30 Thanksgiving Poems To Read at the Table

Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on all of our blessings, no matter how big or small. Your family may even have a tradition of naming what you are most thankful for. After all, that's how Thanksgiving got its start. Of course, a turkey and all of those delicious side dishes are what many look forward to all year long. The Thanksgiving feast is something to be thankful for in and of itself. And what better way to give thanks than with Thanksgiving poems?

There are so many poems written about Thanksgiving that help to inspire gratitude in terms of having our basic needs like food, shelter, family and friends provided for us. These poems are perfect to set the right tone for our holiday gatherings. 

Because life is filled with struggles, trials and conflicts, it can be easy to have those things be the focus of our thoughts. However, that's why it's always a good exercise to name what we are thankful for—it really helps to put things into perspective. That being said, if you are having trouble coming up with a list or even getting into the right frame of mind, these 30 Thanksgiving poems should help in an encouraging way. When you can't come up with the words yourself, any of these short poems would be great to recite at your gathering.  

Related: What Is Thanksgiving?

30 Thanksgiving Poems

1. Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

– Poet Unknown

2. Today and Everyday

Lord, too often our prayers
Are filled with impatience over what we want
Instead of gratitude for what we already have.

Remind us today and in the coming year
What is truly important.

Remind us to give thanks for family and friends.
Remind us to be grateful for the work you have given us.
Remind us to appreciate our many material blessings.

Most of all, remind us today and every day
To give thanks for your precious Son Jesus,
And the sacrifice he made for us
To give us eternal life with You in heaven.

Amen.

– Jack Zavada

3. Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

4. Thanksgiving Prayer

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.

We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.

For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,

For daily provision, Your mercy, and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.

So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.

– Mary Fairchild

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5. Thankful For Many Things

I am thankful for my family,
My friends I feel the same.
Life is filled with many thanks,
Life is the perfect game.

Life is filled with treasures,
If you're a lucky one.
Be grateful and be humble,
And share them with someone.

But one thing we must remember,
We are not the one to thank.
There is a higher power here,
That we must give first rank.

I am thankful for my life,
And all that it holds.
I'm excited to see what's next for me,
Let's see how it unfolds.

– Julie Hebert

6. In Everything Give Thanks

For all that God in mercy sends -
For health and children, home and friends;
For comfort in the time of need,
For every kindly word and deed,
For happy talks and holy thoughts;
For guidance in our daily walk -
In everything give thanks!

For beauty in this world of ours,
For verdant grass and lovely flowers,
For song of birds, for horn of bees,
For the refreshing summer breeze,
For hill and plain, for streams and wood,
For the great ocean's mighty flood -
In everything give thanks!

For the sweet sleep which comes with night,
For the returning morning's light,
For the bright sun that shines on high,
For the stars glittering in the sky -
For these and everything we see,
O Lord our hearts we lift to thee;
In everything give thanks!

– Poet Unknown

7. Thanksgiving

Gettin' together to smile an' rejoice,
An' eatin' an' laughin' with folks of your choice;
An' kissin' the girls an' declarin' that they
Are growin more beautiful day after day;
Chattin' an' braggin' a bit with the men,
Buildin' the old family circle again;
Livin' the wholesome an' old-fashioned cheer,
Just for awhile at the end of the year.

Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door
And under the old roof we gather once more
Just as we did when the youngsters were small;
Mother's a little bit grayer, that's all.
Father's a little bit older, but still
Ready to romp an' to laugh with a will.
Here we are back at the table again
Tellin' our stories as women an men.

Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer;
Oh, but we're grateful an' glad to be there.
Home from the east land an' home from the west,
Home with the folks that are dearest an' best.
Out of the sham of the cities afar
We've come for a time to be just what we are.
Here we can talk of ourselves an' be frank,
Forgettin' position an' station an' rank.

Give me the end of the year an' its fun
When most of the plannin' an' toilin' is done;
Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,
Let me sit down with the ones I love best,
Hear the old voices still ringin' with song,
See the old faces unblemished by wrong,
See the old table with all of its chairs
An I'll put soul in my Thanksgivin' prayers.

– Edgar A. Guest

8. We Give Thanks

Our Father in Heaven,
We give thanks for the pleasure
Of gathering together for this occasion.

We give thanks for this food
Prepared by loving hands.

We give thanks for life,
The freedom to enjoy it all
And all other blessings.

As we partake of this food,
We pray for health and strength
To carry on and try to live as You would have us.

This we ask in the name of Christ,
Our Heavenly Father.

– Harry Jewell

9. A Special Day

Thanksgiving is a special day,
A day we give our thanks.
For all the people in our lives,
And the money in our banks.

Thanksgiving is a special day,
A day we share the joy.
We come before a lavish meal,
One we quite enjoy.

Thanksgiving is a special day,
Togetherness, all families the same.
Time spent in happiness,
We may even plan a game.

But most importantly Thanksgiving,
Is a day to remember.
Be grateful for all you have all year,
January straight through to December.

– Julie Hebert

10. Thanksgiving Turkey

And already still November
Drapes her snowy table here.
Fetch a log, then; coax the ember;
Fill your hearts with old-time cheer;
Heaven be thanked for one more year,
And our Thanksgiving turkey!

– George Parsons Lathrup

11. When Giving Is All We Have

We give because someone gave to us.
We give because nobody gave to us

We give because giving has changed us.
We give because giving could have changed us.

We have been better for it,
We have been wounded by it—

Giving has many faces.

– Alberto Rios

12. Thankful Heart

Father, we lift our thankful hearts to Thee
With gratitude, for all Thy bounty free,
For love, and friends, for home, for faith's pure light,
For health, for harvest store, for rest at night -

For every blessing showered from above -
Bestowed on us unstinted, by Thy Love
And thoughtful care; O hear us, as we pray,
Father in heaven, this Thanksgiving day.

Watch over us, be Thou our Stay and Guide,
Thro' day and night; guard us from sinful pride,
For we are human, weak and prone to wrong,
And by Thy grace alone are we made strong.

Give us our daily bread, our wants supply,
And touch our hearts that we may not deny
The widow and the orphan of their share
Of what we have - relieve their want and care.

O grant that we may keep Thy law, and live
A Christian life; our enemies forgive;
That we may love our neighbor, work for peace.
That so Thy glory may on earth increase.

– Henry Coyle

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13. The ABCs Of Thanksgiving

Although things are not perfect;
Because of trail or pain;
Continue in Thanksgiving;
Do not begin to blame;

Even when the times are hard;
Fierce winds are bound to blow;
God is forever able;
Hold on to what you know;

Imagine life without His love;
Joy would cease to be;
Keep thanking Him for all the things;
Love imparts to thee;

Move out of "Camp complaining";
No weapon that is known;
On earth can yield the power;
Praise can do alone;

Quit looking at the future;
Redeem the time at hand;
Start every day with worship;
To "thank" is a command;

Until we see Him coming;
Victorious in the sky;
We'll run the race with gratitude;
Xalting God most high;

Yes, there’ll be good times and yes some will be bad; but . . .
Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

– Poet Unknown

14. Thank You Lord For Everything

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the breath to say
Thank you for another day

Thank you for the eyes to see the world of beauty surrounding me
Thank you for the ears to hear your message of hope loud and clear

Thank you for the hands to serve and far more blessings than I deserve
Thank you for the legs to run the race of life until it's won

Thank you for the voice to sing
Thank you, Lord, for everything

Amen

– Poet Unknown

15. Night's Blessings

When I go to bed and cannot sleep,
I don't waste time by counting sheep;
I count all my blessings, one by one,
From the early morn till the settling sun;
The day so new, the sunrise so clear,
I started my day with thankful prayer;
Thanked God for husband and children two,
Freckled-face boy, girl with eyes of blue.

Thanked God for ability to work,
And from life's battle I did not shirk;
I thanked Him for guidance through the day,
He is my Buckler from tempter's sway.
And when I was tempted to be rude,
I turned to my Lord in solitude;
His strength sufficient, my soul restored,
Just one more blessing from the Lord.

When day is done and I lay in bed,
I feel God's blessing upon me spread.
If you are restless and cannot sleep,
Just count your blessing's instead of sheep;
You will find the solitude is right,
You will feel His presence in the night;
Then rest shall come, repose in sleep,
When you count blessings instead of sheep.

– Eldred Herbert

16. A Thanksgiving Poem

Thou hast, with ever watchful eye,
Looked down on us with holy care,
And from thy storehouse in the sky
Hast scattered plenty everywhere.

Then lift we up our songs of praise
To thee, O Father, good and kind;
To thee we consecrate our days;
Be thine the temple of each mind.

With incense sweet our thanks ascend;
Before thy works our powers pall;
Though we should strive years without end,
We could not thank thee for them all.

– Paul Laurence Dunbar

17. The Pumpkin

Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest;
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored,
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before,
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?

–John Greenleaf Whittier

18. Thanksgiving Thought

Thanksgiving comes but once a year,
And yet the whole year round
The heart of love, the heart of cheer
Will make a joyful sound;
And we who keep Christ's loving way
Will have Thanksgiving every day.

Thanksgiving comes but once a year,
But harvests need not wait;
We can cast all our doubt and fear
Daily, and soon or late
Find harvests in our hearts that shine
More fair than wheat fields can design.

Rejoice on this Thanksgiving Day
That it peed have no end;
That every' hour in every way
Life is a steadfast friend
To all who practice well the art
Of true Thanksgiving in the heart!

– Eleanor Halbrook Zimmerman

19. Fill Your Heart With Thanksgiving

Take nothing for granted, for whenever you do
The "joy of enjoying" is lessened for you -
For we rob our own lives much more than we know
When we fail to respond or in any way show
Our thanks for the blessings that daily are ours . . .
The warmth of the sun, the fragrance of flowers,
The beauty of twilight, the freshness of dawn,
The coolness of dew on a green velvet lawn,
The kind little deeds so thoughtfully done,
The favors of friends and the love that someone
Unselfishly gives us in a myriad of ways,
Expecting no payment and no words of praise -
Oh, great is our loss when we no longer find
A thankful response to things of this kind,
For the joy of enjoying and the fullness of living
Are found in the heart that is filled with thanksgiving

– Helen Steiner Rice

20. Thanksgiving Song

This is the day the Lord hath made;
Be glad, give thanks, rejoice;
Stand in his presence, unafraid,
In praise lift up your voice.
All perfect gifts are from above,
And all our blessings show
The amplitude of God's dear love
Which every heart may know.

The Lord will hear before we call,
And every need supply;
Good things are freely given to all
Who on His word rely.
We come today to bring Him praise
Not for such gifts alone,
But for the higher, deeper ways
In which His love is shown.

For sin destroyed, for sorrow healed.
For health and peace restored;
For Life and Love by Truth revealed,
We thank and bless the Lord.
This is the day the Lord hath made,
In praise lift up your voice.
In shining robes of joy arrayed,
Be glad, give thanks, rejoice.

– Laura Lee Randall

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21. Hope This Thanksgiving

The simplicity is overwhelming,
For what we plant, we also reap.

Lord, grant us soul seeds,
That we may plant them with love,
Weather them with tears of compassion,
Nurture them with embraces of warmth,
Protect them from the storms of life.

Bless this bounty with grace and gentleness,
That the harvest will be abundant
In love, in trust, to be shared
With those closest to our hearts.

May we plant soul seeds for strength,
Harvested in hope this Thanksgiving,
For all the days and years that follow.

– Judith A. Lindberg

22. Good To Set Aside

It is good
To set aside a day when we remember
That the beauty about us —
The land, the sea, the sky,
And all that is,
Is not as a result of our power,
But really, truly
Because of the Divine love
And providence of God
Who cares.

Father, instill in us
A right spirit,
So that what we see
Is not so much
The many things we have
For our own,
But what others do not have
To call their own.
Thus — in this light
Let us be thankful.

Thanksgiving — quite inexpressible in words
Yet adequately expressed
In little deeds or silent gifts
That arise spontaneously
Almost sympathetically
When the chord of love is struck.
Thus, in the touch of a moment
We express something almost inexpressible
And we give thanks.

– Poet Unknown

23. The Feast Time Of The Year

This is the feast-time of the year,
When hearts grow warmer, and home more dear;
When autumn's crimson torch expires,
To flash again in winter fires;
And they who tracked October's flight,
In charmed circle sit and praise
The goodly logs' triumphant blaze.

– Harriet McEwen Kimball

24. Poor Mrs. Peel

There once was an old Mrs. Peel
Who cooked till her hands could not feel
A Thanksgiving feast!
One nap, at least.
Then she slept right through the meal.

– Caroline Smith

25. Thanksgiving Accept

Lord, for the erring thought
Not into evil wrought;
Lord, for the wicked will
Betrayed and baffled still;
For the heart from itself kept, -
Our thanksgiving accept.

For ignorant hopes that were
Broken to our blind prayer;
For pain, death, sorrow, sent
Unto our chastisement;
For all loss of seeming good,-
Quicken our gratitude.

– William Dean Howells

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26. Going To Grandmother's

Hurrah! hurrah! for here’s the sleigh,
That comes to take us all away,
To spend the glad Thanksgiving Day
At Grandmother’s house in the country.

Jump in, jump in, a merry load
When all within the sleigh are stowed,
We speed along the snowy road
To Grandmother’s house in the country.

The sleighbells ring, we shout and cheer,
How white and still the fields appear!
Now surely we are drawing near
To Grandmother’s house in the country.

Yes, there it is - the dear old place
And there is Grandpa’s beaming face!
Now whoa! and out we jump and race,
To Grandmother’s house in the country.

– Emilie Poulsson

27. A Day For Reflection

Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on
With those we hold dear
And to give thanks and pray
For all the best in the coming year.
How blessed we are to be surrounded by love
This Thanksgiving day we give thanks to above.

– Catherine Pulsifier

28. Thanksgiving Comes But Once a Year

Thanksgiving comes but once a year,
But when it comes it brings good cheer.
For in my storehouse on this day
Are piles of good things hid away.
Each day I've worked from early morn
To gather acorns, nuts, and corn,
Till now I've plenty and to spare
Without a worry or a care.
So light of heart the whole day long,
I'll sing a glad Thanksgiving song

– Thornton W. Burgess

29. The Pilgrims Came

The Pilgrims came across the sea,
And never thought of you and me;
And yet it's very strange the way
We think of them Thanksgiving day.
We tell their story, old and true
Of how they sailed across the blue,
And found a new land to be free
And built their homes quite near the sea.
Every child knows well the tale
Of how they bravely turned the sail
And journeyed many a day and night,
To worship God as they thought right.

– Annette Wynne

30. All in a Word

T for time to be together, turkey, talk, and tangy weather.
H for harvest stored away, home, and hearth, and holiday.
A for autumn's frosty art, and abundance in the heart.
N for neighbors, and November, nice things, new things to remember.
K for kitchen, kettles' croon, kith and kin expected soon.
S for sizzles, sights, and sounds, and something special that abounds.

That spells THANKS for joy in living and a jolly good Thanksgiving.

– Aileen Fisher

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