Poem by: Tamika Warren, Warm Line Operator
Tamika recently joined the Warm Line team and has been assisting callers. She reflected on the roles of those working on the Warm Line as well as the importance of the line to callers across Virginia, creating a poem she shared with the team and we are now sharing with you. If you are in need of mental health support, please call or text MHV’s Peer-Run Warm Line at 866-400-6428 or use the chat feature on our website.
A Silent Asset
You are not a hotline—
not sirens,
not flashing lights,
not urgency wrapped in alarms
yet a silent asset
You are the space breaking,
the soft place to land helping them feel welcomed with open arms
even though the concept isn’t grasped yet
You are a warm cup
held between trembling hands,
steam is like a breath slowly rising and a body that forgot how to regulate
We sit with them until it feels safe again
You are a blanket
Pulled over unseen shoulders
not to hide pain—
but listen and say you’re not alone
comforting them like a friend
And I’ve sat on this side of the line now—
headset on,
heart open,
learning that silence
isn’t something to fill,
but something to hold.
I’ve learned that listening
isn’t just hearing words—
it’s hearing what’s underneath them,
what’s been carried too long
listening for the stories untold
We ask gentle questions
opening windows—
“What’s been on your heart?”
“What feels heavy today?”
We sit with them before the dam breaks
And somehow,
in the asking,
people begin to feel important,
they remember
they still have a voice
and are okay
even if it shakes
There were moments
where I wondered,
Am I saying the right thing?
Am I doing enough?
and still choosing to stay and listen anyway
And then I remember—
this work isn’t about fixing.
It’s about supporting them
And in 20 minutes I could help change their day
Being human and not pretending
but being someone who stays
who shows up and ensures their heard
not being perfect, just present
And even when the weight feels shared,
when a story lingers after the call —a reminder that we’re not alone, we’re also held and there’s voice behind us that’s soft and pleasant
OCS[1].
A quiet safety net,
a steady presence reminding us
that we are supported
as we support others
helping them to push and not quit
We have a place we can go
to breathe,
to process,
to be held
Receiving a warmth
even when we didn’t realize we needed it
Constantly reminding and asking us about what we do for self care
Making sure we see that self care is the best care there
Like a lighthouse,
we don’t pull the ship to shore—
we simply stay lit
so it can find its wa
We help them find pieces
to the life that was shattered.
Gently and not always loudly,
not always completely,
but enough for them to know
that we heard what they had to say
and that it mattered
Enough for one more breath.
One more step.
One more moment of staying
giving them a gentle push
to continue forward
on their own terms
Because healing is sometimes showing them
that they are supported,
it’s patience that softens the moment—
and shows words affirms
Without judgment, without pressure.
Healing doesn’t always arrive
as some major breakthrough—
it sounds like:
I appreciate you for listening.
Wow I didn’t think of that,
that question made me think,
or just a simple Thank you
Healing can start in seconds
by being nonjudgmental encouraging and
empowering them
sometimes can mean
everything.
You don’t just listen on a phone
but support them
through meeting them wherever they are
even supporting through text messaging
So to the voices on the other end—
you are the warmth
in a world that can feel so cold.
You are the pause people didn’t know they needed
You are connection
in moments of isolation.
proof that someone cares
warm hug of safety
for a moment they feel less alone
Or defeated
You are caring people
that gives hope through your own experience of healing
Your Acknowledgment of Pain is a big task and so is getting to know what and how people are feeling
so I need for you to know
that you aren’t just a voice on the other end of the phone
You aren’t just a listening ear or someone with a soft voice and a kind tone
You are a moment that can change someone’s day—
sometimes it’s their life that can transcend
You are brave, kind, empathetic advocates
that deserve to have the recognition
you work like this isn’t just a job you truly care and I’m applauding your dedication.
For 20 to 30 minutes you listen and ask questions that help change their perception of the situation
You are amazing people
and I hope that the word amazing replays
again and again and again
Because showing up helping, listening sometimes helping people understand feelings they find hard to comprehend
Helping the heaviness of loneliness, depression and anxiety to become slightly lifted
A line of workers that show up, showing compassion and commitment you are more than gifted
You remind people—including me—
that healing isn’t just physical or mental health.
It can begin with something as simple
as a voice that stays.
And for some people…
we are the phone call, the text, or the callback that help people recognize
Their path towards success — the reason they keep going.
we are their gateways
[1] OCS is an abbreviation for On-Call Support, who are experienced team members who offer support and guidance to fellow warm line operators.
