Literary writers use the word balm to evoke both literal and figurative healing, often presenting it as a comfort that soothes physical wounds as well as troubled souls. It appears as a restorative agent—words that “poured balm into my anxious soul” [1] or as an allegorical salve that eases emotional pain and sorrow [2]—while simultaneously recalling the legendary healing power of the Balm of Gilead [3, 4, 5]. Authors also employ the term to lend a tactile quality to their descriptions, whether they refer to actual substances with curative properties [6, 7] or imbue landscapes and encounters with its metaphorical grace [8, 9]. In this way, balm becomes a versatile symbol of solace and renewal throughout literature [10, 11].