‘Alive’

by Daniel Hunter

With good mental health I have got up at a reasonable hour.

left my bedroom. talked to my family faced the world With good mental health I have got on a bus gone to the shops gone swimming and to the cinema

With good mental health I have Stood on my two feet Lived in my own place.

Made nice friends. Made the right choices.

With good mental health I have completed diplomas joined groups and clubs worked in a charity shop secured paid work

With good mental health I have looked out for others the dad that did so much for me the friend that supported me and found a fragile peace

With good mental health I have quietened the voices in my head soothed the paranoia eased the anxiety stilled a restless mind. With good mental health I have accepted my limitations overcome expectations found my path And myself With good mental health I have woken from my death sleep. And finally come ALIVE.

…prayed for the spirit to make amends…

then in the silences,we spoke

of you, the loved and lovely ones

who’d known the heights

through depths unsounded

and knowing strength,

in weakness foundered;

who knew yourselves

through a world unbounded.

You knew of life in deathly tones:

-how in resilience, you broke

the anti-mask that never ends…

we

calm

no word

together

in no place

filling in a space

that time would jump

no word about the world

that talks about the weather

in the cafe by the rubbish dump

a serentan refuge where we’re curled

breathes softly in the ripples of the sea

I am sure you’d start to think this is absurd

and I am quite convinced we never did do any harm

but then you’d say that this doesn’t have to come from me

Awakening I can carry a thought through thick and thin.

Stop by choice, not only when falling.

Hear my heart beat to see new beauty.

Speak out, that I may be more than dusty darkness or a gap between others.

Now I hold my inner light; Lift it high and bring myself outward.

I carry treasure revealed in unexpected places.

Glitters and gold? Yes, I have plenty; Both the stars, (which always hung in the night sky) and the sun, (which persisted in rising, though I would rather sleep).

Yes, I have reason to move forward. I have life within and life around I have colour, texture, and the ground is not so steep now.

Well Spring Source of my life, spring upward! Refresh my soul, bring colour! Deep, deep, is the quarry of my life, Harsh are the hard rocks;

They face my every move. But fear breaks in the face of love and waters bring joy…

Bring forward hope, hope for my living. Beyond the breakage I see light.

hey just to hang when something is said, not to run in the cave and delve and check instead to hang, chill, wait until maybe my NT stuff will give something back, maybe not I find myself laughing, all the time.

I’m happy. I might be in this game.