The Healing Fountain is a phrase drawn from W. H. Auden's lines, "In the deserts of the heart / Let the healing fountain start." Like the crystalline spouting waters . . . poetry inspires and renews us time and again. When we read or hear a poem, our senses, hearts, minds, and souls all participate in the act. Because poems elicit responses at so many levels, they often function as vehicles for enlightenment and healing. In this book, creative and passionate leaders in the field of poetry therapy skillfully show readers how the powerful energy of poetic expression can be harnessed to foster growth, help alleviate pain, and improve the quality of life. Organized by themes that capture essential features of life's journey, this collection reflects the joys and sorrows, the setbacks and advances, the fears and courage that we experience as we look within, interact with others, or engage with the world around us.