The other day, I was feeling a little bit down, and I found myself scrolling in the abyss that is Pinterest. I have not been on Pinterest in a while, and so a fair amount of Pins that I have long since lost interest in appeared: loose curls, pointless DIYs that turn old wood into a semi-functional picture frame, etc. Then, within the abyss, I stumbled upon a short poem by Shel Silverstein, called Masks: "She had blue skin/And so did he/He kept it hid/And so did she/They searched for blue/Their whole life through/Then passed right by/And never knew." After reading it for the first time since I was a kid, I couldn't help but feel a little bit heartbroken. I know what it's like to feel that way, though I'm almost certain that a child reading these poems for the first time does not. I've read all of Shel Silverstein's poetry inside and out as a child, and I couldn't help but wonder why I had missed this particular little gem of insight, and if it were unique. And so I took to the internet in search of other little gems that I'd missed, and found there were quite a few. And so, I've compiled a small collection of short poems by Silverstein and that apply much more once you're an adult.

1. The Land of Happy

I'm certain you have been in the Land of Happy, at an amusement park or a reunion or something of the like. No one can be happy all the time, that's just unnatural! This does not mean that misery is better than happiness; it simply means that a bad day every once in a while will amplify how good the good ones are. As my favorite poet Sarah Kay once said, "Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they love the taste of air".

2. Underface

This one applies to every student going to college for the first time. We're so busy trying to impress that we realize the confident selves we put forward are not at all how we feel. I keep this poem in my phone background - it reminds me it's okay to not be as sure as I'd like to be.

3. The Voice

It's often hard, at least for me, to listen to my gut. This poem encompasses perfectly what it feels like to be pressured. I'm constantly surrounded by people who are so certain that this or that is the right thing to do, that I have no idea what the right thing actually is. Uncertainty is a part of life - Shel simply encourages us to listen to our own selves.

4. Woulda Coulda Shoulda

There is a certain amount of doubt that comes with, quite plainly, life. Sometimes you just have to grin and bear it, and all of a sudden you have an incredible story to tell. Maybe you were afraid about moving to a new place, or had a big decision to make. Every decision you make creates a story - wouldn't you rather the story be about the things you did rather than the things you didn't?

5. Don't Tell Me

Shel at it again, encouraging us to lead by example. After all, who will listen if you don't follow your own rules?

6. Happy Ending?

Often in fairytales, the story ends right where a new one begins; we have come to know this transition period as a "happy ending". Silverstein has a point when he says there are no happy endings. Because, if something is happy, why would you want it to end?

7. Years From Now

I can't help but wonder who he is referring to in this particular piece. Though it has a tinge of heartbreak in it, he genuinely wishes joy upon this person that is no longer in his life. Anyone, except for the truly bitter, can relate: old high school friends, distant relatives, old boyfriends, girlfriends, etc. They may not stay in our lives, but they certainly have a place in our hearts.

There are many more than 7 - his wisdom far exceeds mine, and perhaps you should take a look for yourself. I know I certainly will, to see what things I may have forgotten in the process of growing up. I think putting ourselves back in the mindset of innocence, if even just for a little while, might just give us the little extra umph we might need.