35 Kindness Poems
A collection of kindness poems to inspire compassion, generosity, and thoughtful acts.

Short Poems & Quotes
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Inspirational Poems
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Kindness Poems
Updated February 28, 2025, by Catherine Pulsifer
Be inspired by these kindness poems—short yet powerful verses that encourage acts of kindness in everyday life. Kindness isn’t just an occasional gesture; it’s a way of living, a habit that brightens the world without a second thought. Imagine how different life would be if generosity, compassion, and understanding were at the heart of every interaction.
Our world can always use more kindness, and even the smallest acts— a smile, a kind word, a helping hand—can make a lasting impact. World Kindness Day, celebrated on November 13, reminds us of the power of kindness and the importance of fostering caring communities. Let these poems encourage you to spread kindness today and every day.
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But When
Poet: E. A. Brininstool
We are going to do a kindly deed,
Sometime, perhaps, but when?
Our sympathy give in a time of need,
Sometime, perhaps, but when?
We will do so much in the coming years;
We will banish the heartaches and doubts and fears,
And we'll comfort the lonely and dry their tears,
Sometime, perhaps, but when?
We will give a smile to a saddened heart,
Sometime, perhaps, but when?
Of the heavy burdens we'll share a part,
Sometime, perhaps, but when?
Sometime we're going to right the wrong;
Sometime the weak we will help make strong;
Sometime we'll come with Love's old, sweet song,
Sometime, perhaps, but when?
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Thoughfulness Shows
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
In the dance of kindness, a melody sweet,
Thoughtfulness shows with every heartbeat.
A gentle word, a tender embrace,
Creates a world of warmth and grace.
In each gesture, big or small,
Thoughtfulness weaves a magical thrall.
A caring touch, a mindful gaze,
Brightens up the darkest of days.
Let kindness be the guide we know,
With thoughtfulness, let compassion grow.
For in the simple acts we share,
Thoughtfulness paints the world with care.
Little Things Poems
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A Habit To Embrace
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer, ©2021
Kindness is shown in many ways
It can make someone's day
It may be only a little thing
But sunshine to others it will bring.
Simple things, even a smile
Can brighten a day for others, while
It will come back to you
Show kindness in all you do.
Hold a door, help others
You will soon discover
Something that seems small to you
Can have a huge impact that is true.
Make kindness a habit today
Spread love and kindness in every way
You will find the world will be a better place
It is a habit we should all embrace.
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Understanding Grows
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
In the world of kindness, where hearts align,
Understanding grows, a gift divine.
A gentle touch, a listening ear,
Fosters a connection that's crystal clear.
Kindness and understanding, hand in hand,
Creating a haven where compassion can stand.
Through storms and sunshine, thick and thin,
Understanding nurtures the love within.
Poems About Compassion
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Some Little Good
Poet: Alice Cary
True worth is in being, not seeming -
In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good - not in dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.
For whatever men say in their blindness,
And in spite of the fancies of youth,
There's nothing so kingly as kindness,
And nothing so royal as truth.
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Now
Poet: Chas. R. Skinner
If you have kind words to say,
Say them now.
Tomorrow may not come your way
Do a kindness while you may,
Loved ones will not always stay;
Say them now.
If you have a smile to show,
Show it now.
Make hearts happy, roses grow,
Let the friends around you know
The love you have before they go,
Show it now.
Words To Live By
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Kindness and Honesty
Poet: Juanita Roach
Kindness helps make you loving and good,
Kindness helps make you do what you should.
Honesty helps make you what you should be,
From the time you're a baby until eternity.
And if you are both honest and kind,
You'll be welcomed and loved most all of the time.
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Wishing
Poet: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Do you wish the world were better?
Let me tell you what to do -
Set a watch upon your actions:
Keep them always straight and true,
Bid your mind of selfish motives;
Let your thoughts be clean and high;
You can make a little Eden
Of the sphere you occupy.
Do you wish the world to be wiser?
Well, suppose you make a start
By accumulating wisdom
In the scrap-book of your heart.
Do not waste one page in folly;
Live to learn and learn to live;
If you want to increase knowledge.
You must get ere you can give.
Do you wish the world were better?
Then remember day by day
Just to sow the seeds of kindness
As you pass along the way.
For the pleasure of the many
May be ofttimes traced to one.
As the hand that plants the acorn
Shelters armies from the sun.
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Your Actions Thrive
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
In words, you weave a tapestry of care,
But it is the deeds that truly mark you rare.
For kindness isn't whispered, empty wind,
It blossoms in the service that you lend.
In our community, your actions thrive,
An example of compassion, strong and alive.
With every selfless act, a truth is shown:
You speak of kindness with the work you've sown.
Let Us Do Good
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Kindness Poem
Poet: W.J.M.
Scarce the honey-dew of kindness;
Priceless is the balm of love;
Life-long joy a look oft giveth;
Endless pain when we reprove.
Gentle words and kindly manners
Cast no more than acts of scorn;
Gain true friends and life is richer,
Making men seem heaven-born.
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Kindness, The Gentle Touch
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
Kindness, the gentle touch that soothes the soul,
Creates a world where compassion holds control.
In every act and word, its power is found,
A better, harmonious life on which it's bound.
In kindness, we find justice and care,
For a society that's equal and fair.
So let us spread kindness, far and near,
For a world filled with love,
not one of fear.
Poems About Helping Others
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Kindness
Poet: Unknown
Would you soon disdain a foe —
Purge away his blindness?
Do not give him blow for blow;
Melt his heart with kindness!
Searching out his want and will,
Sympathy so touches,
Gently as the drops distill
Ere the spring outgushes!
Let him find you manly, kind,
Fighting wrong, and ever
Serving all with, heart and mind —
God crowns best endeavor.
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Deeds Of Kindness
Poet: Unknown
Suppose the little cowslip
Should hang its little cup.
And say, "I'm such a tiny flower,
I'd better not grow up."
How many a weary traveller
Would miss its fragrant smell!
How many a little child would grieve
To lose it from the dell!
Suppose the glistening dew-drops
Upon the grass should say,
''What can a little dew-drop do?
I'd better roll away."
The blade on which it rested.
Before the day was done,
Without a drop to moisten it
Would wither in the sun.
Suppose the little breezes,
Upon a summer's day,
Should think themselves too small to cool
The traveller on his way;
Who would not miss the smallest
And softest ones that blow,
And think they made a great mistake
If they were talking so?
How many deeds of kindness
A little child may do.
Although it has so little strength,
And little wisdom too!
It needs a loving spirit,
Much more than strength, to prove,
How many things a child may do
For others by its love.
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Little Acts of Kindness
Poet: Unknown
Little acts of kindness
Trifling though they are,
How they serve to brighten
This dark world of care!
Little acts of kindness,
Oh, how potent they,
To dispel the shadows
Of life’s cloudy day!
Little acts of kindness,
How they cheer the heart!
What a world of gladness,
Will a smile impart!
How a gentle accent
Calms the troubled soul,
When the waves of passion
O’er it wildly roll!
You may have around you
Sunshine if you will,
Or a host of shadows,
Gloomy, dreary, chill.
If you want the sunshine,
Smile, though sad at heart;
To the poor and needy
Kindly aid impart.
To the soul-despairing
Breathe a hopeful word;
From your lips be only
Tones of kindness heard.
Even give for anger
Love and tenderness;
And in blessing others
You yourself will bless.
Little acts of kindness,
Nothing do they cost;
Yet, when they are wanting,
Life’s best charm is lost.
Little acts of kindness,
Richest gems of earth,
Though they seem but trifles,
Priceless is their worth.
Give Every Day
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Little Things
Poet: Unknown
A cup of water timely brought,
An offered easy chair,
A turning of the window-blind,
That all may feel the air;
An early flower bestowed unasked,
A light and cautious tread,
A voice to softest whispers hushed
To spare an aching head -
Oh, things like these, though little things,
The purest love disclose,
As fragrant atoms in the air
Reveal the hidden rose.
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Little Deeds
Poet: Unknown
Not mighty deeds make up the sum
Of happiness below;
But little acts of kindliness,
Which any child- may show.
A merry sound to cheer the babe,
And tell a friend is near;
A word of ready sympathy
To dry the childish tear;
A glass of water timely brought;
An offered easy-chair;
A turning of the window-blind
That all may feel the air;
An early flower unasked bestowed;
A light and cautious tread;
A voice to gentlest whisper hushed
To spare the aching head, -
Oh! deeds like these, though little things,
Yet purest love disclose,
As fragrant perfume on the air
Reveals the hidden rose.
Our heavenly Father loves to see
These precious fruits of love;
And, if we only serve him here,
We'll dwell with him above.
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A Better Place
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
Acts of kindness can be like little lights,
Giving hope and direction to our long nights.
If we share the joy and give a kind word,
The world becomes better, that is what you heard.
Actions speak louder than words can say,
Someone may need some help today.
Every day work a little harder to bring love,
Let's share it universally, like sent from above.
It takes only one act done with love and grace,
To make this world a better place!
Poems About Hope
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A Deed And A Word
Poet: Charles MacKay
A little stream had lost its way
Amid the grass and fern;
A passing stranger scooped a well,
Where weary men might turn;
He walled it in, and hung with care
A ladle at the brink;
He thought not of the deed he did,
But judged that all might drink.
He passed again, and lo! the well.
By summer never dried,
Had cooled ten thousand parching tongues,
And saved a life beside.
A nameless man, amid a crowd
That thronged the daily mart,
Let fall a word of hope and love,
Unstudied, from the heart;
A whisper on the tumult thrown,
A transitory breath
It raised a brother from the dust,
It saved a soul from death.
O germ! O fount! O word of love!
O thought at random cast!
Ye were but little at the first,
But mighty at the last.
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Live For Something
Poet: Chalmers
Live for something.
Do good and leave behind you
A monument of virtue that
The storm of time can never destroy.
Write your name in kindness, love and mercy
On the hearts of thousands you come in
Contact with, year by year. . . .
Good deeds will shine
As the stars of heaven.
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The Spoken Word
Poet: David V. Bush
Whate'er in life we say or do
A boomerang will be,
For from the law of "like brings like"
We never can be free.
If lofty thoughts spring from your heart,
And goodness fills your mind,
The waves you send abroad in life
Will come back glad and kind.
If sin or malice taint your soul,
And fill your thoughts with hate.
Be certain that the evil waves
Will haunt you soon or late.
If you spread cheer and love around;
If noble deeds you do.
All these in time will bring reward.
And travel back to you.
If we're to help this suffering world
In thought or word or deed.
Since what we sow we're sure to reap,
It's kindness that we need.
If some weak brother falls or slips
Upon the toilsome way,
Lend him a hand, and help him rise.
And guard the things you say.
God's changeless laws are working still
And every word comes back;
And gossip's evil tongue some day
May have you on the rack.
So send kind thoughts to all mankind
Where'er the skies extend;
For each thought, be it good or bad,
Will come back in the end.
Positive Thoughts
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Truest Harmony
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
In a world where hearts connect,
Kindness blooms with sweet effect.
Open ears, understanding eyes,
Empathy, where true compassion lies.
A gentle touch, a caring smile,
Bridge the gaps, even just a mile.
In the tapestry of life we weave,
Threads of empathy, make hearts believe.
So let's be kind, reach out a hand,
Create a world where love expands.
For in the dance of empathy,
We find the truest harmony.
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Caring And Kind Hearts
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
In the garden of life, where flowers bloom,
Kindness is the sun, chasing away the gloom.
A caring touch, a word so sweet,
Makes every connection a joyful feat.
Like a gentle breeze on a summer day,
Caring and kind hearts make the world okay.
In every gesture, big or small,
Caring echoes, a universal call.
So let's be kind, let's deeply share,
A world of warmth, beyond compare.
For in the world of deeds we bring,
Caring and kindness is the song our hearts sing.
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An Act Of Kindness
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
An act of kindness may start with a smile,
Though small, it can go many a mile.
When we take the time to be kind,
We may help others out of a bind.
Helping out a neighbor or friend in need,
Can plant a seed of hope and love indeed.
Little acts of kindness shows we care,
Sometimes in this world, these acts are rare.
Smile Poems
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Scatter Seeds
Poet: Sister Dora (Dorothy Wyndlow Pattison)
Let the world be better, brighter,
For your having trod its way;
Let your light be seen afar,
Ere sinks down life's little day.
Scatter seeds of love and kindness
As you tread the heavenward road;
You will find them all again
In the paradise of God.
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The Real Good?
Poet: John Boyle O'Reilly
What is the real good?
I asked in musing mood.
Order, said the law-court;
Knowledge, said the school;
Truth, said the wise man;
Pleasure, said the fool;
Love, said the maiden;
Beauty, said the page;
Freedom, said the dreamer;
Home, said the sage;
Fame, said the soldier;
Equity, the seer: -
Spake my heart full sadly,
"The answer is not here."
Then within my bosom,
Softly this I heard,
"Each heart holds the secret,
Kindness is the word!"
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Kindness Stands Strong
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
Kindness can never be wrong, you see,
It lifts the heart and sets souls free.
A simple word, a helping hand,
Can brighten days like sunshine grand.
No act too small, no deed in vain,
A gentle touch can ease the pain.
With kindness given all day long,
You’ll find it always stands so strong.
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It Is Much
Poet Unknown
A heart-felt smile, a gentle tone,
A thoughtful word, a tender touch,
A passing act of kindness done, -
'Tis all, but it is much.
These are not things to win applause,
No earthly fame awaiteth such;
But surely by the heavenly laws
They are accounted much.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words Poems
Short Kindness Poems
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Doing Kindness
Poet: George Herbert
Be useful where thou livest, that they may
Both want and wish thy pleasing presence still:
Kindness, good parts, great places, are the way
To compass this. Find out men's want and will,
And meet them there. All worldly joys go less
To the one joy of doing kindnesses.
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Loving Kindness
Poet: Martha S. Lippincott
How can we ease another's pain
Their sorrows e'er dispel?
When they are sore depressed with gloom,
How can we break the spell,
And make their sad lives brighter seem,
By driving grief away?
'Tis only loving kindness can.
Ah! love will find a way.
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Kindness Quotes
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Little
by Frederic W. Farrar
Little self-denials, little honesties,
little passing words of sympathy,
little nameless acts of kindness,
little silent victories over favorite temptations, -
these are the silent threads of gold which,
when woven together,
gleam out so brightly in
the pattern of life that God approves.
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Ripples of Kindness
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
In the quiet where kindness takes flight,
Ripples spread, igniting hearts alight.
Acts witnessed inspire, a spark so bright,
A chain of good in the day and night.
Deed begets deed, a cascade of grace,
Through shared joy, a compassionate embrace.
Collections of Kindness Poems
- Kind Words Are Like Honey
Never underestimate the power of words. Kind words are like honey is a proverb that has inspired many poets to write about the effects of kind words. Read the poems here and be encouraged to use more kind words each and every day.
- Planting Seeds Of Kindness
Poems about planting seeds of kindness to inspire you. We scatter seeds throughout our lives, and some of the best seeds are kindness. Let these poems inspire you to plant many seeds of kindness!
- Be Kind To Animals
We hope these poems remind you of how wonderful animals are and caring and being kind to them is a blessing, as they are always there for us!
Related Pages:
Poems About Empathy - Kindness begins with understanding. These poems remind us that by stepping into another’s shoes, we can make the world a gentler place.
Respect Poems - When we treat others with kindness and respect, we build a world filled with harmony. Let these poems inspire you to uplift those around you.
Meaningful Poems - Kindness gives life meaning. These poems offer heartfelt reminders that even the smallest act of goodness can leave a lasting impact.
Judging Others Poems - A kind heart does not judge but seeks to understand. Let these poems encourage you to lead with compassion rather than criticism.
Poems About Generosity - Generosity is kindness in action. These poems encourage giving not just of material things, but of love, time, and care.
Quotes About Compassion - Compassion and kindness go hand in hand. These quotes will inspire you to share warmth and understanding in all you do.
Quotes About Helping Others - A helping hand is a powerful gift. Let these quotes remind you that even the smallest act of kindness can brighten someone’s day.
We hope these kindness poems have inspired you to share their heartfelt messages with others. Kindness doesn’t require grand gestures—small, everyday acts can make a world of difference. A simple smile, a kind word, holding a door open, or calling someone who feels alone can brighten someone's day in ways you may never fully realize.
There are countless ways to spread kindness, and the more you give, the more it comes back to you. Make compassion, generosity, goodwill, and understanding a daily habit, and you’ll see that "being kind results in happiness you will find."

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