is a book for poetry novices. I would advise reading each two-page spread backwards, i.e. read the poem itself first before turning to Sieghart’s commentary. Don’t even read his “Condition” heading; just go into the poem blind.
My favorite new-to-me poem was “Rain” by Raymond Carver, which opens “Woke up this morning with / a terrific urge to lie in bed all day / and read. Fought against it for a minute. // Then looked out the window at the rain. / And gave over. Put myself entirely / in the keep of this rainy morning.” [But forget that final stanza, in which the speaker vows that he’d live all his mistakes over again. Me? I’d do it all over, but differently.]
Some favorite individual lines: “I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering: / what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?” (from “When death comes” by Mary Oliver)
Some nice snippets of commentary from Sieghart:
“The moment you are happy to look at yourself in the mirror and say, not ‘I was true’, but ‘I got away with it’, you set yourself on a path of inauthenticity.”
“It transpires that those couples who respond to one another’s trivial conversational gambits with enthusiasm are those who go on to stay in love over the long term.”
“Suffering is the access point to poetry for a lot of people: that’s when they open their ears, hearts and minds.”
“I knew full well the power of poetry to create that crucial sense of connection and security, of not being the only one”
“we need something that can stand in the place of the liturgies that many of us, in this secular society, have increasingly left behind.”
As in the first volume, his choices are populist, and he relies too heavily on a few favorite poets: Mary Oliver has FOUR poems here, while Hafiz and Naomi Shihab Nye get three each. The poems are generally undemanding in that their meaning is clear at face value and for the most part they don’t employ any noticeable forms or sonic techniques. They are to be read for their messages, which is not a problem. But it does mean this is a book for poetry novices. I would advise reading each two-page spread backwards, i.e. read the poem itself first before turning to Sieghart’s commentary. Don’t even read his “Condition” heading; just go into the poem blind.
My favorite new-to-me poem was “Rain” by Raymond Carver, which opens “Woke up this morning with / a terrific urge to lie in bed all day / and read. Fought against it for a minute. // Then looked out the window at the rain. / And gave over. Put myself entirely / in the keep of this rainy morning.” [But forget that final stanza, in which the speaker vows that he’d live all his mistakes over again. Me? I’d do it all over, but differently.]
Some favorite individual lines: “I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering: / what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?” (from “When death comes” by Mary Oliver)
Some nice snippets of commentary from Sieghart:
“The moment you are happy to look at yourself in the mirror and say, not ‘I was true’, but ‘I got away with it’, you set yourself on a path of inauthenticity.”
“It transpires that those couples who respond to one another’s trivial conversational gambits with enthusiasm are those who go on to stay in love over the long term.”
August 11, 2020
The Poetry Pharmacy just puts me at immense peace. Thank you, William Sieghart.
March 17, 2021
Still wonderful and I hope that there's a Vol 3.
This one felt more personal and nuanced and we had some lively discussions because of some of the descriptions and intepretations.
Loved it!
This one felt more personal and nuanced and we had some lively discussions because of some of the descriptions and intepretations.
Loved it!
May 18, 2023
This is the second book in the Poetry Pharmacy collection. Like the first, it is designed to be dipped in and out of with a poetry prescribed for a variety of life events and moods. I preferred this one to the first (maybe as it had some of my favourite poems in it or maybe because the prescriptions were better suited to my life). Great books for those who already love poetry but equally a good starting point for those who are not so sure.
August 13, 2022
review to come!
September 22, 2024
my poetry bible
July 24, 2020
According to Immanuel Kant and many other philosophers language is fundamental to our understanding and perception of the world. Kant stated that we impose meaning on the world by the use of language. Indeed it is no mistake that St John’s gospel starts with the sentence ‘In the beginning was the Word’. Poetry is the manipulation and use of words to create exquisite and profound structures in language. A poet is a fine art sculptor in words. If prose is beer, then poetry is the finest malt whisky.
This wonderful anthology, which is the second in the series, takes as its premise the healing and consoling power of the best poetry. The editor states ‘The Poetry Pharmacy is a project founded above all on the belief that poetry is a healing force much needed in these modern times’. This is true, nevermore so than at the current time.
Each poem has been selected to address some aspect of the human condition. As well as the poems themselves each is prefaced by a short essay on the condition or conditions the poem is selected to reflect. The essays themselves are absolute gems and are a perfect accompaniment to the poems. It is in fact an equal partnership with the essays explaining and enhancing the meaning and appreciation of the poems with extraordinary insight.
It is hard to recommend this collection too highly.
This wonderful anthology, which is the second in the series, takes as its premise the healing and consoling power of the best poetry. The editor states ‘The Poetry Pharmacy is a project founded above all on the belief that poetry is a healing force much needed in these modern times’. This is true, nevermore so than at the current time.
Each poem has been selected to address some aspect of the human condition. As well as the poems themselves each is prefaced by a short essay on the condition or conditions the poem is selected to reflect. The essays themselves are absolute gems and are a perfect accompaniment to the poems. It is in fact an equal partnership with the essays explaining and enhancing the meaning and appreciation of the poems with extraordinary insight.
It is hard to recommend this collection too highly.
May 2, 2021
Reflections and lessons learned:
“So stay in bed, if you want to. Read a book, or just watch the drips down the window. Whatever you do, be kind to yourself. Love your missteps: and remember that you’d do it all again, given half a chance.”
The wonderful thing about these books are, of course the range of the poetry, but it’s mainly the definitions and ordering (‘condition’ main heading and ‘also suitable for’ further breakdown to be able to identify the relationship to) - almost like a symptom identifier for emotional turmoil which gives a dictionary definition before delivering the artistic output as the medicine. Each poem has earned its place on individual strengths as we’re not all the same and the phrase “I’m just feeling emotional” can run a whole gamete of possibilities. I read this as a kindle version after listening to an audiobook version of the first one, and found it as equally powerful but could really see the benefits of having the print books in the house. I may start buying these for teenage relations... the standout title discovery from familiar words in this volume? Only blooming Ecclesiastes, ‘To everything there is a season...’
“If you’re very quiet, and very lucky, you might just hear a voice whispering back to you”
“So stay in bed, if you want to. Read a book, or just watch the drips down the window. Whatever you do, be kind to yourself. Love your missteps: and remember that you’d do it all again, given half a chance.”
The wonderful thing about these books are, of course the range of the poetry, but it’s mainly the definitions and ordering (‘condition’ main heading and ‘also suitable for’ further breakdown to be able to identify the relationship to) - almost like a symptom identifier for emotional turmoil which gives a dictionary definition before delivering the artistic output as the medicine. Each poem has earned its place on individual strengths as we’re not all the same and the phrase “I’m just feeling emotional” can run a whole gamete of possibilities. I read this as a kindle version after listening to an audiobook version of the first one, and found it as equally powerful but could really see the benefits of having the print books in the house. I may start buying these for teenage relations... the standout title discovery from familiar words in this volume? Only blooming Ecclesiastes, ‘To everything there is a season...’
“If you’re very quiet, and very lucky, you might just hear a voice whispering back to you”
May 19, 2020
It is shocking that I have only just discovered William Sieghart!
After this I will need to get my hands on a copy of The Poetry Pharmacy.
I adore poetry. It brings me such comfort and beauty.
This collection of poetry was just on a whole new level of amazingness!
I loved that William would discuss feelings and thoughts before hand, So many things were put into perspective and it made the poem all the more enjoyable and also easier to connect with.
This is a book you can return to again and again.
With everything that is going on in the world right now, I am so thankful to have had this in my life. I must get my hands on a physical copy as this is a book I will defiantly want to return to again and again.
After this I will need to get my hands on a copy of The Poetry Pharmacy.
I adore poetry. It brings me such comfort and beauty.
This collection of poetry was just on a whole new level of amazingness!
I loved that William would discuss feelings and thoughts before hand, So many things were put into perspective and it made the poem all the more enjoyable and also easier to connect with.
This is a book you can return to again and again.
With everything that is going on in the world right now, I am so thankful to have had this in my life. I must get my hands on a physical copy as this is a book I will defiantly want to return to again and again.
September 26, 2020
I love The Poetry Pharmacy: I love the concept, I love the execution, I love how it speaks to my soul and tells me what I need to hear. This particular book in the otherwise fantastic duology gets one less star than its predecessor because I noticed some poems were repeated from The Poetry Remedy and I wished for new content (is this just a problem for us Americans?). I also found myself completely skipping over the explanations of each emotion and just reading the poems. But the poems, they were beautiful!
February 8, 2023
A charming addition to The Poetry Pharmacy collection. Like its predecessor, The Poetry Pharmacy Returns is a collection of poems to soothe and inspire the reader through even the most difficult of feelings and circumstances.
I appreciated the inclusion of poets from a variety of periods and cultures. Again, as with the first published Poetry Pharmacy, Sieghart introduced me to many lovely poems and new-to-me poets. I particularly enjoyed "Ghazal", which was prescribed for Constant Striving, Materialism, and Feelings of Inadequacy:
Ghazal
However large earth's garden, mine's enough.
One rose and the shade of a vine's enough.
I don't want more wealth, I don't need more dross.
The grape has its bloom and it shines enough.
Why ask for the moon? The moon's in your cup,
a beggar, a tramp, for whom wine's enough.
Look at the stream as it winds out of sight.
One glance, one glimpse of a chine's enough.
Like the sun in bazaars, streaming in shafts,
any slant on the grand design's enough.
When you're here, my love, what more could I want?
Just mentioning love in a line's enough.
Heaven can wait. To have found, heaven knows,
a bed and a roof so divine's enough.
I've no grounds for complaint. As Hafez says,
isn't a ghazal that he signs enough?
(Mimi Khalvati, after Hafez)
I appreciated the inclusion of poets from a variety of periods and cultures. Again, as with the first published Poetry Pharmacy, Sieghart introduced me to many lovely poems and new-to-me poets. I particularly enjoyed "Ghazal", which was prescribed for Constant Striving, Materialism, and Feelings of Inadequacy:
Ghazal
However large earth's garden, mine's enough.
One rose and the shade of a vine's enough.
I don't want more wealth, I don't need more dross.
The grape has its bloom and it shines enough.
Why ask for the moon? The moon's in your cup,
a beggar, a tramp, for whom wine's enough.
Look at the stream as it winds out of sight.
One glance, one glimpse of a chine's enough.
Like the sun in bazaars, streaming in shafts,
any slant on the grand design's enough.
When you're here, my love, what more could I want?
Just mentioning love in a line's enough.
Heaven can wait. To have found, heaven knows,
a bed and a roof so divine's enough.
I've no grounds for complaint. As Hafez says,
isn't a ghazal that he signs enough?
(Mimi Khalvati, after Hafez)
March 19, 2023
This “pharmacy” didn’t resonate with me as much as the last one did, but here are the poems I especially loved:
• Don’t Hesitate
• They might not need me
• He visits my town once a year
• The Orange
• Here is a relationship booster
• I love you without knowing how
• On Children
• The same stream of life
• Kindness
• We are many
• Don’t Hesitate
• They might not need me
• He visits my town once a year
• The Orange
• Here is a relationship booster
• I love you without knowing how
• On Children
• The same stream of life
• Kindness
• We are many
December 3, 2023
I’m so thrilled that I branched out of typical books that I have been reading! For meany years I loved the idea of reading poetry, but was really intimidated by it because for the longest time I didn’t know how to read poetry. So because I didn’t know I just, didn’t try. Until now! It was only because the Author William Siegheart took the time to guide the reader on how different poetry should be read in the beginning of this book. I loved how he had each poem in different categories depending on what that particular poem was written about. I also loved that Willam gave some insight into what the reader was about to read and was very relatable. I Will definitely be looking out for more of these kinds of books in the future.
March 22, 2022
Slightly less charming than the first volume, with perhaps overly specific prescriptions (‘being browbeaten’ made me chuckle). He also refers to a few favourite poets multiple times, which reduces the book’s utility as an introduction to new material.
January 6, 2025
The books of this literary project, so to speak, literally feel like a first aid kit to understand whatever is going on with you or to feel identified with something, it's like a subtle literary therapy. I happened to stop by one of their temporary stores this summer, and it was an experience as cool as reading their books! Perfect for anyone looking for a bit of emotion or solace in verse or just something light to read now that the year is ending. Super recommended for those looking to sneak a little poetry into their daily lifes.
“Your ancestors did not survive everything that nearly ended them for you to shrink yourself to make someone else comfortable. This sacrifice is your warcry, be loud, be everything and make them proud.”
“There are days when you wake up happy; Again inside the fullness of life, until the moment breaks and you are thrown back onto the black tide of loss. Days when you have your heart back, you are able to function when until in the middle of work or encounter, suddenly with no warning, you are ambushed by grief.”
“Woke up this morning with a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read. Fought against it for a minute. Then looked out the window at the rain. And gave over. Put myself life over again? Make the same unforgivable mistakes? Yes, given half a chance. Yes.”
“Your ancestors did not survive everything that nearly ended them for you to shrink yourself to make someone else comfortable. This sacrifice is your warcry, be loud, be everything and make them proud.”
“There are days when you wake up happy; Again inside the fullness of life, until the moment breaks and you are thrown back onto the black tide of loss. Days when you have your heart back, you are able to function when until in the middle of work or encounter, suddenly with no warning, you are ambushed by grief.”
“Woke up this morning with a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read. Fought against it for a minute. Then looked out the window at the rain. And gave over. Put myself life over again? Make the same unforgivable mistakes? Yes, given half a chance. Yes.”
June 1, 2025
It’s a sweet little poetry collection. Thank you to my darling friend Aqsa for buying it for my birthday!!!!
4/5
4/5
December 30, 2020
My sister may not get it back ...
The planet keeps on being round.
The planet keeps on being round.
October 12, 2022
Lovely as always. I don't necessarily agree with some points, but that is okay. I especially loved the description about the multiplicity of self. It was a good selection, so thank you very much.
October 13, 2025
Hear me out: Mary Oliver Mary Oliver Mary Oliver Mary Oliver Mary Oliver Mary Oliver Nikki Giovanni Nikki Giovanni Nikki Giovanni Seamus Heaney Seamus Heaney
September 2, 2020
I'd already read the first 'The Poetry Pharmacy' book so I knew what to expect here and this is more of the same. I say that in a totally positive way, though - there's plenty of new things to discover here!
For those who haven't come across these books before, William Sieghart believes that poetry can genuinely support good mental health, either from giving you a different perspective on your problem or by giving you the comfort that whatever you face is something that other people have felt too. To this end, he has been a regular prescriber of poetry to people who come to him with problems. These books pick a problem, explain it, give an introduction to a relevant poem and then print the poem. A simple idea, but both interesting and quite effective, I found.
This covers a full range of different problems and poems to the first book in the series, although I had the sense that the introduction is the same or extremely similar. The poems are a selection of poetry from across time and cultures - from Rumi to Larkin, Neruda to Akhmatova, Atwood to Khalvati and many others I had never heard of before. There is also a little gem from Raymond Carver that perfectly encapsulates my feelings of lethargy in the current lockdown!
If you are open to the idea that poetry can help soothe the mind, then I would recommend this book wholeheartedly. I'm one of life's cynics but I still found lots to enjoy and some real food for thought.
For those who haven't come across these books before, William Sieghart believes that poetry can genuinely support good mental health, either from giving you a different perspective on your problem or by giving you the comfort that whatever you face is something that other people have felt too. To this end, he has been a regular prescriber of poetry to people who come to him with problems. These books pick a problem, explain it, give an introduction to a relevant poem and then print the poem. A simple idea, but both interesting and quite effective, I found.
This covers a full range of different problems and poems to the first book in the series, although I had the sense that the introduction is the same or extremely similar. The poems are a selection of poetry from across time and cultures - from Rumi to Larkin, Neruda to Akhmatova, Atwood to Khalvati and many others I had never heard of before. There is also a little gem from Raymond Carver that perfectly encapsulates my feelings of lethargy in the current lockdown!
If you are open to the idea that poetry can help soothe the mind, then I would recommend this book wholeheartedly. I'm one of life's cynics but I still found lots to enjoy and some real food for thought.
April 5, 2020
Superb! A balm for the soul. My favourite poem was The Orange. There was is much soothing power in the poetry. It’s like someone understood, understood you before you understood you, and put it into tapestry of sounds. It’s a book to be sad with, glad with, hopeful and desperate with. I picked it up during COVID-19 pandemic after hearing about the death of my best friend’s mother in law. In those pages I found the empathy and hopeful notes. I keep it by my bed side next to strepsils and lemsips. It is the aspirin for the soul.
December 24, 2021
I don't know the last time I read such a joyous and charming book. Sieghart's narration is just so wonderful and optimistic, and the poetry choices are just perfect. So many of these poems are complete gems and achieve just what Sieghart wishes them to. It's not meant to be read cover to cover, as I did, but I am glad I've read all the poems.
June 27, 2021
I truly loved this book. It brought me back to the genre on poetry. Masterful and insightful. I highly recommend this book to anyone needing an understanding voice through difficult or challenging times, or, perhaps, simply wanting insight into themselves or others.
March 7, 2023
What a lovely selection of poems
Want to read
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November 6, 2023
I might not have brandy and aspirin in my medicine closet
Like Jeannette Winterson
But I sure do
The Poetry Pharmacy
There have been moments in the last year, after I discovered the first Poetry Pharmacy, that I've felt anxious and depressed and weighed down by all those things that tend to weigh one down, and in that moment of need, I on occasion turned to that book, and while it didn't cure, it alleviated; and anybody who's suffered that dark night of the soul, knows the golden value of alleviation.
So the fact that there's two of these books in the world now is a gift all by itself, and it's impossible for me to review this separately without acknowledging the value of the general idea.
Sure, I didn't quite fly through this one, and I would have preferred a few less poems with a religious bent (even if Sieghart does a pretty good job of explaining their value to a devious atheist like myself), but I'm still constantly surprised by Sieghart's ability to write consistently poignant commentary to the (mostly) wonderful poems he keeps collecting for the benefit of our mental health.
I bought both of these books, for these are not books to lend from a library, but to have them nearby always for when the need comes calling (though or course if purchase is not possible, do, do borrow). Ever since I fell in love with poetry, I've cherished its ability to transfix and elevate; but it's through these books I've learned to value its healing power. And how can you really put a numerical value on that?
Well, I guess I'll give it a four.
Like Jeannette Winterson
But I sure do
The Poetry Pharmacy
There have been moments in the last year, after I discovered the first Poetry Pharmacy, that I've felt anxious and depressed and weighed down by all those things that tend to weigh one down, and in that moment of need, I on occasion turned to that book, and while it didn't cure, it alleviated; and anybody who's suffered that dark night of the soul, knows the golden value of alleviation.
So the fact that there's two of these books in the world now is a gift all by itself, and it's impossible for me to review this separately without acknowledging the value of the general idea.
Sure, I didn't quite fly through this one, and I would have preferred a few less poems with a religious bent (even if Sieghart does a pretty good job of explaining their value to a devious atheist like myself), but I'm still constantly surprised by Sieghart's ability to write consistently poignant commentary to the (mostly) wonderful poems he keeps collecting for the benefit of our mental health.
I bought both of these books, for these are not books to lend from a library, but to have them nearby always for when the need comes calling (though or course if purchase is not possible, do, do borrow). Ever since I fell in love with poetry, I've cherished its ability to transfix and elevate; but it's through these books I've learned to value its healing power. And how can you really put a numerical value on that?
Well, I guess I'll give it a four.
May 19, 2020
I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of the poetry pharmacy before it’s published date on my iPad kindle & wow, I am so glad that I read this!
As a poetry writer myself, I absolutely loved this book and viewing all the different poems produced through the years, all about a particular passionate topic of mine- mental health. William Sieghart uses poetry as a form of healing, for all types of people around the world. There is a poem for every form of emotion or situation that life has sprung upon us. I could relate to near enough every single poem I read, others I favoured more than others, but I came away feeling empowered, inspired & amazed at what these words made me feel. As someone who suffers from anxiety & has experienced mental health struggles, There is certainly a poem for everyone, no matter where you are in life!
I thoroughly recommend to anyone who may be struggling currently or previously. This is absolutely a brilliant form of healing your soul, allowing your thoughts to drift & acknowledging your feelings.
This is a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!
Instagram: mrbook_reviews_123 & mrwrites_
https://theatre322.wordpress.com/
As a poetry writer myself, I absolutely loved this book and viewing all the different poems produced through the years, all about a particular passionate topic of mine- mental health. William Sieghart uses poetry as a form of healing, for all types of people around the world. There is a poem for every form of emotion or situation that life has sprung upon us. I could relate to near enough every single poem I read, others I favoured more than others, but I came away feeling empowered, inspired & amazed at what these words made me feel. As someone who suffers from anxiety & has experienced mental health struggles, There is certainly a poem for everyone, no matter where you are in life!
I thoroughly recommend to anyone who may be struggling currently or previously. This is absolutely a brilliant form of healing your soul, allowing your thoughts to drift & acknowledging your feelings.
This is a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!
Instagram: mrbook_reviews_123 & mrwrites_
https://theatre322.wordpress.com/
March 27, 2025
THIS COLLECTION IS AN UPGRADE FROM THE LAST
As usual, I find Sieghart's perscription to each infliction & ailment are completely spot on. Not to mention the issues he tackled this time dives deeper and more complex than the last. But I'm happiest because I finally found the poem I have been looking for: 'First They Came' by Pastor Martin Niemoller.
"First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me."
As usual, I find Sieghart's perscription to each infliction & ailment are completely spot on. Not to mention the issues he tackled this time dives deeper and more complex than the last. But I'm happiest because I finally found the poem I have been looking for: 'First They Came' by Pastor Martin Niemoller.
"First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews