How to Get Home in the Dark

Emilie Lygren is a poet and outdoor educator who teaches writing in a variety of contexts: classrooms, research stations, graduate programs, parks, libraries, and beyond. She is also the author of two books of poetry and the co-author of dozens of resources on science education and social emotional learning. Emilie lives in on Coast Miwok land in San Rafael, California.

"A LANDMARK ANTHOLOGY!! With immense care, understanding, and affection, poet and teacher Emilie Lygren has created a gorgeous gathering of poems to help us survive our most difficult times. Who among us will not find themselves here? These well-chosen, profoundly moving works and Lygren's graciously gentle writing suggestions are a compass, a guide, for all hard days to come, and all the love we need to find one another." —Naomi Shihab Nye

"From a trauma-informed perspective, these poems bear witness, offering the kind of relational holding that supports regulation and healing. They also model the conditions necessary for integration: spaciousness, consent, and the freedom to feel without pressure."—David Treleaven, PhD, author of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness

"What if this is exactly the book you need? What if you find a poem that speaks to where you are right now? What if you trust, after reading this book, that you are not alone? What if you find in these pages another voice of yourself, a wise and gentle voice, that helps you see this moment in a new way? Life is so hard. Please. Read this book. Out loud. Alone or with a friend. I love this book. I want to give this book to everyone. Including you." —Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, author of The Unfolding and host of The Poetic Path

"How to Get Home in the Dark exemplifies how much poetry has to offer us--a spark, a sense of closure, or simply a brief respite when the weight of our thoughts can rest on the page rather than on our minds. Thank you to every poet in this anthology for demonstrating poetry's capacity to inspire connection, transformation, and healing. To young people navigating our tumultuous present and an uncertain future: these poems remind you that you are not alone in your pain and extend an invitation to join the dialogue these poets have begun. A community of writers and readers are eager to hear your voice and learn from it."—Nebeu Shimeles, Co-Executive Director of the Pongo Poetry Project