"The worst part about being sick is you get all the free ice cream you ask for. And the worst thing about that is realizing that there's nothinf more they can do for you" makes me cry every time. Kid knows he's dying, he knows that there's nothing more they can do.

" it has less to do with pain, and more to do with beauty. "

The line that says "Even if god doesn't, it isn't because we didn't try" makes me cry without fail every time!

I'm getting a tattoo of a cricket on my arm because of this poem

"he pulled a feather and says this one is for you" "I almost expect him to say is *this is the first feather I grew* " I'm crying..

This is the only thing that can make me cry harder each time I listen to it.

My tears are enough to rehydrate California gah deyum

I remember a couple of years ago, stumbling upon this. It made me cry, then. My little brother had just been born, he was healthy and normal. We never thought this would be his life. He's now three. He has brain cancer. I relistened to this today, and just I bawled my eyes out. I've always been my little brothers annoying older sister, but lately my mother has been telling me how much he misses me. He's growing up so quickly because of what he's going through. Through his poetry, I learned to write; now I need to listen to his words and learn to have the strength he has.

“he’ll still be planted in this bed like a flower that refuses to grow.” Hot damn... rest in peace for those who passed not knowing happiness. Appreciate your blessings and miracles. Have a nice day, for you and for others.

I started crying when he said the part about his roommate wearing Star Wars pajamas. Shane is one of the best people I've ever come across. Bless him.

"He asks me if I believe in angels..." And then I cry.

The last line “you see this is the first one I grew” makes me cry even more every time... Shane knows how to tell a story and he’s genuine about it you can hear it when his voice break

He said "this is the first one I grew" because he was an angel.

I am currently 16 and suicidal. when I first heard this poem it brought me to tears. I just want to thank Shane for this wonderful poem. this poem and others that he has made are what keep me living, so thank you Shane thank you so much, and to anyone who is suffering in their lives try to make it through because there's something in you that keeps you going forward despite everyone who told you to quit.

This might sound weird but, I have to say it. Someone told me to look this up when I was in a very dark and lonely place. I can’t even remember there name and I know I’ll never talk to them again but, I have to say it. I want to thank that person I met on the internet years ago. This helped me more than they could ever know. Thank you

im a addict in recovery for twenty years i never once cried i first discoverd shane while i was rehab and not ever showing emotion for twenty years i cried for about three weeks when i was kicking meth and herion. thank you shane i wish too meet you one day and give you a hug

Do you believe in angels... he pulls a feather from his pillow as a farewell gift for his friend. “This is the first one I grew” ...bruh u bawled imagining him saying that.

I get chills every time I listen to this.

I almost cried, and not because of what he was all talking about but the lesson he crafts through his words. That if a child younger than me can find hope in even the most damned places then we outta appreciate and make our lives worth it. Not because of what we are yet to have but the beautiful gifts given to us RIGHT NOW. Louis, you are an inspiration and I myself apologize for those years you never got to see life as a free child instead of one being bound to a hospital building. For every person out there, I apologize, not because of the fact I couldn’t do anything about it but the fact I waste all my breath yet there's others who can't do that. Some who don't have breath to waste or a life to call their own that's shared not with a place, but with themselves. Just like Shane I swear I’ll remember you, always. Edit: I came back, some months later and I will forever listen to this. Because even if others don't, I will always stay quiet to listen to the Crickets have arthritis.

Shane is my favorite poet...This is my favorite poem.

"He asks me if I believe in angels And before I realize I don’t have the heart to tell him, I tell him, “Not lately.” And I just lay there waiting for him to hate me But he doesn’t know how to, so he never does" damn. Thats my favorites part.

as someone whos had a terminal illness and survived this hits. I was only seven at the time so I barely understood anything and all I knew is that I was gonna die, I was gonna die and no McDonald's happy meal or sickly sweet milkshakes that people left at my bedside could fix it. thank you for this.

34 year old former Crip, tearing up. Good job.

Favorite Poem 👌 Deep Feelings ...

“ It’s gravity that’s been getting us done” Breaks me every single time.

how amazing is it that the people in the comments sections have been brought together by this one person? There's not a single person I respect and acknowledge more than this man, how many times has he saved me? damn. These onion-cutting ninjas indeed...

Play this at the exact same time as you start "Dido, Quiet Times (acoustic)". It is spooky and will overlap like magic.

“Louis asked if I believe in angels. And before I realize I don’t have the heart to tell him, I tell him not lately, and I just laid there waiting for him to hate me. But he doesn’t know how to, so he never does. Louis loves like a man who lived in a time before god gave religion to man and left to them to figure out what hate was. He never greets me with silence, only smiles and a patience I’ve never seen in someone who knows they’re dying.” Can’t help but bawl my eyes out..

Each word is like a bullet of emotion!!😭😭

all of his poems they make me feel as if everything will be okay that every lion is just a house cat that doesn't know that they can love........ but that makes their love rare...

I love this it make me cry but happy at the same time.

been listening to this man for years. this one always gets me

I first heard Sholders from Shane. And then I found this glorious piece and My Darling Sarah. And now I have a tattoo of a feather on my sholder with he line "the first one I grew"

I once had an English teacher say to me poetry is the Latin of writing. It's there to be known but no one habitually uses it. it's the art that died when age of cellphones cut out rhymes. I remember looking back at her and saying, "poetry is the words of those who are too scared to speak to the public because they'd been ridiculed for it." I remember all the times I sat back in my English classes after I raised my hand one too many times. I remember my teacher writing me up because I was disinterested in learning English, I was reading a book. I remember my teacher walking into the class saying "damn that kid is weird." well he was talking about my best friend who probably only made it to about five feet just a bit over my waist. I remember looking at the empty space, between the lines at the end of the page and thinking "I've got a little bit more left to say." I remember at the end of the year party I started talking and they all ignored me. walked to my social worker and cried because I was fifteen and I had a life but no friends in that class no way to tell time. I remember the way the student teacher broke down and cried when I handed her a hand written letter her last day and signed saying "thank you for making this last semester barable." I remember how my teacher picked me apart how I wasn't supposed to show any heart how I'm the reason I'm stuck going between two classes with two teachers who can't understand my process. when they say "be brief" and my idea of brief is this three page summery on everything I had learned highlighting all the points that I thought important or divine. I remember all those students saying "you couldn't do it." well i did it. I am a strong independent person who will proudly disagree with my seventh grade English teacher. poetry isn't a dead language it lives in the heart of every kid in your class who felt like they couldn't be the best and I think Shane showed that.

I’ll never get over the talent and discipline of Shane. It’s astonishing how enveloping his style is and the amount of intelligence he wraps us up in as we journey via his words. Astounding honestly astonishing

This is by far the most touching yet heart-wrenching story I've ever heard and it makes me cry every time.

I feel that many people do not understand the beautifully poetry

Shane has his way with words. He's trully inspirational. He can make the toughest of tough men cry!

I am a very tender hearted girl, and my girlfriend just sent me this video. i was crying from the very beginning. This has changed my oulook on life. now everytime i throw a penny in a well, I'll think of this, and wish for an ill child to be well.

, I’ve listened to this so many times I can recite the words with him, but I just now had the realization I hope Lewis and his parents , if he’s still alive heard this poem.

This poem got me through chemo at 16 “Maybe it’s gravity that’s been getting us down”

For as long as I can remember, I have always had something to say about everything. This left me speechless Its important that you know how big the difference is that this poem makes in my life

I've never cried while reading or listening to a poem.Until tonight. I'm in tears...Touched me, deeply.

Was listening to poetry while playing some games, Shuffle play. This song comes on, within the first 20 seconds I paused my game and cried to the point where I couldn’t breathe. I had a panic attack because how hard I was crying. I can’t recall the last time I cried like that. THAT’S when you know it’s poetry.

I love his poems cause i actually feel the emotions in them.

THIS should be the Cancer foundations' fundraiser campaign, this string of words is why I love poetry, it uses a carefully chosen string of words to convey the idea that people try hard to express with shorts of kids speaking and adults crying to no avail.

my favorite part is " 'are you scared?' Louis doesn't even lower his voice when he says, 'fuck yeah' I listened to a 9 year old boy say the word fuck like he was a 30 year old man with a nosebleed lowered into a shark tank,"

I was reconvening from cancer at 12 when I found this and it still hurts to hear

I used to listen to this and some of his other poems in middle school when I was suicidal I’m now 21 with a one year old, thank you Shane you truly saved me in my roughest time I kept going

After years since i've first heard this poem, and after all the times before i've heard it, it still never fails to make me choke up crying. Shane Koyczan's poems always speak to me.

I watched this in english class, and boy did I cry. I swear my heart stopped with the music.

All good comments..... He deserves it. Who ever doesnt like this... Needs to pay closer attention to his words and learn from it.

I first heard this poem when i was 16 and it me hard. I now have a tattoo of a mountain on my wrist because of the line "i brought a knife to this gun fight but the other night i mugged a mountain so bring that shit ive had practice" it brings me confidence.

I’m getting a cricket with angel wings with a fallen feather for this poem

Haven’t heard this in years and gotta say I needed it.

This hits so close to home for me. I have spent about half my life in the hospital, I've had friend like Louis. I've watched them live heart-wrenching lives, watched them find the most fun and greatest times from the simplest of things. Remembering them hurts because I know that some of them are gone, and all those others, I will never see again. Don't take anything in life for granted, live as though you're dying, but do it wisely. Avoid doing stupid thing, do the things that are cool and fun and amazing and live as though you're dying. This is what I learned form them, and now that I remember, I will do just that.

Idk if he meant this but when the boy says , "please don't tell my dad", it could be about cursing but I got the feeling it had just as much to do with not telling his father how scared he is.... I've kept alot from my dad, pain and fear because I didn't want to worry him further, I can't imagine how much a boy like that must internalize without sharing :(

No matter how many times I watch this... Wither it's 600 times a day or once a year... This gets me crying every single time like wtf I'm the least emotional person out there but Holly frickty frack fuck I cry like a baby watching this

And, kick to the feels.

Goddamn...that’s the only word I can say. Did we all just eat humble pie ? Beautiful and powerful poem. This is what art was meant to be.

This is probably my favorite poem

Wow...this poem...holy crap it's broke me...

No matter how many times I listen to this it makes me cry everytime Not to mention makes me rethink my life choices

this use to be one of my favourite poems, now that I’m listening to it years later I’m crying 😭

Back when I was going into 8th grade, a girl who I had met off of Clash of Clans told me about this. And I have loved Shane’s poetry ever since. It’s been almost 10 years since then and I have long lost contact with the girl. I would love to talk to her again, all these years later to see what has changed, and what they are doing with their lives now. So STEVIE from Canada, if you’re out there, comment so that we can reconnect

this is such an important piece, this needs to be taught in schools

Louis was a Angel

This makes me really damn sad, the feels hit you hard. Especially cause it makes me think of my 9 year old brother in that situation. I nearly cried honestly.

this is the saddest fuckin thing I've ever heard but I love him he's my favorite spoken poetry guy😭😭💔💔

“The truth is… there aren’t enough miracles to go around, kid.”

Holy. I did not want to cry at 10:15 at night. But thank you. This is beautiful

Why did I search for this when I know it makes me cry my heart out.

Oh my god this is the first time I've ever cried listening to a poem ,this was beautiful please keep up the great work

You really know how to make a grown man cry.. Beautiful as always. You are easily my favourite modern poet.

"Every breath was either hard labor or hard time."

Upon the last line of the poem, I imagined him hunched over with a full wing on his left and one growing with each feather he plucks from his pillow in his lap

it's been a few years since i first heard this poem. And listening to it now it has such a different meaning cuz since i first heard this my health hasn't been the best sure i am not dying what i have isn't killing me but it has greatly limited my over all quality of life ( chronic pain sucks and i am young ) next month i am going to finally see Shane Koyczan live ( so long as the show doesn't get canceled or anything ) and am really looking forward to it

My friend that passed away always used to tell me about “this crazy chick” it was his sister…. And it’s crazy bc it was so evident how much he loved her…. And that “one stupid dude” was his brother…. That “dragon lady” was his mom…. But he loved them so much and although he knew he was dying he never failed to bring a smile to your face…. When I had my worst days he somehow had a way to make me laugh… RIP DANIEL

whenever people say icecream heals everything, i think of this and i tell them icecream doesnt make everything okay

"I just lay their waiting for him to hate me, but he doesn't know how to , so he never does" and " I half expected him to say, see this is the first one I grew". Reminds me of my little sister Callie, who died from cancer a few years back. Damn, it's so fucking hard to watch a 7 yo girl go threw chemo, get better, fall again and never wake up. She was almost ten, it was the day before her birthday. September 14, 2013

it's some 9 years after I discovered this, and I'm still crying

Pleas Fucking help me, I cannot fucking stop crying.

This is what I needed. This is all I needed. Beauty in words.

“See this from my father, see this from my brother, see this from that weird girl,see this from my mother. Took me about two days to figure out that weird girl is his sister; it took him about two hours after she left for him to figure out he missed her” this part breaks me everytime cus I don’t get to see my sister much and my mom has a sister who went missing (is dead) when she was around 13

This made me cry so much! It reminded me of when I was in the hospital for my grandmother. She was really sick and she looked so fragile and weak. This poem is amazing! I love everything that this man's does. His poems are so inspirational and sweet.

Every one of his poems make you cry. it's hard to make me cry

I... I don't know what to say here. I only let myself listen to this maybe two or three times a year, because the emotions this makes me feel are more powerful then anything else I've ever felt. I can't think of a single time I've heard this that I haven't burst into tears, not just the standard salt, but tears that are so intense that my eyes feel like they're living fire, burning so brightly no light can compare, like darkness perpetually until little do I know it's tomorrow, and my emotions are hollow.

My English teacher showed all her accelerated kids this video and half of the class started crying including me

This still makes me cry.

You are a wonderful talent. Don't stop.

I think my heart just imploded a wee bit. because god damn my feels hurt now

i come back to this a lot and i dont know why. And everytime it still makes me cry

I love and HATE that shit, because it reminds me I'm good at things nobody should be good at.

Listening to this everyday puts me at ease.

This still makes me cry

can’t even tell you how many times I have listen to this 😍😩 so in love

Okay I don't know if this is what he was going for but when shane said "...see this is the first one I grew" means that Lois is an angel and he grew that feather on his "wings". Earlier in the video when Lois asked if shane believed in angels and shane basically said "no" then the "see this is the first one I grew" thing symbolizes that shane beliebes in angel now aka lois.

I'm 17 I have really bad ptsd and depression and chronically ill it's 138 am this poem helps calm me down so much

Even now coming back to it this poem still breaks me

Uh quick sad story , my mother threw me out a while back and my friend mother took me and treated me like her son , actually made me feel loved and appreciated . The sad part is she died recently and she died of cancer and when I had been home ( her house ) for the first time in forever ,I had been taking a shower and listening to this ( poetry calms and soothes me ) and that when I broke and it all hit me because a angel had been called back to wherever they go because she was too good and too pure and caring for this world , she bought Christmas for kids who couldn't and took anyone in and fed anyone who said they were hungry . So I guess what I'm getting at is I love and hate this poem and that I miss my "mom" who this song reminds me of