Poetry is almost as old as language.

Young teenage girl reading book in living roomHumans 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.