khamush.com Lifestyle | Motivation | Poems
Poetry can allow us to express empathy and understanding towards others, especially during difficult times.
It can help us connect with others on an emotional level and convey a sense of shared experience.
Poems about helping others inspire hope and optimism in others, encouraging them to keep going in the face of adversity.
It can offer a perspective on life that may be different from one’s own, providing comfort and inspiration.
You can read these poems on lending a helping hand to those in need of it and get inspired to be a ray of hope for others.
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Famous Poems about Helping Others
Many poets have written about the theme of compassion, generosity, and kindness towards others. Let’s read some famous poems about helping others in need.
1. Helping Others
by Kate Summers
Too often the world is full of only about me
Others need help and if only I would be
More generous and caring for others
Realizing at the end of the day we are all brothers.
We all have time to help another
Rather than looking the other way and taking cover.
It may be money, it may be time
It all helps if only a dime.
There is such a need in this world today
To lend a helping hand is certainly a way
We could give back instead of being greedy
The world is full of people who are needy.
Many times it is not their fault
Where they live is under assault
And you never know when the day will come
When you will need a helping hand and some.
So while the times are good for you
Consider others in all you do
Open your eyes and lend a helping hand
There is much we can do, and so much demand.
You will find blessings come back to you
And feelings of thankfulness will be true.
You will impact the lives of others in a way
That you may not realize, please help today.
2. Help in Need
by James McIntyre
A poor man’s horse it ran away,
Soon man upon the roadside lay,
With his leg all badly broken,
Of sympathy some gave token.
One said your trouble grieves my heart,
But with his money would not part,
Another said, while heaving sighs,
It brings the tears into mine eyes.
But a good true hearted man,
His heart with kindness it o’er ran,
The poorest man among the three,
A pound he did contribute free.
Others gave in empty feeling,
But this poor man he did bring healing,
The giver only Lord doth prize,
Who helps afflicted for to rise.
3. No Man is an Island
by John Donne
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend’s
Or of thine own were:
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
4. Fraternity
by William Henry Dawson
Fraternity is that feeling toward mankind—
Without regard to rank, or wealth, or place—
Which makes a brother easy quite to find,
And sees God’s image in that brother’s face.
Sometimes the image is so badly scarred;
Almost beyond the recognition mark;
Its life by sinfulness so badly marred
That all the good combined is but a spark,
Yet the sweet spirit of fraternity,
Acknowledging the fatherhood of God,
Fails not His likeness in that soul to see,
And lifts it from beneath the chastening rod.
The man who thinks himself without a friend;
Who bitterest dregs from sorrow’s cup has drained;
Who’d gladly welcome death if ‘twould but end
The hell on earth which sinfulness has gained—
To him fraternity extends its hand
And says “my fellow trav’ler, look above;
Let me assist you on your feet to stand.
You are God’s child, and God is love.”
5. The One White Hair
by Walter Savage Landor
The wisest of the wise
Listen to pretty lies
And love to hear’em told.
Doubt not that Solomon
Listened to many a one,—
Some in his youth, and more when he grew old.
I never was among
The choir of Wisdom’s song,
But pretty lies loved I
As much as any king,
When youth was on the wing,
And (must it then be told?) when youth had quite gone by.
Alas! and I have not
The pleasant hour forgot
When one pert lady said,
“O Walter! I am quite
Bewildered with affright!
I see (sit quiet now) a white hair on your head!”
Another more benign
Snipped it away from mine,
And in her own dark hair
Pretended it was found…
She leaped, and twirled it round…
Fair as she was, she never was so fair!
6. The Bridge Builder
by Will Allen Dromgoole
An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide,
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
Yon never again will pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head;
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followed after me to-day
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”
7. The Lesson
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
My cot was down by a cypress grove,
And I sat by my window the whole night long,
And heard well up from the deep dark wood
A mocking-bird’s passionate song.
And I thought of myself so sad and lone,
And my life’s cold winter that knew no spring;
Of my mind so weary and sick and wild,
Of my heart too sad to sing.
But e’en as I listened the mock-bird’s song,
A thought stole into my saddened heart,
And I said, “I can cheer some other soul
By a carol’s simple art.”
For oft from the darkness of hearts and lives
Come songs that brim with joy and light,
As out of the gloom of the cypress grove
The mocking-bird sings at night.
So I sang a lay for a brother’s ear
In a strain to soothe his bleeding heart,
And he smiled at the sound of my voice and lyre,
Though mine was a feeble art.
But at his smile I smiled in turn,
And into my soul there came a ray:
In trying to soothe another’s woes
Mine own had passed away.
8. Be Always Giving
by Anonymous
The sun gives ever; so the earth–
What it can give so much ’tis worth;
The ocean gives in many ways–
Gives baths, gives fishes, rivers, bays;
So, too, the air, it gives us breath.
When it stops giving, comes in death.
Give, give, be always giving;
Who gives not is not living;
The more you give
The more you live.
God’s love hath in us wealth unheaped
Only by giving it is reaped;
The body withers, and the mind
Is pent up by a selfish rind.
Give strength, give thought, give deeds, give pelf,
Give love, give tears, and give thyself.
Give, give, be always giving,
Who gives not is not living;
The more we give
The more we live.
9. A Helping Hand
by Ray Hansell
Make a difference
Each day you live
Open your heart
Learn to give
Life for many
Is so unkind
Giving people
Are hard to find
So open your heart
Give what you can
We’re all responsible
For our fellow man
It’s so easy to look
The other way
But the tables could turn
On any given day
So help if you can
For one day you may be
The one who’s down and out
The one no one will see
Inspirational Poems about Helping Others
Welcome to poems of kindness dedicated to shining a light on the power and beauty of kindness, compassion, and generosity. Let’s dig in!
1. If We Understood
by Anonymous
Could we but draw back the curtains
That surround each other’s lives,
See the naked heart and spirit,
Know what spur the action gives,
Often we should find it better,
Purer than we judged we should,
We should love each other better,
If we only understood.
Could we judge all deeds by motives,
See the good and bad within,
Often we should love the sinner
All the while we loathe the sin;
Could we know the powers working
To o’erthrow integrity,
We should judge each other’s errors
With more patient charity.
If we knew the cares and trials,
Knew the effort all in vain,
And the bitter disappointment,
Understood the loss and gain—
Would the grim, eternal roughness
Seem—I wonder—just the same?
Should we help where now we hinder,
Should we pity where we blame?
Ah! we judge each other harshly,
Knowing not life’s hidden force;
Knowing not the fount of action
Is less turbid at its source;
Seeing not amid the evil
All the golden grains of good;
Oh! we’d love each other better,
If we only understood.
2. Lend A Hand
by Anonymous
Lend a hand to one another
In the daily toil of life;
When we meet a weaker brother,
Let us help him in the strife.
There is none so rich but may,
In his turn, be forced to borrow;
And the poor man’s lot to-day
May become our own to-morrow.
Lend a hand to one another:
When malicious tongues have thrown
Dark suspicion on your brother,
Be not prompt to cast a stone.
There is none so good but may
Run adrift in shame and sorrow.
Lend a hand to one another:
In the race for Honor’s crown;
Should it fall upon your brother,
Let not envy tear it down.
Lend a hand to all, we pray,
In their sunshine or their sorrow;
And the prize they’ve won today
May become our own to-morrow.
3. Our Duty
by Richard Lynott O’Malley
O disconsolate man, why fret and complain
That no use was thy birth, that thy life hath been vain?
Bear in mind, every mortal that ever draws breath
Has a duty assigned to fulfill before death;
And thou hast thine own, be it great, be it small,
And perhaps unaware thou art true to it all.
Hast thou e’er helped a bosom to banish distress?
Hast thou e’er helped a heart into happiness?
Hast thou played with the children, and taught them to play?
Hast thou prayed with the children, and taught them to pray?
Hast thou smiled on the good? hast thou frowned upon sin?
Hast thy heart felt the glow of true kindness within?
Ay, thy duty is such; yet it may be well done
By a tear and kind word for the desolate one;
Yea, e’en but one sigh for a mortal in pain
Were enough to convince that thy life is not vain.
4. What Have I Done for My Soul?
by Clara Miehm
What have I done for my soul today?
Have I given a helping hand?
Have I cheered my comrade on his way?
No—I did not understand
The wistful look in his eager eye.
I nodded at him and passed him by.
What have I done for my soul today?
When I drove thru the crowded square,
I saw a woman in ragged array,
Her face grim, and toilworn with care
She was my friend in the long ago;
I turned away—the world needn’t know.
What have I done for my soul today?
When a lad asked a bit of advice,
I yelled at him in a surly way,
But now I am paying the price.
My errant soul has returned to ask,
Is kindness such a stupendous task?
What do I do for my soul each day?
Do I try to understand
The common need of the common clay,
That is shaped by the master hand?
Do I dwarf my soul by a heedless deed,
Or is loyal service and love my creed?
5. Struggles Come Your Way
by Catherine Pulsifer
Life is better when we support and loveSave
Image: iStock
Just because struggles come your way
Doesn’t mean it can ruin your day
The good and the bad are a way of life
Don’t get down; move beyond the strife.
We must live life, taking things in stride
Helping each other, stoping any divide
Life is better when we support and love
And that is what’s expected from above.
You see, we were given choices to make
We are not robots; we are not fake
So if you’re faced with a trial or two
Don’t give up; let others help you through.
6. Something You Can Do
by Everett Wentworth Hill
There must be something you can do
To ease the burden of the day,
For someone who has lost his faith
In self, and cannot find his way.
One little deed, one thought, one act,
Will bring reward to you when aid
Is given to someone who strays
Along life’s path, alone, afraid.
You might have been that one who lost
His faith, and failed to understand,
And needed friends to urge you on.
Think well, then offer him your hand.
7. Receiving Help
by Julie Hebert
Inspiration is all around us, yes this is true,
It just takes some looking around.
If you find something helpful to give you a hand,
Allow it to assist you, hands down!
Receiving and giving come hand in hand,
And to receive is nothing to knock down.
By not allowing someone to help bring you up,
Is helping to keep you way down.
So don’t worry about taking without giving,
Just be grateful for all the help you have now.
When you start cruising in the good life you dreamed of,
You then can start giving back as you’ve vowed.
A helpful hand is a lesson in sharing
And if you have the means why not play your part.
Those who refuse your help are foolish,
As we all know appreciating the helpful hand is just smart.
8. Living for Others
by Charles E. Orr
Someone is trudging, weary and worn,
Along life’s rugged way;
Strength is fast failing, hope almost gone,
Feet are going astray;
Speak a kind word his lone heart to cheer;
Wipe from his eye the sorrowing tear;
Drive from his life the gloom and despair;
Lend him a hand today.
The winds are blowing wildly and chill,
Filling some heart with fear;
Some one is toiling long up the hill,
Under a load of care;
Some one’s tossing on life’s ocean-wave,
No one to pity, no one to save:
Rush, my brother, with heart true and brave,
Help their burdens to bear.
Be up and doing while it is day;
Soon the long night will come.
Your life is fleeing swiftly away;
Soon ’twill be past and gone.
Do what you can to help those in need;
Be a blessing by word and by deed;
Let “Living for Others” be ever your creed:
Heaven will give you a crown.
Simple Poems about Helping Others
In this category, you will find a series of short, easy-to-read poems that focus on the simple yet profound ways in which we can positively impact the lives of others.
1. Twilight Reverie
by Anonymous
At evening when the sun has set,
I want to know no vain regret
Because some selfish thought or deed
Has caused another’s heart to bleed.
Let me so live each passing day,
That when the sun has slipped away
I may know I’ve shared the road,
And helped to carry another’s load.
Let me bring some ray of light
To help another win his fight;
To help the burdened stand erect –
Let me remedy some small defect.
Lord, make me strong for this I’ve planned,
Help me to lend that helping hand;
For I have learned that he who does not give
Exists perhaps, but does not live.
2. The Two Kinds of People
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
There are two kinds of people on earth to-day;
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
Not the sinner and saint, for it’s well understood,
The good are half bad and the bad are half good.
Not the rich and the poor, for to rate a man’s wealth,
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for in life’s little span,
Who puts on vain airs is not counted a man.
Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No; the two kinds of people on earth I mean,
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.
Wherever you go, you will find the earth’s masses
Are always divided in just these two classes.
And, oddly enough, you will find, too, I ween,
There’s only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters, who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner, who lets others share
Your portion of labor, and worry and care?
3. Brotherhood
by Georgia Douglas Johnson
Come, brothers all!
Shall we not wend
The blind-way of our prison-world
By sympathy entwined?
Shall we not make
The bleak way for each other’s sake
Less rugged and unkind?
O let each throbbing heart repeat
The faint note of another’s beat
To lift a chanson for the feet
That stumble down life’s checkered street.
4. Help Build Confidence in Others
by Catherine Pulsifer
We all have the power to make one another shine,
Offer a kind word or two of encouragement in our time.
Empower others with your words and their own inner strength too,
Celebrate their successes on life’s journey so they can view.
Lend an ear and offer advice, maybe lend them a hand,
These simple gestures can spark a flame for confidence to land.
Watch as its rays light hope within the heart,
For when we help each other, our knowledge we do part.
5. Hunt A Busy Man
by Anonymous
“If you’ve a job that you want done,”
So runs a saying grim,
“Just find the busiest man you can,
And give the task to him.”
Of all the wicked schemes devised
By laziness and fat,
The wickedest, the cruelest,
The shamefulest, is that!
The man who says that wicked thing
Some day will surely go
To most appropriate punishment
Administered below.
Upon his groaning form bestowed,
A weight of iron shall rest,
And ever with increasing loads
His body shall be pressed.
“Now here’s another little weight,”
The fiends will say with vim;
“And here’s an over-loaded man;
So lay the weight on him.”
6. The One in Ten
by Edgar A. Guest
Nine passed him by with a hasty look,
Each bent on his eager way;
One glance at him was the most they took,
“Somebody stuck,” said they;
But it never occurred to the nine to heed
A stranger’s plight and a stranger’s need.
The tenth man looked at the stranded car,
And he promptly stopped his own.
“Let’s see if I know what your troubles are,”
Said he in a cheerful tone;
“Just stuck in the mire. Here’s a cable stout, Hitch onto my bus and I’ll pull you out.”
“A thousand thanks,” said the stranger then,
“For the debt that I owe you;
I’ve counted them all and you’re one in ten
Such a kindly deed to do.”
And the tenth man smiled and he answered then,
“Make sure that you’ll be the one in ten.”
Are you one of the nine who pass men by
In this hasty life we live?
Do you refuse with a downcast eye
The help which you could give?
Or are you the one in ten whose creed
Is always to stop for the man in need?
7. Judge Gently
by John Murray
Pray don’t find fault with the man who limps
Or stumbles along the road,
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
Or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
Though hidden from view;
Or the burden he bears, placed on your back
Might cause you to stumble, too.
Don’t sneer at the man who’s down today,
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall, or felt the shame
That only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows
That were his, if dealt to you
In the selfsame way at the very selfsame time
Might cause you to struggle, too.
Don’t be hard with the man who sins
Or pelt him with words or stones,
Unless you are sure, and doubly sure
That you have no sins of your own;
For, you know, perhaps, if the tempters voice
Should whisper soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray,
It would cause you to falter, too.
8. Charity
by Akta Agarwal
Freely giving unconditionally to the unknown person
With the thought of helping them
To give some peace as per our own status
And as said to give without the think of receiving something in respect of this is the pure hearted love
But am not that pure
But I want to help them in my possible ways
It’s really the kindest thoughts of giving them something from your own store
And when got to know bcoz of my utmost help they got their life and the children can able to fed his / her family
And no needs to beg
It will be the priest feeling that anyone can ever get
By giving them I didn’t have done charity I had buy peacefulness and happiness with this.
It’s not charity
It’s thought of letting them developed.
Short Poems about Helping Others
Let’s go right into this collection of concise yet powerful poetry that celebrates the beauty of small acts of kindness and inspires us to make a difference in the world.
1. Helping Hand
by Anonymous
There’s never a trouble that comes to stay;
There’s never a grievance but fades away;
Forget the heart-ache and bravely lend
A helping hand to some sadder friend.
2. If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking
by Emily Dickinson
If I can stop one heart from breaking, I
shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
3. A Lesson to Heed
by J. J. Thorne
This a lesson we should heed
Through our Maker to obey.
To oblige the poor in case of need,
And help them on their way.
4. Progress
by Kate Louise Wheeler
He, who to elevate himself
Labors with earnest will,
Forgets, that should he wisely try
To elevate the minds near by
And public needs to fill,
Will still continue to advance
And while their cause he does enhance
Will be their teacher still.
5. Small Things
by Richard Monckton Milnes
A sense of an earnest will
To help the lowly-living
And a terrible heart-thrill
If you have no power of giving:
An arm of aid to the weak,
A friendly hand to the friendless,
Kind words, so short to speak,
But whose echo is endless:
The world is wide -these things are small,
They may be nothing, but they are all!
6. A Halo
by Kate Louise Wheeler
No mortal can unhappy be
Who lives for other’s good,
And takes an interest in the lives
Of happy brother-hood.
Depression that destroys the mind
Will thereby disappear,
And gloom will all be swept away
In radiant atmosphere.
7. I Wish I Was A …
by George Krokos
I wish I was a billionaire
so I could travel everywhere
in my own private aeroplane
go see the world and not be vain
in a much more conducive time
and write about it all in rhyme.
Helping all those needy people
regardless of their own steeple
who’d come across my path to be
and give to them a hand from me
for all their immediate needs
as an example of good deeds.
Long Poems about Helping Others
These long poetries about a helping hand are in-depth and intricate creations that explore the complexities of human connection and celebrate the transformative power of compassion and generosity.
1. Unawares
by Emma A. Lent
They said, “The Master is coming
To honor the town to-day,
And none can tell at what house or home
The Master will choose to stay.”
And I thought while my heart beat wildly,
What if He should come to mine,
How would I strive to entertain
And honor the Guest Divine!
And straight I turned to toiling
To make my house more neat;
I swept, and polished, and garnished.
And decked it with blossoms sweet.
I was troubled for fear the Master
Might come ere my work was done,
And I hasted and worked the faster,
And watched the hurrying sun.
But right in the midst of my duties
A woman came to my door;
She had come to tell me her sorrows
And my comfort and aid to implore,
And I said, “I cannot listen
Nor help you any, to-day;
I have greater things to attend to.”
And the pleader turned away.
But soon there came another—
A cripple, thin, pale and gray—
And said, “Oh, let me stop and rest
A while in your house, I pray!
I have traveled far since morning,
I am hungry, and faint, and weak;
My heart is full of misery,
And comfort and help I seek.”
And I cried, “I am grieved and sorry,
But I cannot help you to-day.
I look for a great and noble Guest,”
And the cripple went away;
And the day wore onward swiftly—
And my task was nearly done,
And a prayer was ever in my heart
That the Master to me might come.
And I thought I would spring to meet Him,
And serve him with utmost care,
When a little child stood by me
With a face so sweet and fair—
Sweet, but with marks of teardrops—
And his clothes were tattered and old;
A finger was bruised and bleeding,
And his little bare feet were cold.
And I said, “I’m sorry for you—
You are sorely in need of care;
But I cannot stop to give it,
You must hasten otherwhere.”
And at the words, a shadow
Swept o’er his blue-veined brow,—
“Someone will feed and clothe you, dear,
But I am too busy now.”
At last the day was ended,
And my toil was over and done;
My house was swept and garnished—
And I watched in the dark—alone.
Watched—but no footfall sounded,
No one paused at my gate;
No one entered my cottage door;
I could only pray—and wait.
I waited till night had deepened,
And the Master had not come.
“He has entered some other door,” I said,
“And gladdened some other home!”
My labor had been for nothing,
And I bowed my head and I wept,
My heart was sore with longing—
Yet—in spite of it all—I slept.
Then the Master stood before me,
And his face was grave and fair;
“Three times to-day I came to your door,
And craved your pity and care;
Three times you sent me onward,
Unhelped and uncomforted;
And the blessing you might have had was lost,
And your chance to serve has fled.”
“O Lord, dear Lord, forgive me!
How could I know it was Thee?”
My very soul was shamed and bowed
In the depths of humility.
And He said, “The sin is pardoned,
But the blessing is lost to thee;
For comforting not the least of Mine
You have failed to comfort Me.”
2. In Goodness is True Greatness
by Helen M. Johnson
I touch the spring—and lo, a face
Which for these many years
Within my heart has had a place,
A tender place—appears.
The large dark eyes look up to mine,
So like thyself!—the cheek,
The brow, the features, all are thine:
Speak to me, brother, speak!
And tell me of each grief and care:
For be they great or small,
A sister’s heart would take a share—
And, if it could, take all!
And tell me of each hopeful plan,
And how the future seems,—
Oh, may that future to the man
Be all the boy now dreams.
I’ve heard thee say thou wouldst be great,
And with the gifted shine;
‘T is well; but there’s a nobler fate,
I pray it may be thine:
It is to be an honest man,—
To elevate thy race,
And like the good Samaritan
Do good in every place;
To struggle bravely for the right,
Though kings defend the wrong;
To live as in thy Maker’s sight,
And in his strength be strong;
To put the spotless garment on,
To keep it pure and white,
And when the endless day shall dawn
Receive a crown of light.
Dear brother, fame is but a breath,
So I implore for thee
A holy life, a happy death,
A blest eternity.
3. Your Mission
by Ellen H. Gates
If you cannot on the ocean
Sail among the swiftest fleet,
Rocking on the highest billows,
Laughing at the storms you meet,
You can stand among the sailors,
Anchored yet within the bay,
You can lend a hand to help them,
As they launch their boats away.
If you are too weak to journey
Up the mountain, steep and high,
You can stand within the valley,
While the multitudes go by.
You can chant in happy measure,
As they slowly pass along;
Though they may forget the singer
They will not forget the song.
If you have not gold and silver
Ever ready to command,
If you cannot toward the needy
Reach an ever open hand,
You can visit the afflicted,
O’er the erring you can weep,
You can be a true disciple,
Sitting at the Saviour’s feet.
If you cannot in the conflict
Prove yourself a soldier true,
If where the fire and smoke are thickest
There’s no work for you to do,
When the battle-field is silent,
You can go with careful tread,
You can bear away the wounded,
You can cover up the dead.
Do not then stand idly waiting
For some greater work to do;
Fortune is a lazy goddess,
She will never come to you.
Go and toil in any vineyard,
Do not fear to do or dare,
If you want a field of labor,
You can find it anywhere.
4. The Life Savers
by Hannah Augusta Moore
All night long do you know it? Do you care?
Up and down the ocean beaches they are marching;
All the lanesome peril of the winter nights they dare,
Where the surf shoots, seething, landward in the bitter, biting air;
And the fitful lights and shadows of the lanterns that they bear
Make more wild the gloomy sky above them arching
Where the coast is bleak and cold;
Where the rocks are high and bold,
While the wind and snow and sleet are beating;
Where the breakers rush and roar,
There they watch for ships ashore,
The cry for help with instant succor meeting.
All night long where the surges flood the dunes,
Stern watch and ward they keep, strong eyes sweeping
The offing, while the breakers are roaring savage runes,
While the stormy winds are howling or wailing dismal tunes,
While the rocks and sands about them are becoming broad lagoons,
The life-saving watch these braves are keeping.
All niglit long while the timid landsmen sleep,
Dreaming, snug and warm, on their downy pillows,
The coast-guard, the surf-men down by the deep,
Steadfastly, bravely, their watch heroic keep,
Or into the sea—icy cold—they boldly leap,
To rescue fellow-men from the billows.
Talk not of heroes whose trade it is to kill!
Life savers! these are the god-like heroes still,
Risking their lives for every life they save
From the plunging wreck, or snatch from swirling wave.
O when your beds are warm,
In nights of winter storm,
When you are safe from wind and sea—
Think of the surf-men brave:
Their life watch by the wave,
And cheer them by your grateful sympathy.
5. The House by The Side of The Road
by Sam Walter Foss
There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the peace of their self-content;
There are souls, like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths
Where highways never ran;—
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by—
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner’s seat,
Or hurl the cynic’s ban;—
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I see from my house by the side of the road,
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife.
But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears—
Both parts of an infinite plan;—
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
But still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice,
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by—
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish— so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner’s seat
Or hurl the cynic’s ban?—
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Poems about Helping Others That Rhyme
Poems about helping others with rhyme use the beauty and rhythm of rhyme to inspire acts of kindness and generosity towards those in need. Let’s read them together to warm our hearts.
1. Given to Me
by Catherine Pulsifer
A helping hand was given to me
At a time when I felt I couldn’t see
I felt so down and so alone
What would happen next was unknown.
I felt the world was against me
But out of the blue, a helping hand was offered to me
I felt like an angel had been sent
Helping me to a great extent.
It was hard to accept but no choice I had
And when I accepted it wasn’t so bad
At that time I vowed I would help others like me
Because of the help I got, it set me free.
So if you need a helping hand
Don’t let your pride take over, just understand
We should all help each other
Because in the end, we are all sisters and brothers.
2. I’ll Stretch It A Little
by Anonymous
The wintry blast was fierce and cold,
And the lassie’s coat was thin and old.
Her little brother by her side
Shivered and pitifully cried.
“Come underneath my coat,” said she,
“And see how snug and warm you’ll be.”
The brother answered, nothing loth,
“But is it big enough for both?”
“Yes,” said the girl, with cheery wit;
“I’ll stretch it out a little bit.”
Ah, brothers, sisters, where the mind
Is bent upon an action kind,
What though the means are sparely spun,
And hardly seem to serve for one?
Stretch them with love, and straightway you
Will find them amply wide for two!
3. Count That Day Lost
by George Eliot
If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done,
And, counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard,
One glance most kind
That fell like sunshine where it went—
Then you may count that day well spent.
But if, through all the livelong day,
You’ve cheered no heart, by yea or nay—
If, through it all
You’ve nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face—
No act most small
That helped some soul and nothing cost—
Then count that day as worse than lost.
4. Sympathy
by Douglas Malloch
No man so poor but he may give
To other men some cheer,
No man too low or high may live
To help some brother near.
The forest that we tread is dark
And hidden is the trail;
Oh, keep alight the single spark
That leads to Holy Grail.
No gift so cheap to give, and yet
No gift so dear to hold;
The eyes that weep when eyes are wet
Are mines of rarest gold.
No gift so cheap as love is cheap,
Yet none so rich may be
As they who on their altars keep
The lamp of sympathy.
A forest dark, bewildering,
This life we wander through;
Praise God for those who work and sing,
For both we have to do—
Our greater mission not to win
The thing we most desire,
But more to keep, through care and sin,
Our hearts with love afire.
For there are others on the road,
The dark and misty trail,
And we who bear the lighter load
Must help the ones who fail;
And, helping on the weary soul
Who stumbles by alone,
Thus we, in striving for his goal,
Shall come upon our own.
5. Credo
by Roy Neal
Mix a little shake of laughter in the doings of the day,
Scatter golden bits of sunshine as you plod along the way,
Stop to cheer a fellow human that’s a bit worse off than you—
Help him climb the pesky ladder that you find so hard to do;
Show by every daily motive, every thought and every deed—
You are one that folks can turn to when they find themselves in need;
Just forget the rugged places—make believe they’re slick and smooth;
When you spot the troubled faces, pull a grin and try to soothe;
Life’s a game—a mighty short one—play it gamely while you can—
Let the score book show the record that you measured up a MAN!
Pretty pomes and marble towers won’t avail you very much,
When you’ve passed—unless you’ve helped to lighten heavy loads and such;
Better far to have your neighbors say you were a cheerful chap,
Always kind and always helpful—if you’re that, you’ll leave a gap;
You may scatter filthy lucre to your merry heart’s content,
And forgotten be much sooner than some good-souled homeless gent;
Chances are that in the making of your sordid pile of cash,
In your handclasps you were faking, though you did show pep and dash;
Never mind about the fortune you made up your mind to pile—
But just live the GOLDEN RULE, lad, and your life will be worth while.
6. Along The Way
by Anonymous
There are so many helpful things to do
Along life’s way
(Helps to the helper, if we did but know),
From day to day.
So many troubled hearts to soothe.
So many pathways rough to smooth,
So many comforting words to say.
To the hearts that falter along the way.
Here is a lamp of hope gone out
Along the way.
Someone stumbled and fell, no doubt
But, brother, stay!
Out of thy store of oil refill;
Kindle the courage that smoulders still;
Think what Jesus would do to-day
For one who had fallen beside the way.
How many lifted hands still plead
Along life’s way!
The old, sad story of human need
Reads on for aye.
But let us follow the Saviour’s plan
Love unstinted to every man;
Content if, at most, the world should say:
“He helped his brother along the way!”
Final Thoughts
In a world that can often feel cold and harsh, poetry about caring serves as a reminder of the beauty and transformative power of helping others.
Whether through simple gestures of kindness or more complex acts of generosity, these poems highlight the tremendous impact that we can have on the lives of those around us.
We hope that these collections inspire you to consider the ways in which you can make a difference in the world and to reflect on the joy and fulfillment that comes from helping others.
We would love to read your views on this poetry about goodness, so please feel free to leave a comment and share your own reflections on the importance of kindness and generosity.
