January 22nd is National Handwriting Day. Now, I am well aware that many people might consider such a day a relic in the age of the iPhone and the ubiquitous keyboard. Who actually picks up a pen anymore, or connects their

letters in what used to be called penmanship?
Well, it turns out plenty of people, and some who do it rarely wish they did it more. Like one family member who says that sometimes he needs to take hand notes in meetings but twenty-four hours later can't read his own writing. Or the physician who always had the typical dreadful doctor's handwriting but says these days it's far worse: never mind the pharmacist; now even he can't read his own prescriptions! Or the students who are at a complete loss to write out a one sentence honor code on a standardized test. Then there are the students laboriously writing answers by hand in workbooks, itching to get back to their devices, and the poor teachers trying to decipher what they've written.
I could go on, but I think everybody knows the drill by now. Clearly things are changing; we all know we are in the midst of a technological upheaval not seen since the advent of the printing press. But talk of the complete demise of handwriting may be a bit premature, not to mention shortsighted. So, a few observations:
It might be well to think about handwriting not only from the perspective of end result, but of the process itself. Yes, a case might be made that the elegant handwritten thank you note is well on its way to extinction, and that eventually students will simply be typing away taking notes in front of teachers who never knew any other way and are not driven to distraction by the constant clack-clacking. But it's not only about those end points. Among other things, there is on-going research into how learning to connect letters at a young age actually helps kids form new neural pathways in the brain, activating areas that using a keyboard doesn't. Writing in cursive helps train the brain to integrate information; practicing the connections it requires may actually increase language facility. Certainly, it helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. And yes, I realize the brains of the young are wired differently and that they, the digital natives, are way ahead of us digital immigrants. But still, before all the evidence is in, do we really want to risk all that brain development that we used to foster in the schools?
And it's not just about the very young. There has been at least one study done of college students wherein one group took lecture notes on their laptops and the other by hand. When they were tested on the material afterward without having the opportunity to study their notes, it was found that the students who took hand notes did far better. Apparently, typing allows you simply to transcribe fairly mindlessly everything that's said, almost like a court reporter; whereas taking notes by hand requires some degree of synthesis and summary, which facilitates memory.
As a writer I feel compelled to weigh in on all this vis-à-vis the creative process. Yes, most writers today, particularly the young ones, probably compose on the keyboard. But not all. There are those, young and pre-digital, who prefer doing at least a first draft by hand. They find that the movement of the hand, the sweep of the pen, allows accessing the creative right brain in a way that the keyboard does not. The keyboard is perhaps a step detached from the intuitive brain.
For my Baby Boomer self, suffice it to say that I love writing by hand. I have, however, lately learned to type some of my essays. I don't love the process, but I can appreciate the efficiency of it. When it comes to composing poetry though, when it comes to creating my stories, only a fountain pen will do. I work intuitively, and the pen, ink and hand are as much a part of the process as my brain. In fact if I'm really in flow, they will bypass my logical left brain altogether!
There is another advantage to writing by hand. Our handwriting has life to it. Years after we've written something, the words on the page not only reveal their obvious meaning but can provide a treasure trove of revelations about our thoughts. A case in point is my new book Lily of the Valley — An American Jewish Journey, scheduled for release in March. Lily was originally written as a poem to be performed at a banquet for Chabad of the Valley in Encino, California. When I decided to turn it into a book more than a decade later, I went back to my original notebooks. And there I found not only stanzas that had been cut in the interest of time, not only arrows and cross-outs that might serve as a roadmap to how I arrived at the finished version. I also found embedded in the lettering itself a record of my thoughts. Why did I put this here? What was Lily trying to tell me there? What was the character feeling in this passage? I found a wealth of information that would have been lost to me had I had only a typewritten version saved.
Back in the day, learning cursive in about third grade was a much-anticipated rite of passage. It was one of our first forays into the adult world. It was one of the ways we sought to establish our identity. Fewer and fewer students have that experience today. Cursive writing is not part of the Common Core curriculum. As one LA area teacher put it, there is very little time for teaching anything outside of Common Core. But if a teacher really wants to, he or she is welcome to try to fit it in. We can all figure out what that means.
My grandchildren attend Jewish day schools, however, and imagine my delight when I found out that they are being taught handwriting! I have two third graders this year in two different schools, and they are actually learning to connect their letters. Both blissfully unaware of any controversy surrounding this new skill set, they are delighted to have reached this milestone.
Perhaps the most interesting analysis I've heard of this whole conundrum comes from a very astute middle schooler I know. She learned cursive in the third grade and says that she used it for about two years but then reverted to printing, which she actually finds faster. Her teacher requires that formal essays be typed, but for other work doesn't care if the letters are connected or not. Gone are the days when "Penmanship" took up a place on the report card. However, this young lady did say to me, completely unprompted, that she likes to write the first draft of her essays by hand. It's easier, she says, to come up with ideas that way. She also has developed a distinctive cursive signature, and she informed me that she and her friends like to dot their "i's" with hearts. Some things, I am happy to report, never change.
And for those who would prefer to buck the current trend, there is help and hope. DeAnn Singh, master calligrapher and founder of Designing Letters in Los Angeles, has a steady stream of handwriting students. Many are adults who come for refresher courses. They have seen their handwriting deteriorate over the years because they spend so much time on keyboards. Yet there are times when they do need to hand write, and they want their work to look presentable and be readable. Still other students love and collect fine fountain pens and want their writing to reflect the respect they have for the art of handwriting. She also teaches children who are not being taught cursive in school and whose parents feel that learning handwriting is important. More than just wanting their children to have legible writing, many parents feel that people still make judgements based on a person's handwriting, and that those with fine writing will always seem more sophisticated and perhaps a bit smarter.
Cindy Abrams, a Handwriting Initiative specialist with a background in occupational therapy, adds a further perspective. She teaches handwriting at various grade levels in the Jewish day schools in Los Angeles. She speaks of handwriting as a way of firing circuits in the brain, and of the fine motor skills it gives young children. She has seen very bright children with great ideas have difficulty getting them down on paper because they were never taught proper letter formation. Once they learn, the fluidity of cursive motion ensures that ideas come more fluidly. Interestingly, she also says that when children learn to write properly, they develop better posture for keyboarding, which will help them avoid syndromes like carpal tunnel in the future. Finally, children enjoy connecting letters as an art form, as a way to express themselves.
Surely that's how it was back in the day when we all eagerly awaited the privilege of learning handwriting. To me it's always been an art form, and a joyful one at that. So even if for many it ceases to be the primary mode of written communication, let it always be one of our most beautiful arts. So bring on National Handwriting Day! Pick up a pen, sweep it across the page and feel the utter delight of creating art out of letters.

letters in what used to be called penmanship?
Well, it turns out plenty of people, and some who do it rarely wish they did it more. Like one family member who says that sometimes he needs to take hand notes in meetings but twenty-four hours later can't read his own writing. Or the physician who always had the typical dreadful doctor's handwriting but says these days it's far worse: never mind the pharmacist; now even he can't read his own prescriptions! Or the students who are at a complete loss to write out a one sentence honor code on a standardized test. Then there are the students laboriously writing answers by hand in workbooks, itching to get back to their devices, and the poor teachers trying to decipher what they've written.
I could go on, but I think everybody knows the drill by now. Clearly things are changing; we all know we are in the midst of a technological upheaval not seen since the advent of the printing press. But talk of the complete demise of handwriting may be a bit premature, not to mention shortsighted. So, a few observations:
It might be well to think about handwriting not only from the perspective of end result, but of the process itself. Yes, a case might be made that the elegant handwritten thank you note is well on its way to extinction, and that eventually students will simply be typing away taking notes in front of teachers who never knew any other way and are not driven to distraction by the constant clack-clacking. But it's not only about those end points. Among other things, there is on-going research into how learning to connect letters at a young age actually helps kids form new neural pathways in the brain, activating areas that using a keyboard doesn't. Writing in cursive helps train the brain to integrate information; practicing the connections it requires may actually increase language facility. Certainly, it helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. And yes, I realize the brains of the young are wired differently and that they, the digital natives, are way ahead of us digital immigrants. But still, before all the evidence is in, do we really want to risk all that brain development that we used to foster in the schools?
And it's not just about the very young. There has been at least one study done of college students wherein one group took lecture notes on their laptops and the other by hand. When they were tested on the material afterward without having the opportunity to study their notes, it was found that the students who took hand notes did far better. Apparently, typing allows you simply to transcribe fairly mindlessly everything that's said, almost like a court reporter; whereas taking notes by hand requires some degree of synthesis and summary, which facilitates memory.
As a writer I feel compelled to weigh in on all this vis-à-vis the creative process. Yes, most writers today, particularly the young ones, probably compose on the keyboard. But not all. There are those, young and pre-digital, who prefer doing at least a first draft by hand. They find that the movement of the hand, the sweep of the pen, allows accessing the creative right brain in a way that the keyboard does not. The keyboard is perhaps a step detached from the intuitive brain.
For my Baby Boomer self, suffice it to say that I love writing by hand. I have, however, lately learned to type some of my essays. I don't love the process, but I can appreciate the efficiency of it. When it comes to composing poetry though, when it comes to creating my stories, only a fountain pen will do. I work intuitively, and the pen, ink and hand are as much a part of the process as my brain. In fact if I'm really in flow, they will bypass my logical left brain altogether!
There is another advantage to writing by hand. Our handwriting has life to it. Years after we've written something, the words on the page not only reveal their obvious meaning but can provide a treasure trove of revelations about our thoughts. A case in point is my new book Lily of the Valley — An American Jewish Journey, scheduled for release in March. Lily was originally written as a poem to be performed at a banquet for Chabad of the Valley in Encino, California. When I decided to turn it into a book more than a decade later, I went back to my original notebooks. And there I found not only stanzas that had been cut in the interest of time, not only arrows and cross-outs that might serve as a roadmap to how I arrived at the finished version. I also found embedded in the lettering itself a record of my thoughts. Why did I put this here? What was Lily trying to tell me there? What was the character feeling in this passage? I found a wealth of information that would have been lost to me had I had only a typewritten version saved.
Back in the day, learning cursive in about third grade was a much-anticipated rite of passage. It was one of our first forays into the adult world. It was one of the ways we sought to establish our identity. Fewer and fewer students have that experience today. Cursive writing is not part of the Common Core curriculum. As one LA area teacher put it, there is very little time for teaching anything outside of Common Core. But if a teacher really wants to, he or she is welcome to try to fit it in. We can all figure out what that means.
My grandchildren attend Jewish day schools, however, and imagine my delight when I found out that they are being taught handwriting! I have two third graders this year in two different schools, and they are actually learning to connect their letters. Both blissfully unaware of any controversy surrounding this new skill set, they are delighted to have reached this milestone.
Perhaps the most interesting analysis I've heard of this whole conundrum comes from a very astute middle schooler I know. She learned cursive in the third grade and says that she used it for about two years but then reverted to printing, which she actually finds faster. Her teacher requires that formal essays be typed, but for other work doesn't care if the letters are connected or not. Gone are the days when "Penmanship" took up a place on the report card. However, this young lady did say to me, completely unprompted, that she likes to write the first draft of her essays by hand. It's easier, she says, to come up with ideas that way. She also has developed a distinctive cursive signature, and she informed me that she and her friends like to dot their "i's" with hearts. Some things, I am happy to report, never change.
And for those who would prefer to buck the current trend, there is help and hope. DeAnn Singh, master calligrapher and founder of Designing Letters in Los Angeles, has a steady stream of handwriting students. Many are adults who come for refresher courses. They have seen their handwriting deteriorate over the years because they spend so much time on keyboards. Yet there are times when they do need to hand write, and they want their work to look presentable and be readable. Still other students love and collect fine fountain pens and want their writing to reflect the respect they have for the art of handwriting. She also teaches children who are not being taught cursive in school and whose parents feel that learning handwriting is important. More than just wanting their children to have legible writing, many parents feel that people still make judgements based on a person's handwriting, and that those with fine writing will always seem more sophisticated and perhaps a bit smarter.
Cindy Abrams, a Handwriting Initiative specialist with a background in occupational therapy, adds a further perspective. She teaches handwriting at various grade levels in the Jewish day schools in Los Angeles. She speaks of handwriting as a way of firing circuits in the brain, and of the fine motor skills it gives young children. She has seen very bright children with great ideas have difficulty getting them down on paper because they were never taught proper letter formation. Once they learn, the fluidity of cursive motion ensures that ideas come more fluidly. Interestingly, she also says that when children learn to write properly, they develop better posture for keyboarding, which will help them avoid syndromes like carpal tunnel in the future. Finally, children enjoy connecting letters as an art form, as a way to express themselves.
Surely that's how it was back in the day when we all eagerly awaited the privilege of learning handwriting. To me it's always been an art form, and a joyful one at that. So even if for many it ceases to be the primary mode of written communication, let it always be one of our most beautiful arts. So bring on National Handwriting Day! Pick up a pen, sweep it across the page and feel the utter delight of creating art out of letters.

The Alchemy of Illuminated Poetry® process began as a daily meditative practice that I developed for myself. Every morning right after I would pray and recite Psalms, I would go into my study. I would light a candle, turn on

soft music, pick up my pen and go into a meditative state.

I would set my intention for what I wanted to work on: did I have a question, a dilemma, some unexplained physical ailment, some emotional difficulty I wanted to understand? Or did I simply want to wait for what might come to me as my wisdom for the day? And then I would pick up my pen and begin to draw a mandala and write an accompanying poem.  I was often amazed at the insights and answers that would come to me. I would find myself writing words that my conscious brain would not have thought of. These poems were coming from some deeper part of myself, and the awareness I gained  often led to healing.

It was my dear friend and calligraphy teacher, De Ann Singh of Designing Letters, who first suggested that I teach this process. It had not occurred to me that I could, or that others would want to do this too. But with her encouragement I set about systematizing what I had been doing for years so I could share it. I began teaching the process in workshops, where  my students have experienced amazing AHA moments , healing and profound insights. I am currently working on the book, The Alchemy of Illuminated Poetry®, in order to bring it to a wider audience.

That said, I will be teaching a six- week class in The Alchemy of Illuminated Poetry®, beginning in July at Designing Letters in Mar Vista, LA.

My class is open to all adults - no background in poetry or art is necessary. It will consist of a series of six workshops to be held on Thursday evenings from 6:30-9:00pm. The schedule is as follows: July 2nd, July 9th, July23rd, July30th, August 6th, and August 13th, with the possibility of August 20th in the event of a cancellation. The cost for all six workshops is $225.

soft music, pick up my pen and go into a meditative state.

I would set my intention for what I wanted to work on: did I have a question, a dilemma, some unexplained physical ailment, some emotional difficulty I wanted to understand? Or did I simply want to wait for what might come to me as my wisdom for the day? And then I would pick up my pen and begin to draw a mandala and write an accompanying poem.  I was often amazed at the insights and answers that would come to me. I would find myself writing words that my conscious brain would not have thought of. These poems were coming from some deeper part of myself, and the awareness I gained  often led to healing.

It was my dear friend and calligraphy teacher, De Ann Singh of Designing Letters, who first suggested that I teach this process. It had not occurred to me that I could, or that others would want to do this too. But with her encouragement I set about systematizing what I had been doing for years so I could share it. I began teaching the process in workshops, where  my students have experienced amazing AHA moments , healing and profound insights. I am currently working on the book, The Alchemy of Illuminated Poetry®, in order to bring it to a wider audience.

That said, I will be teaching a six- week class in The Alchemy of Illuminated Poetry®, beginning in July at Designing Letters in Mar Vista, LA.

My class is open to all adults - no background in poetry or art is necessary. It will consist of a series of six workshops to be held on Thursday evenings from 6:30-9:00pm. The schedule is as follows: July 2nd, July 9th, July23rd, July30th, August 6th, and August 13th, with the possibility of August 20th in the event of a cancellation. The cost for all six workshops is $225.

Apparently May is “Get Caught Reading Month.” Who knew?

I am currently reading, and enthralled by, the book: The Sistine Secrets – Michelangelo’s Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican, by Rabbi Benjamin Blech and Roy Doliner. The book was published in 2008 but seems especially timely now with the recent canonization of Pope John Paul II, with whom Rabbi Blech had an audience in 2005. Pope John Paul II sought to create bridges between Jews and Christians. In this book the authors discuss Michelangelo’s knowledge of Judaic texts as well as his Kabbalistic training and the secrets thereof which he embedded in the magnificent Sistine Chapel. It’s an altogether extraordinary book to read!

I am currently reading, and enthralled by, the book: The Sistine Secrets – Michelangelo’s Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican, by Rabbi Benjamin Blech and Roy Doliner. The book was published in 2008 but seems especially timely now with the recent canonization of Pope John Paul II, with whom Rabbi Blech had an audience in 2005. Pope John Paul II sought to create bridges between Jews and Christians. In this book the authors discuss Michelangelo’s knowledge of Judaic texts as well as his Kabbalistic training and the secrets thereof which he embedded in the magnificent Sistine Chapel. It’s an altogether extraordinary book to read!

For my 10th birthday my grandmother gave me a book entitled, My Poetry Book- An Anthology of Modern Verse for Boys and Girls edited by Huffard, Carlisle, and Ferris.

That book (which I still own) became a cherished companion for many years. In some ways I feel like its metaphors melted into me and I took its rhythms into my body. I loved that book!
Just a few years ago I was looking at it on my shelf and it suddenly occurred to me that my grandmother was an Ellis Island immigrant who barely spoke English. Surely, she didn't frequent bookstores.
It had to have been my mother who bought me that book in my grandmother's name, my mother who really got me, who understood me as a ten year old! As soon as I realized this, I called my mother to thank her. We had a good laugh over it and when we hung up I had a good cry. Sometimes I think we don't appreciate our mothers enough.
My mother is 86 now, may she live and be well. I'm lucky to have her.

That book (which I still own) became a cherished companion for many years. In some ways I feel like its metaphors melted into me and I took its rhythms into my body. I loved that book!
Just a few years ago I was looking at it on my shelf and it suddenly occurred to me that my grandmother was an Ellis Island immigrant who barely spoke English. Surely, she didn't frequent bookstores.
It had to have been my mother who bought me that book in my grandmother's name, my mother who really got me, who understood me as a ten year old! As soon as I realized this, I called my mother to thank her. We had a good laugh over it and when we hung up I had a good cry. Sometimes I think we don't appreciate our mothers enough.
My mother is 86 now, may she live and be well. I'm lucky to have her.

When I’m not working – or reading – I love taking my grandchildren to the bookstore. My four-year-old will make a bee-line for the children’s section and judiciously choose not only a book for

herself but for various siblings and cousins who are not there. She knows exactly who’s into Lego, who likes trains, and who likes Hello Kitty. She herself prefers princesses.
Then there’s my seven-year-old, who discovered he could move beyond the I-Can-Reads and read a super hero book all by himself. I sat down on the floor next to him and almost cried.
Sometimes I get near-frantic phone calls: “Nana, do you have Book III of Harry Potter: I’m almost done with Book II!” or “Nana, I need Book IV in the so-and-so fantasy series! I have nothing to read at bedtime tonight. Can you get it for me, please?” or “The new Lisa-so-and-so book is out. Can we go to the bookstore and get it right away?”
You bet we can, or I will, if at all humanly possible. Sometimes I think it doesn’t get any better than this. And, oh, we do need bookstores in this world!

herself but for various siblings and cousins who are not there. She knows exactly who’s into Lego, who likes trains, and who likes Hello Kitty. She herself prefers princesses.
Then there’s my seven-year-old, who discovered he could move beyond the I-Can-Reads and read a super hero book all by himself. I sat down on the floor next to him and almost cried.
Sometimes I get near-frantic phone calls: “Nana, do you have Book III of Harry Potter: I’m almost done with Book II!” or “Nana, I need Book IV in the so-and-so fantasy series! I have nothing to read at bedtime tonight. Can you get it for me, please?” or “The new Lisa-so-and-so book is out. Can we go to the bookstore and get it right away?”
You bet we can, or I will, if at all humanly possible. Sometimes I think it doesn’t get any better than this. And, oh, we do need bookstores in this world!

“Formation” was written at the beach and completely surprised me.

I thought I was simply writing about seagulls. But it turned out to be about something else entirely.
Formation
Seagulls in precise formation.
The shape: a children’s kite.
Above the waves a constellation
Of gulls in graceful flight.
Then one falls out, goes off alone.
The others circle round,
Escort him back, reclaim their own.
The raucous cries resound!
  Does he feel joyful, thus included,
  Or weep at freedom just eluded?

I thought I was simply writing about seagulls. But it turned out to be about something else entirely.
Formation
Seagulls in precise formation.
The shape: a children’s kite.
Above the waves a constellation
Of gulls in graceful flight.
Then one falls out, goes off alone.
The others circle round,
Escort him back, reclaim their own.
The raucous cries resound!
  Does he feel joyful, thus included,
  Or weep at freedom just eluded?

“Whispers” is a poem for children about writing poetry.

It came unexpectedly to me as I prepared to give a poetry workshop to third grade girls!
Whispers
I do not know where morning went;
  It up and ran away.
I did not see the time I spent
  On my new poem today.
For I was caught surprised again;
  It nabbed me in the shower.
So dripping wet, I grabbed my pen
  And then forgot the hour.
I did not eat; I’m barely dressed.
  I know I’m running late.
But I’m elated, not distressed,
  For nothing feels so great
As when a poem is coming through
  And I am hardly there.
The only thing that I must do
  Is stay alert, aware.
With pen in hand I write the words
  Whispered in my ear
By fairies, elves, or little birds
  Or maybe… G-d is near,
Giving me these words to write –
  It’s been this way before.
I pray my poems will bring delight
  And please, G-d, give me more.

It came unexpectedly to me as I prepared to give a poetry workshop to third grade girls!
Whispers
I do not know where morning went;
  It up and ran away.
I did not see the time I spent
  On my new poem today.
For I was caught surprised again;
  It nabbed me in the shower.
So dripping wet, I grabbed my pen
  And then forgot the hour.
I did not eat; I’m barely dressed.
  I know I’m running late.
But I’m elated, not distressed,
  For nothing feels so great
As when a poem is coming through
  And I am hardly there.
The only thing that I must do
  Is stay alert, aware.
With pen in hand I write the words
  Whispered in my ear
By fairies, elves, or little birds
  Or maybe… G-d is near,
Giving me these words to write –
  It’s been this way before.
I pray my poems will bring delight
  And please, G-d, give me more.

I don’t have most of my childhood poems, but I’ve never forgotten the very first one.

Written at the beginning of the school year, it was called simply, “The Fall.”
The Fall
(New York, 1959)
Some leaves turn red and some turn brown,
Then the leaves come tumbling down.
The birds fly south and go away;
They will come back in April and May.
Now we can’t go in the pool
Because we have to go to school.
Before we know it we’ll have snow –
I like the summer better, though.

Written at the beginning of the school year, it was called simply, “The Fall.”
The Fall
(New York, 1959)
Some leaves turn red and some turn brown,
Then the leaves come tumbling down.
The birds fly south and go away;
They will come back in April and May.
Now we can’t go in the pool
Because we have to go to school.
Before we know it we’ll have snow –
I like the summer better, though.

“Release Me” is a sonnet written during an unaccustomed period when I could not seem to carve out time to write.

It is unnerving for me to read it today, because about two years after I wrote it I suffered a literal, catastrophic fall and broke my jaw and my ribs. It tells me we ignore our inner promptings at our peril.
Release Me
I prayed for light, dear G-d, so I could see;
I’d groped around in darkness far too long.
So You lit up my sacred path for me
With painful shocks whenever I went wrong.
And so I learned, but still my courage fails me.
But why? What power holds me in such thrall?
I beg You, G-d, please heal whatever ails me,
But I cannot take another major fall.
And while it’s true I know my path by now,
Yet others’ wishes still take precedence.
Does fear of censure override my vow
To You, or do I doubt my inner sense?
  Whatever phantom captor stills my pen,
  Release me, G-d, that I may write again.

It is unnerving for me to read it today, because about two years after I wrote it I suffered a literal, catastrophic fall and broke my jaw and my ribs. It tells me we ignore our inner promptings at our peril.
Release Me
I prayed for light, dear G-d, so I could see;
I’d groped around in darkness far too long.
So You lit up my sacred path for me
With painful shocks whenever I went wrong.
And so I learned, but still my courage fails me.
But why? What power holds me in such thrall?
I beg You, G-d, please heal whatever ails me,
But I cannot take another major fall.
And while it’s true I know my path by now,
Yet others’ wishes still take precedence.
Does fear of censure override my vow
To You, or do I doubt my inner sense?
  Whatever phantom captor stills my pen,
  Release me, G-d, that I may write again.

I am very eclectic and would say I have favorite poems more than favorite poets, but I am drawn to spiritual poetry above all, with love poems a close second.

Here is a partial list of poems I go back to again and again (in no particular order).
Abou Ben Adhem
James Henry Leigh Hunt
Crossing the Bar
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Eternity
William Blake
G-d Speaks to Each of Us
Rainer Maria Rilke
Gunga Din
Rudyard Kipling
I Dwell in Possibility
Emily Dickinson
I Never Saw a Moor
Emily Dickinson
I Remember
Thomas Hood
Invictus
William Earnest Healey
Let Not the Marriage of True Minds
William Shakespeare
“Our Revels Now are Ended”
William Shakespeare (The Tempest)
Psalm 23
King David
Success Is Counted Sweetest
Emily Dickinson
Surprised by Joy – Impatient as the Wind
William Wordsworth
The New Colossus
Emma Lazerus
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
The Secret Sits
Robert Frost
“The Seven Ages of Man”
William Shakespeare (As You Like It)
That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold
William Shakespeare
To Make a Prairie
Emily Dickinson
To My Dear and Loving Husband
Anne Bradstreet
Since There's No Help
Michael Drayton
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”
William Shakespeare (Macbeth)
Tyger, Tyger
William Blake

Here is a partial list of poems I go back to again and again (in no particular order).
Abou Ben Adhem
James Henry Leigh Hunt
Crossing the Bar
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Eternity
William Blake
G-d Speaks to Each of Us
Rainer Maria Rilke
Gunga Din
Rudyard Kipling
I Dwell in Possibility
Emily Dickinson
I Never Saw a Moor
Emily Dickinson
I Remember
Thomas Hood
Invictus
William Earnest Healey
Let Not the Marriage of True Minds
William Shakespeare
“Our Revels Now are Ended”
William Shakespeare (The Tempest)
Psalm 23
King David
Success Is Counted Sweetest
Emily Dickinson
Surprised by Joy – Impatient as the Wind
William Wordsworth
The New Colossus
Emma Lazerus
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
The Secret Sits
Robert Frost
“The Seven Ages of Man”
William Shakespeare (As You Like It)
That Time of Year Thou Mayst in Me Behold
William Shakespeare
To Make a Prairie
Emily Dickinson
To My Dear and Loving Husband
Anne Bradstreet
Since There's No Help
Michael Drayton
“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”
William Shakespeare (Macbeth)
Tyger, Tyger
William Blake