In a recent edition of Three Not-So-Bad Things About Aging and Longevity, published by The Longevity Project, poetry received a BIG and well-deserved shoutout!

Recent research links poetry with improved well-being, enhanced cognitive function, richer emotional expression, and stronger social bonds. That’s quite a résumé! A 2022 study found that reading or reciting poetry stimulates the brain and strengthens memory and concentration through rhythm and rhyme. The good news? You don’t have to be a published poet to benefit. Simply listening to, reflecting on, or engaging with poetry can support your health.

I don’t follow many accounts on Facebook, but one poet I never miss is Becky Helmsley. Her daily poems are sometimes uplifting, sometimes poignant, but always thought-provoking. On her website, Becky writes: “Good words—words that make you feel something, that shift your perspective slightly—have the power to stay with you forever.” She hopes her writing helps people “see themselves, or others, or the world around them slightly differently… and realize that they are never alone.”

In 1996, the Academy of American Poets established April as National Poetry Month to promote the reading and appreciation of poetry. Now that we know poetry also supports cognitive health, I invite you to step outside your comfort zone and try writing an original poem of your own. Please consider sharing it with us by submitting it here. In honor of National Poetry Month, we will feature all submissions in the April edition of the PTFW Monthly Newsletter.