Poetry is almost as old as language.
Humans are an expressive bunch. We’re complicated and complex, a bundle of emotions, motivations, ambitions and dreams that can be difficult to encapsulate. For millennia we’ve turned to art — visual, musical, performance and literary — in an attempt to understand ourselves and articulate our hearts. Few subjects are better suited to the celebration of National Poetry Month than adoption.
Adoption is a complex subject. It’s a heart thing, full of love, loss, joy and sadness. Adoption is a paradox that changes lives, creates family and gives opportunity. It is so many things to so many people. Thankfully, many of these people have turned to the pen, or the keyboard, to express their journey through words.
Here are several poems about adoption that spoke to us. We share them with you to celebrate National Poetry Month and the beauty of adoption.
Just the Same
By Diana Lynn Lacey
Sometimes-
God sends rain
Straight from the sky
To nourish the young flower
and it grows.
Sometimes-
God sends rain from the sky
To the mountaintops,
Then over the hills and through valleys
Until it reaches the flower and it grows, just the same.
Sometimes-
God sends a child
Straight from His realm
Into a mother’s arms
and love grows.
Sometimes-
God sends a child
From heaven to another’s arms,
Then over hills and through valleys
Until he reaches the arms of his mother
and love grows, just the same.
I Wish for You a Beautiful Life
By Sandy Wade
I wish for you a beautiful life,
I know giving you this,
Will cut deep like a knife.
We both must stay strong,
For one day we’ll meet,
I hope years aren’t long,
I hope it is sweet.
I wish for you a beautiful life,
It is all I have now to offer,
In my hopes and dreams you surely will stay,
Happily Ever After…
Dear Birth Mother
By Karen Ledbetter
You gave a gift,
A brand-new life,
Tiny and sweet,
A blessing indeed.
A baby girl,
Precious and small,
An answer to prayer,
No joy can compare.
No more empty arms,
I’m thrilled like no other.
You chose life and
Made me a mother.
Thank you so much
For this precious gift,
For being God’s answer
to my prayers and tears.
When Hope Is Given
By Sheila T. Williams
You gave me hope to smile
it dried my weeping eyes.
You gave me hope to trust again,
through your love you showed me how.
The love you gave was very special
it made me realize
I am not just a foster child with hope
an adopted child with love;
I am a chosen child!
Finding More Adoption Poetry
These are only a few of the hundreds (if not thousands) of poems created about adoption. If you would like to spend time reading more adoption poetry, here are a few websites worth checking out:
You may also have your own poems about adoption. If so, we’d love to read them. Send any poetry you have written about adoption to editors@americanadoptions.com.
