It was something my own mother recognised: it was she who gave me this poem. Now a mother myself, I too sometimes feel powerless in the face of the suffering of my own children, or indeed my own feelings of abandonment. This spiritual allows me to accept my own limitations, just as it may have helped my mother to accept hers. As if in the middle of an intimate conversation between the poet and reader, the poem begins with what seems strange advice. Oliver urges us to unlearn one of the first lessons we are taught – to be good. In fact, we do not have to be good to be loved. Instead, all we need to do is reconnect with our essential loving, animal nature. All we must do is to ‘let’ this happen.

Like Rachel Kelly, I passionately believe in the power of poetry to reach the soul. In times of heartache and joy, this wonderful anthology will help and delight all through the year. Kelly's brilliant introduction and explanations of each choice make this an indispensable companion, always.'The effect of fiction on mental health is quite well recorded, but poetry has now, she says, been validated too. “There is interesting research into using poetry to encourage empathy for nurses and a 2020 study of children reading poetry - including one in the book Hope is the Thing with Feathers - found it made them less anxious, less fearful and at ease with their emotions and able to express them.” If the thought of writing daunts you. Don’t think about it as being good or bad. Instead, write straight from the heart: writing for wellbeing is as much about how you feel as the words you choose and the images they suggest. Are we going to have to radically reappraise how we approach mental wellbeing more broadly, given that the level of demand raises the possibility of the NHS never being able to solve the growing mental health crisis?

In this lovely book there are poems that allow us to enjoy a full range of emotions, from wintery and dark verses to poems that are more spring-like and hopeful. Even if you haven’t looked at a poem or written a creative word since school, it’s never too late to explore the moving power of poetry. According to Rachel, ‘It’s all about finding the right poem, to which you feel connected’.

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Sometimes I feel like a motherless child Sometimes I feel like a motherless child Sometimes I feel like a motherless child Long way from my home. Sometimes I feel like freedom is near Sometimes I feel like freedom is here Sometimes I feel like freedom is so near But we’re so far from home.

Why is loving ourselves so hard? And how can we change this? Here, Walcott takes us by the hand and leads us not just to imagine but to believe in a new relationship with ourselves. We can relax right from the start of the poem, in the astonishing certainty that, in the future, we will greet ourselves with elation. It is only a matter of time. From Rachel Kelly’s heartfelt introduction advocating the power of poetry You’ll Never Walk Alone is an inclusive, supportive and effective book that makes the reader feel as if they are understood and given succour. The use of the pronouns I and you has the effect of Rachel Kelly speaking directly to the reader and to them alone as a friend might. I loved this feeling of a friend in a time of need. Kelly's brilliant introduction and explanations of each choice make this an indispensable companion. -- Bel Mooney From probiotics to poetry: how Rachel Kelly keeps depression at bay". www.newstatesman.com. New Statesman. Mental health campaigner and journalist Rachel Kelly has published a new book You"ll Never Walk Alone

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The poems are grouped by season with each season having a different tone; Winter – time for sadness, Spring – time for hope, Summer – time for joy and Autumn – time for reflection. Each poem is printed and Rachel then reflects on the meaning. Spring includes ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ by Oscar Hammerstein II – the one the title is taken from and also the one that definitely can’t be read without effectively singing it in your head.

Like Rachel Kelly, I passionately believe in the power of poetry to reach the soul. In times of heartache and joy, this wonderful anthology will help and delight all through the year. Kelly’s brilliant introduction and explanations of each choice make this an indispensable companion, always.’

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Kelly, Rachel (1 April 2017). "Talking about mental illness is no substitute for offering real help - Rachel Kelly". The Guardian.