six poems to read while the world is on fire

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Here are six gentle ways to remember that your life—and your art—still matter, even when the world feels impossible.

I've been sending voice notes to a friend about completely random stuff—like how my matcha tastes today or what my cat is doing. Sometimes staying connected doesn't need to be deep or serious.

"Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" — Mary Oliver

tiny action: Text someone something completely ordinary that made you smile. Or send a friend a random meme. Connection is medicine.

Yesterday I put flowers in a jar and placed it next to my laptop.
It took 30 seconds but somehow made my whole day feel more intentional.
Like I was choosing beauty over chaos.

"Everything is on fire, but everyone I love is doing beautiful things and trying to make life worth living, and I know I don't have to believe in everything, but I believe in that." — Nikita Gill

tiny action: Light a candle. Arrange something pretty on your desk. Make your coffee (or tea if you’re sensitive to coffee like yours truly) extra special. Romance your own life, especially the boring parts.

Sometimes I just watch my cat to remember what being present means. She notices everything—every sound, every shadow, every bird. She's completely here, in this moment, not worried about anything else but the here and now.

"Cure yourself with the light of the sun and the rays of the moon. With the sound of the river and the waterfall. Get strong with bare feet on the groundand with everything that is born from it." — María Sabina

tiny action: Go outside for 2 minutes and make a list of things that you notice!
Here's what I've been noticing lately:

• How shadows move across the wall like slow dancers

• The sound of wind through different types of leaves

• How cats always find the perfect sunny spot

• The way morning light makes even weeds look magical

• Birds having full conversations I wish I understood

Find your own beautiful thing. Let it fill you up. Let it be enough.

My partner and I have been taking turns finishing this sentence: "I know the world is burning, but..." and seeing who can make the other laugh first. Like: "I just saw a lizard do a push-up on a wall," or "there's a fig in the fridge calling my name".

"It’s dark because you are trying too hard.
Lightly child, lightly.
Learn to do everything lightly.
Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply.
Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.
So throw away your baggage and go forward.
There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet,
trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair.
That’s why you must walk so lightly.
Lightly my darling,
on tiptoes and no luggage,
not even a sponge bag,
completely unencumbered." ― Aldous Huxley , Island

tiny action: With someone you love, take turns finishing: "I know the world is burning, but..." Some ideas to get you started:

• "...I still get excited about new socks"

• "...my plants are thriving"

• "...I found the perfect avocado today"

• "...dogs still wag their tails"

• "...there's chocolate in my kitchen"

See how silly and hopeful you can get.

I've been experimenting with mixed media animation lately and had SO much fun using my hands to make something that nourishes me! (You can check my last creations here.

Last week I also made sweet potato brownies (WHO DIS, yes!! perfect for when you're on your period). Making art isn't just drawing or writing—it can be baking brownies, too.

"In the time of your life, live—so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness for yourself or for any life your life touches. Seek goodness everywhere." — William Saroyan

• Make a collage out of paper scraps (so therapeutic!)

• Drawing with your non-dominant hand

• Making paper flowers from old magazines

• Playing with clay or play-doh

• Cooking something that smells amazing

• Building a fort with pillows

• Painting with watercolors on cheap paper (you are allowed to suck and extra points if you do!)

Your hands know how to create. Let them remember.

I stopped trying to have deep thoughts and started just writing what's true.
What feels heavy right now.
What still feels beautiful.
Both things can exist at the same time.
The most powerful tool when you feel confused? Just being honest about what you feel and with yourself.

"You should always keep something beautiful in your mind."— Pascal

tiny action: Write for 5 minutes about these two things:
"What feels too much right now?" and "What still feels beautiful?"
Don't think too hard. Just be honest. Sometimes the truth is the only thing that makes sense.

1. Sending random voice notes to people I love

2. Lighting candles during the day

3. Making the same comforting breakfast over and over

4. Watching my cat

5. Reading poems instead of news before bed and in the morning

6. Texting friends to tell them why they're awesome

7. Dancing in my kitchen while dinner cooks

8. Buying flowers for no reason except they're pretty

9. Taking pictures of ordinary moments that feel sacred

10. Remembering that making art while the world burns isn't selfish—it's how we keep hope alive

Sometimes it feels ridiculous to make art when the world is falling apart.
Like we should be doing something "bigger" or "more important."

But here's what I'm learning: the world needs people who refuse to let chaos win.

When you bake cookies while everything feels impossible, you're saying:
"I still believe in sweetness."

When you send a silly text to a friend, you're saying: "I still believe in connection."

When you write a poem or take a photo or sing in the shower, you're saying:
"I still believe beauty matters."

That's not small. That's revolutionary.

More visual inspiration for your day:

Totoro sleeping peacefully while the world spins around him

The ending of It's a Wonderful Life when everyone shows up

Bob Ross painting happy little trees during the storm

That scene in Dead Poets Society where they all stand on their desks

Sheeta in Castle in the Sky choosing to destroy Laputa rather than let it be used as a weapon

The hobbits having second breakfast during war times

WALL-E finding beauty in a trash-filled world

Studio Ghibli characters making elaborate meals in tiny kitchens

Lucy and Mr. Tumnus having tea while Narnia is under the White Witch's spell

Belle reading books while her village thinks she's crazy

A woman placing flowers in the rifle barrels of National Guard soldiers during an anti-war demonstration at the Pentagon in 1967.

P.S. If any of these tiny actions speak to you, I'd love to hear about it.

What's keeping you grounded right now?
What small beautiful thing are you making?

Reply and tell me—your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

The world needs your particular way of keeping the light on.

P.P.S: If you enjoyed this little collection of hope, let me know!
I'm thinking of making this a Sunday digest :)

Love,
Chiara