In domestic infant adoption, the wait to be chosen by a birth mother can be a challenge for hopeful adoptive parents. The adoption process can be hard work, so it helps to have as much support as possible along the way to keep you going. Adoption poetry and quotes are a great way to lift your spirits and feel connected to a larger community!
Decades ago, when I hoped to adopt, I would look at the list of quotes and poems I had gathered whenever we hit a snag. Instantly, the adoption poetry would lift my mood.
One such poem, “The Gift of Life,” reminds adoptive parents and parents-to-be of what a blessing adoption truly is. Adopted children have two families and two mothers who love them deeply. One mother gives up her happiness to ensure her child has a good life, while the other fulfills her dream of becoming a mother.
Another beautiful adoption poem comes to us from Brandi, a birth mother who made an adoption plan for her baby a few years ago. Brandi chose a loving adoptive family for her daughter Lily through Lifetime Adoption. You can read Brandi’s poem here, and then keep scrolling to enjoy more adoption poetry!
Adoption Poetry: Legacy of Two Mothers
Once there were two women whose hearts were aching with love.
One you do not remember, the other you call “Mother”.
Two different lives, shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star; the other became your sun.
The first gave you life, and the second taught you to live it The first gave you a need for love, and the second was there to give it.
One gave you your DNA; the other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent, the other gave you aim.
One gave you emotions; the other calmed your fears.
One saw your sweet face first; the other dried your tears.
One chose adoption. It was all that she could do.
The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me through your tears,
The age-old question through the years.
Heredity or environment, which are you the product of?
Neither, my darling, neither.
Just two different kinds of love.
– Author Unknown
Adoption Poetry: You Grew In My Heart
Not flesh of my flesh
Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn’t grow under my heart,
But in it.
-Fleur Conkling Heyliger
Adoption Poetry: Adoption is Love for Eternity
Oh, my child, who will you be?
I long for the day that I will see
God’s endless blessings just for me.
Will you be a he or a she?
Will your skin be black or white?
What color eyes will be your sight?
Will you be tall or short in height?
All combinations, I invite.
The wait is hard, I must admit.
God’s timing brings the perfect fit.
Your selfless birth mom, I’ll never forget.
This act of love will be so worth it.
Oh, my child, who will you be?
I will keep waiting patiently.
Please come home to your family.
Adoption is love for eternity.
-Tracy, an adoptive mother-in-waiting
A Note from Tracy
Tracy, and her husband, Jamie, are actively waiting to be chosen by a birth mother. To prepare for their future adoption, Tracy attends monthly adoption webinars. She shared how the support and encouragement of Lifetime’s staff have helped her family and how Lifetime’s adoption webinars inspire her to write during their wait. We hope you’re inspired by Tracy’s uplifting adoption poetry and honest feedback on how Lifetime’s supportive staff have filled her with hope for her family’s future:
“I am so very grateful for everyone at Lifetime Adoption. I have learned so much while my family waits to fulfill our adoption dreams. The webinars are a true inspiration and my Adoption Coordinator always finds just the right words to say to fill us with hope and excitement. I have learned from the webinars that journaling can help bring positivity while we wait. I also really enjoyed last week’s webinar about what happens after you match. It was very informative and it’s exciting to think about the next steps in our adoption journey.”
Tracy continues, “I also wanted to share with you a little poem I wrote about adoption. I wrote the poem shortly after our last check-in call, and I truly feel that you provided me with the inspiration to put some of my feelings into words. Due to the encouragement at Lifetime Adoption, I was able to put my feelings into writing to create the poem. Thank you to everyone at Lifetime for your unwavering support and encouragement! Thanks for all that you do to support my family as well as all of the other hopeful adoptive families that you work with!”
Adoption Poetry as a Powerful Outlet for Emotion
Poetry has always been a way to release and express emotions. People have written poems about politics, religion, society, and personal experiences for centuries, using words to make sense of the world and their feelings.
In the adoption community, poetry offers a unique way to explore the deep emotions tied to the journey—before, during, and after the adoption process. The losses that lead to adoption can carry a lifetime of processing, while the gains also spark deep emotions. Poetry becomes a way of expressing these complex feelings.
For many, poetry serves as a form of self-therapy. Writing, whether it’s poetry or journaling, can help improve mental health by offering a way to cope with infertility, grief, loss, and other challenges tied to adoption. Poetry isn’t just art—it’s a tool for healing and connection.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on February 18, 2015, and has since been updated.
Founder of Lifetime Adoption, adoptive mom, adoption expert, and Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P).
Since 1986, adoption expert Mardie Caldwell has been dedicated to bringing couples and birth parents together in order to fulfill their dreams.
“Many years ago, I was also searching for a child to adopt. We didn’t know where or how to get started. Through research, determination, and a prayer, our dream of a family became reality. I started with a plan, a notebook, assistance from a caring adoption consultant and a lot of hard work; this was my family I was building. We had a few heartaches along the way, but the pain of not having children was worse!
Within weeks we had three different birth mothers choose us. We were overwhelmed and delighted. Many unsettling events would take place before our adoption would be finalized, many months later. Little did I know that God was training and aligning me for the adoption work I now do today. It is my goal to share with our families the methods and plans which succeed and do not succeed. I believe adoption should be affordable and can be a wonderful “pregnancy” for the adoptive couple.
I have also been on both sides of infertility with the loss of seven pregnancies and then conceiving by new technology, giving birth to a healthy daughter. I have experienced first-hand the emotional pain of infertility and believe my experience allows me to serve your needs better.
It is my hope that for you, the prospective parents, your desire for a child will be fulfilled soon.”