"In Waters Deep" by Eileen Maloney, A Poem for Motivation and Mental Health
Updated: 7 days ago
As World Mental Health Day approaches, we asked our community a question: what writing, specifically poetry, has carried you through hard times, or pushed you forward when you needed it?
Some of our best conversations about mental health have happened during recent late night ruck sessions, in the dark and close to midnight. Strip away the distractions, leaving the weight on your back, with hours with nothing to do but walk and what's left is the real stuff: purpose, pain and pushing past the things we're each quietly working through. And sometimes, when we're solo and the self-talk starts, a few lines of a song or a poem is what carries you through.
Mahoney wrote "In Waters Deep" in 2001 as a modern tribute to servicemen lost at sea during wartime, intentionally echoing the tone of the classic World War I poem In Flanders Fields. The poem holds immense significance as a naval memorial anthem, offering profound comfort to grieving families by framing the ocean's rolling whitecaps and constant tides as an eternal, natural monument for sailors who have no physical gravesite to visit.
In Waters Deep
In ocean wastes no poppies blow
No crosses stand in ordered row,
There young hearts sleep… beneath the waves
The spirited, the good, the brave,
But stars a constant vigil keep,
For them who lie beneath the deep.
‘Tis true you cannot kneel in prayer
On certain spot and think. “He’s there.”
But you can to the ocean go…
See whitecaps marching row on row;
Know one for him will always ride…
In and out… with every tide.
And when your span of life is passed,
He’ll meet you at the “Captain’s Mast.”
And they who mourn on distant shore
For sailors who’ll come home no more,
Can dry their tears and pray for these
Who rest beneath the heaving seas…
For stars that shine and winds that blow
And whitecaps marching row on row.
And they can never lonely be
For when they lived… they chose the sea.
Learn more about In Waters Deep
Final Thoughts
Poetry can give words to feelings that are sometimes difficult to express directly. Reading a poem, or writing one ourselves, can help us pause, reflect and make sense of experiences that might otherwise feel confusing or overwhelming. It can create a little space between what we feel and how we respond.
Is there a piece of literature or poetry that has affected, supported or inspired you?
Click here to go to the next poem in the series, or see the complete selection of poems below:
Poetry isn't a substitute for professional support when we need it, but it can be a simple and accessible tool for reflection and emotional wellbeing. Sometimes, a few carefully chosen words can help us see our own experience from a different perspective. Mental health is also be supported by adopting simple daily practices, to build the foundations of health.
And if you are an active or ex-service member in Singapore, consider joining Sandbag Asia, a registered society and support network for those in - or now out - of uniform.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
Related Studies and Resources
Kassab A, Jayatunge R, Bou Khalil R. The therapeutic functions of poetry in mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2026 Feb;356:116897. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116897. Epub 2025 Dec 11. PMID: 41411711.
Johnson-Laird PN, Oatley K. How poetry evokes emotions. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2022 Apr;224:103506. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103506. Epub 2022 Jan 29. PMID: 35101737.
Tracy, D. (2021). Veterans’ self-expression in poetry. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 7(1), 108–112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2020-0005
Help for Heroes
WHO: World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2026, "Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change"
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