Over the last half of my life, I’ve read hundreds of poetry books. Whenever I read a poem that I loved or felt a deep connection to, I added it to a collection I titled 200 Antidepressant Poems. Now, whenever I feel overwhelmed or feel I did something wrong, I go to the meditation room, randomly open my manuscript, then read a poem loudly. Usually two poems are enough to make me feel better and restore love in my heart. Here are my 11 favorite poems to read when I am feeling depressed (11 is the master power number): The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop Leaving One by Ralph Angel A Cat in an Empty Apartment by Wisława Szymborska Apples by Deborah Digges Michiko Nogami (1946–1982) by Jack Gilbert Eating Alone by Li-Young Lee The Potter by Peter Levitt Black Dog, Red Dog by Stephen Dobyns The Word by Mark Cox Death by Maurycy Szymel This by Czeslaw Milosz