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Something Will Change Me: Poems of Soul and Spirit
Poems from the Heart of the Earth...This collection of 100 poems by Don Hynes resonate with the rhythms of crashing waves and towering forests. Hynes explores the rugged beauty of trees, rocks, and rolling waves through an intimately personal lens.
More than nature poetry, these are soul poems - borne of memory, heartache, and dream visions. They reach transcendentally across time and space to connect with the reader's own experiences of change and self-discovery.
Poems that reach into lifetimes - past, present and those to be imagined, and in the tradition of America’s most enlightened poets such as Mary Oliver and William Stafford, speak in a quiet voice of your place on earth and the place you are preparing.
More than nature poetry, these are soul poems - borne of memory, heartache, and dream visions. They reach transcendentally across time and space to connect with the reader's own experiences of change and self-discovery.
Poems that reach into lifetimes - past, present and those to be imagined, and in the tradition of America’s most enlightened poets such as Mary Oliver and William Stafford, speak in a quiet voice of your place on earth and the place you are preparing.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 5, 2025
What if the ocean's roar, the whisper of trees, and the steady presence of ancient rocks could speak to your soul?
Fascinating, Right?
Don Hynes's beautiful collection, "Something will change me: Poems from the Heart of the Earth," invites you to listen and be part of it. This compilation of 100 poems takes you on an adventure through the raw beauty of nature in the forms of waves, forest, creatures and their symphony of rhythm.
These aren't just nature poems, as they carry profound emotions. These are well-written, with pouring emotions, and each poem reflects moments of life to connect with readers. They unveil the hidden feelings of our lives and help us reflect on moments of change and growth.
The author's voice is both gentle and profound. The words reach beyond time, touching reader's past, grounding their present, and opening doors to new adventures with positivity. I find it profoundly moving and a good prose collection for its depth and serenity in life and thought.
Fascinating, Right?
Don Hynes's beautiful collection, "Something will change me: Poems from the Heart of the Earth," invites you to listen and be part of it. This compilation of 100 poems takes you on an adventure through the raw beauty of nature in the forms of waves, forest, creatures and their symphony of rhythm.
These aren't just nature poems, as they carry profound emotions. These are well-written, with pouring emotions, and each poem reflects moments of life to connect with readers. They unveil the hidden feelings of our lives and help us reflect on moments of change and growth.
The author's voice is both gentle and profound. The words reach beyond time, touching reader's past, grounding their present, and opening doors to new adventures with positivity. I find it profoundly moving and a good prose collection for its depth and serenity in life and thought.
June 4, 2025
Just one of those perfect collection you buy for a friend and keep for yourself!
June 30, 2025
I’m pretty picky with poetry; there are very few modern poets that I feel like I can connect with. I read hundreds of original, contemporary pieces a month and often roll my eyes or quietly make little changes in my head. Occasionally, there’s a poem or two that grabs my attention and speaks to me in a deep way. Hynes has managed to do that multiple times in this book.
Books of poems are rarely laced with diamonds in lines or stanzas that stand out, and depending on the season of life, sometimes none at all. Daring to Raise My Eyes could be a spoken word piece as much as a written piece. Spoken from Silence and Sound of Life are equally great in their own respects. But Winter Path? This can be interpreted on so many levels; what a fantastic poem tucked in a book of great pieces.
This is a short read, as most poetry collections/chapbooks are, but I’m willing to bet there’ll be a few real gems here for you as there were for me if you give it a chance.
Books of poems are rarely laced with diamonds in lines or stanzas that stand out, and depending on the season of life, sometimes none at all. Daring to Raise My Eyes could be a spoken word piece as much as a written piece. Spoken from Silence and Sound of Life are equally great in their own respects. But Winter Path? This can be interpreted on so many levels; what a fantastic poem tucked in a book of great pieces.
This is a short read, as most poetry collections/chapbooks are, but I’m willing to bet there’ll be a few real gems here for you as there were for me if you give it a chance.
June 27, 2025
“Something will change me / yet behind the faces / I’ll be the one watching.”
Don Hynes’ Something Will Change Me isn’t a book you read, it’s one you feel in your chest, like a quiet presence that lingers after the final page. These poems aren't flashy or loud; they speak in whispers, in wind, in waves. From the very beginning, Hynes invites us into a world shaped by nature, memory, spirit, and silence, and if you slow down enough to listen, you’ll walk away changed.
What struck me most about this collection is how grounded it is. Hynes writes from the bones of real things, moss-covered trees, rain-soaked streets, cracked sidewalks, and wind off the Salish Sea. And through that earthly imagery, he brings us into something deeper: grief, transformation, longing, and quiet joy. Whether he’s standing “on the bridge of all that’s past” or sitting in the “soul kitchen” with his memories, Hynes meets the sacred in the everyday.
Many of the poems—like “To Love What Is Close” or “Guarding the Door”—feel like small lanterns in the dark, offering light but also honouring the shadows. Hynes doesn’t shy away from sorrow or the weight of ageing. Instead, he lets those emotions speak honestly, giving them space to breathe.
This collection is also deeply spiritual, but in a quiet, personal way. It’s not preaching—it’s wondering, remembering, witnessing. Whether he’s writing about old-growth forests, worn relationships, or the ache of time, Hynes approaches it all with reverence.
Something Will Change Me is a collection I’ll return to—not for answers, but for reminders. To slow down. To listen to the silence. To be present in what’s both painful and beautiful. If you’re someone who appreciates poetry that moves gently but deeply, this is a book worth sitting with.
You might like to check out more similar books here.
Don Hynes’ Something Will Change Me isn’t a book you read, it’s one you feel in your chest, like a quiet presence that lingers after the final page. These poems aren't flashy or loud; they speak in whispers, in wind, in waves. From the very beginning, Hynes invites us into a world shaped by nature, memory, spirit, and silence, and if you slow down enough to listen, you’ll walk away changed.
What struck me most about this collection is how grounded it is. Hynes writes from the bones of real things, moss-covered trees, rain-soaked streets, cracked sidewalks, and wind off the Salish Sea. And through that earthly imagery, he brings us into something deeper: grief, transformation, longing, and quiet joy. Whether he’s standing “on the bridge of all that’s past” or sitting in the “soul kitchen” with his memories, Hynes meets the sacred in the everyday.
Many of the poems—like “To Love What Is Close” or “Guarding the Door”—feel like small lanterns in the dark, offering light but also honouring the shadows. Hynes doesn’t shy away from sorrow or the weight of ageing. Instead, he lets those emotions speak honestly, giving them space to breathe.
This collection is also deeply spiritual, but in a quiet, personal way. It’s not preaching—it’s wondering, remembering, witnessing. Whether he’s writing about old-growth forests, worn relationships, or the ache of time, Hynes approaches it all with reverence.
Something Will Change Me is a collection I’ll return to—not for answers, but for reminders. To slow down. To listen to the silence. To be present in what’s both painful and beautiful. If you’re someone who appreciates poetry that moves gently but deeply, this is a book worth sitting with.
You might like to check out more similar books here.
July 29, 2025
Some poetry makes you feel smarter. This one made me feel smaller. Not in a bad way. Like when you stand on a cliff and the wind just... knocks something loose inside you.
I picked up Something Will Change Me thinking I’d flip through a few poems, maybe highlight a line or two. That didn’t happen. What happened was—I lost time. Not in a dramatic, oh-my-god-I-read-it-all-in-one-sitting way. More like I kept stopping. Thinking. Going back. Reading something again because it felt like it had been written by a version of me from ten years ago. Or ten years ahead. I can’t tell.
Some poems feel like they were carved from stone. Others, like they barely made it onto the page before dissolving. There's one about trees—I mean, just trees—that hit like a memory I didn’t know I had. I had to sit there. Just sit.
Not all of them landed. I’ll admit that. A couple felt like whispers I couldn’t quite hear, or like I wasn’t in the right headspace. That’s on me. But the ones that connected? Damn. It wasn’t some fireworks show. More like a steady hum in your chest that doesn’t stop when you close the book.
There’s a line—I won’t quote it, that feels weird—but it made me think of my grandmother. And a beach trip. And a fight I had last month. All in the same second. That’s the kind of strange magic happening here.
It’s quiet. You won’t be wowed if you want big declarations or clever twists. But if you’ve ever looked out a window and felt something move in your chest that you couldn’t name... this book knows that feeling. It lives in it.
Easily five stars. Even if I don’t fully understand why.
I picked up Something Will Change Me thinking I’d flip through a few poems, maybe highlight a line or two. That didn’t happen. What happened was—I lost time. Not in a dramatic, oh-my-god-I-read-it-all-in-one-sitting way. More like I kept stopping. Thinking. Going back. Reading something again because it felt like it had been written by a version of me from ten years ago. Or ten years ahead. I can’t tell.
Some poems feel like they were carved from stone. Others, like they barely made it onto the page before dissolving. There's one about trees—I mean, just trees—that hit like a memory I didn’t know I had. I had to sit there. Just sit.
Not all of them landed. I’ll admit that. A couple felt like whispers I couldn’t quite hear, or like I wasn’t in the right headspace. That’s on me. But the ones that connected? Damn. It wasn’t some fireworks show. More like a steady hum in your chest that doesn’t stop when you close the book.
There’s a line—I won’t quote it, that feels weird—but it made me think of my grandmother. And a beach trip. And a fight I had last month. All in the same second. That’s the kind of strange magic happening here.
It’s quiet. You won’t be wowed if you want big declarations or clever twists. But if you’ve ever looked out a window and felt something move in your chest that you couldn’t name... this book knows that feeling. It lives in it.
Easily five stars. Even if I don’t fully understand why.
May 28, 2025
Poetry that invites change
Pacific Northwest poet Don Hynes offers his fifth book of poems with this eloquent and deeply inspiring collection – SOMETHING WILL CHANGE ME – an ode to our bond with Nature. As Hynes shares, “The sound of wind in tall firs and the rhythmic crash of waves became my companions. I knelt as pilgrim beside windswept tides, the rush of forest rivers, cupping my hands to capture their murmurs. Years of such listening are woven in these poems.”
Supplementing the beauty of his poetry are eloquent black and white mood setting photographs. A fragment of one of his poems is shared below:
How It Will Be
When lights go down,
and the wheels stop turning
we’ll be left with night, morning quiet,
and the emptiness that welcomes.
We’ll stop grinding our lives like corn
and circle dance with whales.
Our feet will drum the earth,
the rivers rise with joy,
and we’ll be humans
beneath a star filled sky.
Stepping into the richly imaginative and sensitive world of these poems provides a sense of awe and reassurance as well as moments of self-discovery. Experience Nature and life with this gifted poet, simply by reading and absorbing these poems.
Pacific Northwest poet Don Hynes offers his fifth book of poems with this eloquent and deeply inspiring collection – SOMETHING WILL CHANGE ME – an ode to our bond with Nature. As Hynes shares, “The sound of wind in tall firs and the rhythmic crash of waves became my companions. I knelt as pilgrim beside windswept tides, the rush of forest rivers, cupping my hands to capture their murmurs. Years of such listening are woven in these poems.”
Supplementing the beauty of his poetry are eloquent black and white mood setting photographs. A fragment of one of his poems is shared below:
How It Will Be
When lights go down,
and the wheels stop turning
we’ll be left with night, morning quiet,
and the emptiness that welcomes.
We’ll stop grinding our lives like corn
and circle dance with whales.
Our feet will drum the earth,
the rivers rise with joy,
and we’ll be humans
beneath a star filled sky.
Stepping into the richly imaginative and sensitive world of these poems provides a sense of awe and reassurance as well as moments of self-discovery. Experience Nature and life with this gifted poet, simply by reading and absorbing these poems.
August 20, 2025
I haven't read many poetry books in a while, so it was quite refreshing to get back into it. I recently read my own poems, so I always like to consider other works when I do so. The thing about poetry is that you can easily finish reading it, but to really absorb the meaning, it takes some time.
I especially liked 'Asleep in the Body of Salmon', ' Rare and Precious' and 'Years of Silence', all stuck out to me. The author uses incredible language and imagery, as well as includes pictures here and there throughout the book. I liked that aspect, as in a way, you are stepping into the author's shoes to see what he sees.
Every single poem invited me to take a minute and absorb the contents, allowing me to reflect on my own experiences, and this is something that most people need to do at times. Just take a minute. I also really liked how anybody could connect with these poems, as they include universal ideas. This short book of poems reminded me of how much I love poetry and the power it holds. It also reminded me that no matter how short a poem could be, it could have a lasting effect on your mind. A must-read, especially to reflect on.
I especially liked 'Asleep in the Body of Salmon', ' Rare and Precious' and 'Years of Silence', all stuck out to me. The author uses incredible language and imagery, as well as includes pictures here and there throughout the book. I liked that aspect, as in a way, you are stepping into the author's shoes to see what he sees.
Every single poem invited me to take a minute and absorb the contents, allowing me to reflect on my own experiences, and this is something that most people need to do at times. Just take a minute. I also really liked how anybody could connect with these poems, as they include universal ideas. This short book of poems reminded me of how much I love poetry and the power it holds. It also reminded me that no matter how short a poem could be, it could have a lasting effect on your mind. A must-read, especially to reflect on.
July 3, 2025
I didn’t expect Something Will Change Me to feel so personal. I went in out of curiosity, maybe hoping for a few pretty lines to underline, but it ended up circling things I’ve tried not to look at too closely — aging, loss, how quickly seasons slip past.
I liked that Hynes doesn’t bother with grand declarations. His poems lean small, quiet. A mossy stone. The slow drag of breath. There’s something honest in how he writes about growing older — the awkwardness, the hush around grief that most people rush to fill with platitudes. Enjoyed a lot of the themes on what remains after you’ve had to let so much go.
I felt that there was a tenderness under the raw edges, almost like he’s whispering, “Yeah, it hurts. You’re still here. That matters.” Closed the book slower than usual, not because it was hard to finish, but because it asked me to sit with things I usually hurry past. And I did. For a while, anyway.
I liked that Hynes doesn’t bother with grand declarations. His poems lean small, quiet. A mossy stone. The slow drag of breath. There’s something honest in how he writes about growing older — the awkwardness, the hush around grief that most people rush to fill with platitudes. Enjoyed a lot of the themes on what remains after you’ve had to let so much go.
I felt that there was a tenderness under the raw edges, almost like he’s whispering, “Yeah, it hurts. You’re still here. That matters.” Closed the book slower than usual, not because it was hard to finish, but because it asked me to sit with things I usually hurry past. And I did. For a while, anyway.
July 13, 2025
I love the sail of deep emotions. My recent read, "Something Will Change Me: Poems of Soul and Spirit", added another great experience to that. It felt like being calm in my hustle via 100 poems. I was embraced in the natural world created by the author with profound sentiments. The elements like misty forests, rolling tides, and timeless rivers engrossed me more into the read, and I was drawn to its timeless wisdom.
This collection is truly memorable for its instant emotional resonance and gravity. The poem "Instead She Flowers" is my favourite as it captivated the attention of my personality. The writing reflects the author's calmness and clarity, making it more comprehensible for readers. The clever use of intense emotions is justified, and its pace is suitable for a wide range of readers. Picking this is like choosing a fresh bouquet of your favourite flowers, which you would like to see again and again.
This collection is truly memorable for its instant emotional resonance and gravity. The poem "Instead She Flowers" is my favourite as it captivated the attention of my personality. The writing reflects the author's calmness and clarity, making it more comprehensible for readers. The clever use of intense emotions is justified, and its pace is suitable for a wide range of readers. Picking this is like choosing a fresh bouquet of your favourite flowers, which you would like to see again and again.
July 8, 2025
So I wandered into Something Will Change Me not quite sure what I was hunting for—maybe a little quiet, maybe some proof that someone else had been staring down their own endings and found a way to stand in it. I liked that Hynes doesn’t dress up getting older or soften the grief of watching your body slip into new shapes. He just says it, plain, sometimes almost raw.
Enjoyed a lot of the themes around how we keep finding wonder in the small stuff: rivers, stones, the hush of dawn. I felt that the poems landed soft and heavy at the same time, like someone placing warm hands over cold ones.
There’s this undercurrent of acceptance that surprised me—like okay, life’s going to end, people you love will leave, but there’s still a stubborn sweetness worth holding. Closed the last page feeling oddly comforted. Maybe a little changed, too.
Enjoyed a lot of the themes around how we keep finding wonder in the small stuff: rivers, stones, the hush of dawn. I felt that the poems landed soft and heavy at the same time, like someone placing warm hands over cold ones.
There’s this undercurrent of acceptance that surprised me—like okay, life’s going to end, people you love will leave, but there’s still a stubborn sweetness worth holding. Closed the last page feeling oddly comforted. Maybe a little changed, too.
July 5, 2025
"Something Will Change Me" by Don Hynes is more than just a collection of poems; it is a glimpse into the soul of a man who perceives the world beyond the night, fog, and ocean depths. Hynes takes the time to reflect on the nature that many of us often overlook. He listens to what nature communicates to him, which is a remarkable skill. An author who can vividly bring to life experiences you have never encountered before through their words showcases true talent, and that is the essence of Don Hynes.
The illustrations in this book enhance the mood for the poems that follow. Overall, I read these poems slowly to better understand the emotions the author expressed while writing them. My favorite piece from this collection is "Thawing the Hardness."
The illustrations in this book enhance the mood for the poems that follow. Overall, I read these poems slowly to better understand the emotions the author expressed while writing them. My favorite piece from this collection is "Thawing the Hardness."
June 19, 2025
Don Hynes’ Something Will Change Me is the kind of poetry that sneaks up on you and sticks. It’s honest, raw, and speaks straight to the heart. His words touch on grief, joy, love, and the quiet moments that shape us. Something is grounding about it—like walking in the woods and remembering who you are. The poems feel real, not fancy or overdone, just deeply human. I love the connection to nature I felt while reading these poems. If you're looking for something that feels true and comforting, this book is a beautiful place to land for a while. This is a great read and worth diving into again and again. Recommended.
July 4, 2025
Something Will Change Me: Poems of Soul and Spirit by Don Hynes is a collection of 100 beautiful, soul-deep poems written with an emotionally intelligent hand. These are real poems that not only read like a beautiful story with gorgeous imagery but resonate with the spirit. I was deeply moved by each stanza, knowing that the next line would evoke a spiritual feeling of elation and peace. I love the depth that Something Will Change Me carries and knowing that each poem comes from a special place makes it all the more worth it. I am grateful for having been given a chance to read a book written by an artist of Don Hyne’s caliber.
August 16, 2025
It is always nice to sit and read a book of poetry.
In Don Hynes's collection of poems, you sit with nature. You absorb sounds of the water and the waves, breathing, the seasons, the forests, and all of nature. You recognize the peacefulness of the moonlight and solace of walking alone.
This collection centers you to think and look around you. Take note of the beauty of the world and let it heal your soul.
Quite peaceful.
In Don Hynes's collection of poems, you sit with nature. You absorb sounds of the water and the waves, breathing, the seasons, the forests, and all of nature. You recognize the peacefulness of the moonlight and solace of walking alone.
This collection centers you to think and look around you. Take note of the beauty of the world and let it heal your soul.
Quite peaceful.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews