I feel better when I am laughing

I feel better when I am laughing

My Dad is the best, when it comes to a quip
His sharp retorts crack like a whip
My sisters and I took him on as a challenge
Mealtimes hilarious, except for poor Mum
Wanting to eat quietly and not listen to puns
So silence was ordered which we tried to obey
Though my dad with his gestures created affray
With each of us saying, “It was him, not me”
My Dad denying it with a face full of glee
Seeing laughter in life and telling it so
He’s enabled us all, to laugh through our woes
Not dismissing or diminishing that Life can be sad
And understanding with laughter it isn’t so bad
We’ve all had tough times, when we’ve all really tried
To not be depressed, but continuously cried
At unexpected loss whatever that was
And then in the post a ridiculous letter
Of nonsense, composed to make us feel better
The tears of loss that had made us feel sad
Became tears of laughter . . . . . .
Thank you so much to my wonderful DAD

I feel better when

I feel better when….
I get up in the morning
I feel free from my pain
I open my curtains
I have everything to gain

The small things matter
They touch me the most
A cup of hot tea
Or marmite on toast

The sun on my face
The wind in my hair
When I feel this good
I feel free and don’t care

I go through the day
You all see I am well
When inside my head
Is burning like hell

But with the help I get
I am starting to find
Life is getting better
I’m leaving the pain behind

I feel better when I think
About all the good I do
If I can feel like this
The remember so can you

 

Good To Be Alive

Good to be alive
Hi I’m Jo, was a lady wife
Had children 3
How I miss the noise and din
What’s for tea
Mum, why be glum?
I was a daughter with
Mischief galore,
Mum would say Jo
Close that door
And it’s me never trouble free
I have a brother and sister
To me they’re a pain
It’s like having a blister
And sheer bliss,
These 2 I don’t miss
At all, when I don’t get a call
So out of doors I go, I see
There are birds in the trees
Humming bees
Sky so blue
Glad I am me not you
Good health, good news
Today I am cancer free
So glad, yes lucky me
I know at mindset
My mind is set on
Getting a job daily
And not lazing around like a slob
So Jo it’s good to be alive
No more trouble and strife
Goodbye Jo Willbye

 

Those Little Things…

I am better when I am…

Spending time with those who matter.

You know… those who really matter because they need me and I, in turn, need them. That time is special time and more precious than a diamond of very many carats in size.

Communing with nature in the big outdoors.

You know…those places that blow me away through their sheer, wild beauty, that are teeming with life, so amazing in its diversity and wondrous in its intricacy and, without doubt, utterly priceless.

Thinking of others and their feelings and needs.

You know…those who, when I think of all that gets me down, still have more problems and woes than I have ever had in my lifetime. Thoughts and actions to help them smile are beyond earthly worth to me.

Making time stand still.

You know…closing my eyes, listening and feeling while the world goes about its day. No words attached to sensations; just a deep feeling of peace and acceptance. No value attached, but plenty added.

Facing the monsters.

You know…those moments of fear and worry when nothing seems real. I have a face for that monster and some words to hurl until it backs away. And it does, without payment, when challenged.

Counting blessings and saying thank-you.

You know…there is so much I take for granted and yet so much I am in awe of. Saying thank you for those little things turns dark into light and negative into positive, like turning honey drops into golden memories.

Filling up time so life’s busy, busy, busy.

You know…those empty moments can hold unwanted thoughts that full calendars can dispel. If I have plans and obligations in front of me then my focus is clear, like a faceted crystal in sunlight.

Laughing as long and loudly as possible.

You know…making the most of those chances to relax and outpour pent up emotions, no matter how small and inconsequential the trigger. The merit of uncontrollable mirth pays dividends beyond the contents of any purse.

Remember those little things. One day, looking back, they may appear, after all, to have been the biggest things in life.

Cycle of Hope for All Seasons

I am better when I am…

Tucked up in bed on a freezing cold night,
Feeling the hope of days longer in light,
Scanning dusk skies for swift birds flying home,
Dreaming of warm summer beaches to roam.

Cloaked in the words of a well-written book,
Resting alongside a cool, babbling brook,
Watching new life bursting forth on the trees,
Smelling the scent of lush grass on the breeze.

Bathed in bright sunlight, so warm on my skin,
Releasing good feelings long buried within,
Hoping for time standing still for a while,
Capturing freedom defined by a smile.

Buried knee-deep in crisp leaves from the fall,
Listening intently for autumn’s shrill call,
Watching the sun rising lower each day,
Brushing the memories of summer away.

Drenched in soft candlelight, fragrant and warm,
Longing for calm at the end of the storm,
Seeking some solace with friends old and new,
Waiting for winter, her cold, vacant hue.

Clothed in thick woollens, facing north’s air,
Sending good wishes to mark a new year,
Waking to find the world clothed in pure white,
Tucking up warm on a freezing cold night.

what makes me happy

What is to be happy?
Happy is meaning to go and have fun.
A happy person is good person.
That is what people are made of.

Make homeless person to feel happy.
A homeless person will respect that.
Knowing that you help him.
Every day you can make changes if you can do to change the world.
Same with hope if you hope to change the world you need to do that.

Make changes, help people to be happy.
Every day be happy and help people.

Happy is feeling you feel when you have nice time
A propose to girl what you love
People are same, make them happy
Poor or not help them you will be happy
You can change the world just need to do the best at it.

P.S
Change your life help people and be happy.

Music is like Medication

Music is my life.
I could not survive if I did not have music, I would lose it
Music to me is like medication, because you can listen to it at any occasion
There is one thing about music, you can never move it

Here is a tip
Finding something you love is always up above
Every day I listen to music because it moves me to bits
You are always going to have your ups and downs but remember you should be proud
Because if you believe you will see it

my own time

I like to socialise with my friends
Around and around we walk
Through snow ,ice and hale

I like to read books
Over and over time passes
I ride the currents of time
I cannot sense time it self
I am lost in my own world of time

I like to play my Games
To learn and strategise
Use my mind, think and advise

The most of all I like to see my family
Every night I get to my family
Waiting for news of what might be
But the sound of silence is soothing to me

Just a few things…

Tiny arms that grasp you tight,
Pleasant dreams throughout the night,
Gazing at flickering candle-light,
These things make me better.

Singing a song with joy in my heart,
Words of wisdom to kindly impart,
Employing pianistic fingers to dart,
These things make me better.

Giving in charity and agape love,
Raindrops sprinkling from above,
Faith, hope and peace like a dove,
These things make me better.

New Beginnings

That day,
Everything was new,
A new place, new people, a new routine,
But it felt right,
Especially when I met you,

From day one,
I finally felt like it was somewhere I fit in,
Even if it was just a little bit,
And suddenly I had a clean slate,
A fresh canvas ready to begin,

Perhaps it was the thought of a new start,
Where no one knew me,
There was no one to hold me back,
Push me too fast,
I was a caged bird set free,

And that’s when I met them,
My new friends to be,
The college clan,
As I like to call them,
Who truly care for me,

A year later,
And we’re as thick as thieves,
The A team of the campus,
We’re like a happy family,
Battling through life’s madness,

Without them I don’t know where I’d be,
So I thank the stars we met,
Whatever the future holds,
These years are the ones,
I’ll never forget.

I feel better when…

I feel better when I am riding my bike,
On my Raleigh with flair,
With the wind in my hair,

I feel better when I am taking a hike,
In a picturesque scene,
Down by the woodland stream,

I feel better when I am strumming my strings,
With fingers on frets,
And a singing duet,

I feel better when I am dreaming of things,
The red carpet at the BAFTAs,
And a crazy party after,

I feel better when I am baking a cake,
With sugar, jam and cream,
Just fit for a Queen,

I feel better when I am wide awake,
Dancing round the room,
To the radio’s cool tune,

I feel better when I am basking in the sun,
Hearing seagulls soar high,
In the blue summer sky,

I feel better when I am having fun,
In peace on my own,
With the games on my phone,

I feel better when I am with my friends,
Just chilling out,
Or messing about,

I feel better when a long day ends,
When I can wind down,
And watch the world go round,

But what makes me feel my best,
Is a Saturday night in,
With my family in the living room,
As a movie begins,

With snacks on the table,
And the lights down low,
We’ll snuggle until it’s over,
And the credits roll slow.

Man Of The Moment

A ray of brightness shines through a rundown changing room window, while depressed faces and lowering heads of despair are contained in defeat. No talk, no liveliness, no desire, but he was different. Each glare towards him was filled with promise, hope and belief. Shy at first, but a prosperity soon to be a star in the making, similar to the professionals of today.

Swaying along the pitch, making the beautiful game look so simple, I recognise his exciting talent in such short time. From a nobody to somebody, from Sunday mornings to Saturday afternoons, from overgrown fields to world-class stadiums, his ability was something like a dream to be achieved. I could see a free-scoring youngster changing into a confident and composed technician of the ball. His passion and love for his sport: I found the special one.

An iconic memory to be made. A performance different to any other that he has ever produced. Tingling with nerves, but spurred with ecstasy, a long walk through the eerie tunnel to appear to the noise of 90,000 fans chanting his name only happens to the best of them. The stage was made for him. Sporting the shirt he always wanted to represent and being a part of a high-calibre eleven: a dream was fulfilled.

From a young prodigy to international stardom, a rare gem has been born. A minor piece in the jigsaw has become the real man of the moment.

Little note to myself

I’ll try not to compare myself to others,
Our differences make us unique.
I will decide on the route my own path,
Your goals won’t make me complete.

I shall cherish all those who I love,
Holding their value near.
I’ll remember to value those moments
That add greater meaning and cheer.

I shall acknowledge that I’m not perfect,
For perfect would perturb.
I will appreciate all of my imperfections,
as they make me distinctively superb!

I will overcome those fear and take a risk,
For having a go is courageous.
I shall not let opportunities pass me by
For a full life will be contagious.

I feel better when I am…

I feel better when I am…
I feel better when I am climbing up a hill, with mates egging each other on to climb faster and further.
Setting up camp for the night with cups of tea and laughter being the best delight.
A brisk cold wind has us all scurry into our tents, as we knuckle down for the night.
The next day with sun shining bright, buzzing for the next challenge that gets thrown at us.
Set off did we into doomy armageddon, with rain as cold as ice.
And wind nearly blowing us down, carried on we did, all as one.
For the weather could not break our laughs and cheers, as we climbed higher and higher.
Almost crying for it to stop, but carried on through the day.
Finally ending the challenge, soaked through to our bones, still laughing about it all.
With eagerness we wait for the next challenging trip, that one called they call the coast to coast.

I am grateful for the small things

I am grateful for the small things

So early it’s still quiet outside
whilst I sit in my window with tea.
I’m watching the world gradually wake
as fleeting thoughts pass by me.

The old couple wear matching coats,
she carries the paper; he, his cane.
They look so at ease though they say nothing,
he leans in to kiss her in the rain.

A robin sits on the apple tree branch.
The sky gathers its soft warming light,
whilst the last of the nights stars twinkle.
All is hinting at the day’s delight.

The book lays on the windowsill,
a leather marker pausing the story.
Yet, when finished and missed,
it will not be as amazing as life’s journey

Such beauty is held in these minutes
Small moments to love and be grateful for.
Unexpected happiness from a single moment,
capable of allowing this day to soar.

Moments are Memories

I take this special moment to celebrate you dad, I will always remember the special days we had.
You worked so hard for many years and now it’s time to rest, I appreciate your efforts for everything I have.
I will take away our happy memories and treasure them in my heart, not now, not ever will we grow apart.
I will always be your little girl, and you’ll always be my dad, one day we can meet again and share the love we have.

I feel better when I am smiling because of all the happy memories I have of me and my dad.

When i am loved.

Loved.

The power of a single word
Invokes emotions deep within,
Pain, strength, confidence
Or forever longing?

The love we seek in universal.

Who am I? you ask,
A voice so sweet,
Yet dripping with despair.

And here you long for a single word
To invoke an emotion deep within,
Pain, joy, happiness
Or forever longing?

The love you seek is universal.

What do I need to be? She questions
A tone so innocent
Yet oozing with deeper thought

And here she prays for a single word
To invoke an emotion deep within,
Doubt, determined, hopeful
Or forever longing?

The love she seeks is universal.

Where do I search? He questions
A whisper so kind
Yet reeking of doubt

And here he begs for a single word
To invoke emotions deep within,
Confusion, Comfort, confidence
Or forever longing?

The love he seeks is universal

What is love? We cry
A word so confusing
Yet so beautifully undefined

And here we understand.
The power of this single word
Invokes emotions deep within,
Infatuation, friendship, adoration
Yet never longing.

The true love we seek is found within each other.

What is it like being in a foster family?

At first you might be scared and shy. You might want to hide and cry. You might be worried about living with people who are complete strangers to you at first. They will welcome you on the first night by dedicating dinner time to you by ordering takeaway you like.
It is normal to feel embarrassed at first, but let me tell you, you will be lounging around in your pyjamas, watching EastEnders with them in no time. Giggling whilst watching gogglebox will become a weekly routine.
When you go shopping you might be apprehensive to say what you like and dislike, but within a few weeks they will learn what you like and dislike without you even having to tell them. They will search high and low in the aisles of Aldi to find your favourite cereal. They will battle through crowds of other shoppers to find your favourite flavour of pot noodle. If you want coconut scented conditioner, they will embark upon a journey to every Tesco known to man to find it.
When you are out people may stare or ask questions because you might look different to them but they are like MI5 intelligence officers ready to answer those nosy people, without leaking the slightest of information. You will feel like family even if you don’t look like family.
The older siblings will have your back, ready to kill spiders for you without the slightest of fear. The younger siblings will happily introduce you to their nerf gun wars. The carers will know if you’re unhappy or upset with their foster carer super powers, they will do their best to keep you happy.
You may argue and sometimes not always feel at ease but soon enough you will make up, every family does. You might feel like curfew is strict but it is for your own good. They want to keep you safe, that’s their job.
Eventually you guys will be family not a ‘foster’ family, just a normal family. It may become bigger with others joining you, but you will all grow to love and care for each other, that I can promise you.

coming home

I feel better
When I am
When I am coming home.
You bring a smile to my face
You bring me joy and happiness
I just want to come home
Just to see you smile
One day I’ll have to go from you
But I’ll always come back home
You know how much you mean to me
I just want to keep you safe

Never truly on your own

I feel better when I am……………………………………..
Content to share silence in the company of a friend
Spending time with others who help you get your heart back on the mend
Gifting a present that truly comes from the heart
Positive about a chapter in my life that is just about to start

Appreciating others and what they bring to my life
Always being there for others during their own times of strife
Being loved and accepted for just simply being me
Doing something relaxing like strolling by the sea

Aware there are friends out there and you are never truly on your own
Knowing one in four go through this and you do not have deal with this alone
Recalling random acts of kindness and ones that I can offer too
Accepting support when it is offered as I know this will get me through

Never Alone

Never Alone

I feel better when I am looking out of the window
And see the beauty of life

I can then ask myself, am I really alone?
People walking, dogs wagging their tails,
I need to remember how all these people need each other.
Dogs, children, animals, humans,
We all depend on each other to survive.
I am not alone am I?
Why am I any different?
We all need someone or something to depend on
I am unique, but not alone!

We carry our pains hiding them away
We all have problems, but how can we deal with them.
I know now, by realising I am not alone.
We can look at others and think they have all the answers
But we have to remember,
We don’t know what they are really carrying
And we have to know that we need each other to feel better,
As we are not really alone.
The beauty of the world outside,
The life, the breath we take, the wind, the sun, the laughter
It can carry us through
As I know now that when I look out that window
It makes me feel better as I am never really alone
I am surrounded by people and animals that all need each other.
We are never alone

My day was better because I knew you

My day was better because I know you

I woke up this morning
What did I see?
I saw you,

And my day was a better day

I drove to work this morning
What did I feel?
I felt you near me,

And my day was a better day

I went into work
To face the day
And realised I didn’t need to worry
As you were with me

And my day was a better day

I looked at the clock and saw it was time to go home
How can that be?
My day went so well,
I could tell you were carrying me

And my day was a better day

I drove home from work this day
And then I knew,
That when I lean on you
I can conquer anything

And I knew that day, my life was better because I know you.

Long Road Back

I picked an injury when doing sport
My knee, jaw and eyes
It put me on the shelf I felt quite short
I was in hospital the laid up eating self-pitty pies

Again and again, as the cholesterol built so did the stress
To be honest I was quite a mess.
After a few months I started eating right and enrolled at a gym
Suddenly the horizon wasn’t that dim

I was out injured black and blue
Now I’m surgically repaired, fitter and back for round 2
Thanks to my friends I’m energised and motivated
Self-improved, grateful and elated
I feel better when I am taking control of my situation
With hard work and application

Our Will’

2016, a year of great note!
The Nation hails the man who wrote
Publication of works voluminous
Sometimes tragic, often humorous
Some, with a great deal of cynicism
Wrongly accuse him of plagiarism
Christopher Marlowe often thought
That the bard’s works came to nought
Now a whole four centuries later
We venerate Macbeth’s creator
His plays are the most prolific
And his sonnets are terrific
Not a topic is taboo
About nothing, much ado
With characters homoerotic
And, some kings, near despotic
Viola, it is quite distressing
Attains her love via cross-dressing
Sir Toby, in an awful funk
Resorts, naturally to get drunk
Hamlet, full of dread and fear
Resulting from a poisoned ear
Shylock pound of flesh the cost
Antonio, but for Portia, lost
Julius Caesar, out of luck
With a lot of knives is stuck

Shakespeare’s works have great diameter
I feel better when I am bic pentameter!

Cricket

I feel better when I am playing cricket

When Friday comes
I feel better because it is time for cricket

As soon as I step into the sports hall,
Everything else but cricket is forgotten

I can’t wait to bowl
That is when I shine
The moment I get a wicket
I smile and shout “yes”
I feel so happy and proud of myself

Winning as a team makes it all worthwhile

Even if my team lose,
Playing cricket is all that matters

Cricket is my hope, my passion
It makes me feel better.

An early morning walk

An early morning walk

A fine frost sparkles all around
The air is crisp and fresh, I inhale deep lung fulls,
refreshing myself from the inside out.

The sky is slowly brightening,
cotton wool waves of pink and purple
lap at the roof tops.

As I cross the road I am startled by a
rustling in the bushes, panic turns to wonder
As a squirrel appears and looks around.

We regard each other, the squirrel and I
both in awe of the brilliant morning sky.

As I walk the cold starts to warm my bones.
my nose glows red and my ears burn
but I feel better.

When I’m walking on through this peaceful town
I feel thankful, glad that I can enjoy
the beauty and grace of this place.

Happiness cannot be defined.

Freedom.
With my friends I have an escape,
I can turn off and forget about the worries,
My thoughts can no longer dwell in the abyss of my mind.
I can’t drag myself down my downwards spiral of doubt.

He takes my hand forward and leads me to the light
And when he does, together we shall fight;
Individually we have gone through hell,
But together we choose to stay in heaven.
He smiles and all the troubles seem to fade
As he is my personal dose of first aid.
The bandage that soothes my wound.
The one who helps me heal, to recover.

Happiness:
It’s not something I can define
In a sentence, nor through speech.
It’s something I feel, deep underneath.
My heart it beats me through yet another day
I tell myself.
It’ll all be okay.

Solace on the mountain

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Standing still atop of the mountain I look out and see the golden sun setting on the distant horizon

A quiet descends and the light begins to fade

There’s a chill in the air and the leaves on the trees start to rustle in the breeze

There is calm, there is peace

This is a happy place, a place where I feel better when I am here

My Mountain of Solace

The Finer Things

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Ice for blood

Free the whispered

Judgement of words

 

I am myself

 

Rain needle sharp

Upon my face

Back to wall.

 

I stand tall.

 

Wind through hair

Decision and equivocation

Denied their say.

 

As I play.

 

Sun warmed bones

Gentle smiling eyes

Timid loving silence.

 

I am content.

Winter Memory

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Strong black coffee, four sugars please.

A bright knife edge winter`s day.

Bacon on breath, rind in teeth.

Trees sweating, hoar-frost gleaming,

Fog breath smoking, hands freezing,

Engine screaming, sunlight streaming.

Christ but it`s good to be alive.

Caress Some Chords

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Caress some chords – Like a lover needs another to belong

I melt into magical mysteries of song

Lose dubiety – surrender to serenades of serendipity

 

Caress some chords – Like a river needs an ocean to be free

I swim into this cosmic soup of creativity

Make the time to breathe – Inhaling all the flowers and rainbows there can be

 

Never ending colours of light filled harmonies

Undulating undertones of possibilities

In a sea of sound – where true love abounds

Caress Some Chords with me

 

Caress Some Chords – Like a sunrise needs a sky in which to sing

I spread my wings and fly through sweetest sounding strings

Shine my love light bright – Dive into the slipstreams of the melodies I find
©2015 Nicola Gladwin (aka Nicci Gladwin)

Knocking out negatives

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Knocking out negatives

I am flipping the coin at poison parrots urging me to join

A journey of steep descent into a hostile abyss

The starting point is in my head, colluding with such promises

To keep me safe, to keep me sound, to keep my little light bright

Convincing as they seem right now, I push them out of sight

I flip the coin into their faces

Squawking insults, love erases

Compassion is my key, administrating TLC

Yes, taking loving care of me

Knocking out negatives

I am trusting there’s a way through this

I am thinking outside of the box

Yes, finding diamonds in the rocks

My feeling thoughts I now refine, to manifest my own design

Creativity, our universal key

Knocking out negatives

I flip the coin for me

I colour, I sing, I write

I begin

Knocking out negatives

I choose to be happy now

Within

 

©2015 Nicola Gladwin (aka Nicci Gladwin)

Growing Beneath that Black and White Flag

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Pumping veins and screaming fans

Every soul unified by melodies

As we wear every lyric like a tattoo

Grinning as this is why I pulled through

 

The band, their sound, their love

Became our connection, from down under to up above

As we lived our teenage dream

But days apart singing to our theme

 

Who would’ve thought that ten years on

We would still talk until one reaches dawn

That our love for the skull and crossbones

Would tie together forever our two time zones

 

Because I’m happiest when I speak to you

The laughter when you sent me that kangaroo

Knowing that we’re sharing the same smile

To see you again I would run every mile

 

Joy is the knowledge that soon we’ll get

To share the same sunset

The same air, the same stars

Just like in the beginning with the sound of those guitars

 

Words can never be enough to express

How much I adore your heart, the talent you possess

Thank you for being online that day

Now let’s watch those dolphins as we sail away

Butter

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

I feel better when I eat butter
I go nuts for pats on garden peas
even though it makes me fatter
I love it on crackers, under cheese

 

 

 

Lauren Foster

Haunts of the Grand Union Canal

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Haunts of the Grand Union Canal

Few things bring more calmness than
a wander along the canal;
leaving traffic and cares behind,
getting away from it all.

The weirs gurgle peacefully in the sun,
the ducks splash to and fro;
it’s a gracious time in early Spring,
and a pleasant place to go.

Echo Bridge is an exotic place,
not one echo but many;
the source of its special properties:
it’s shaped as a catenary.

The effect comes as complete surprise,
when one is just walking along;
it’s rare to hear such sound effects,
repeated and oddly strong.

It soars overhead, straddling the canal,
symbol of a glorious past;
it’s brick-built arches represent
old skills not yet surpassed.

Secret Island seems barely alive,
only the ivy seems viable;
and yet, in just a few weeks time,
its paths will be barely passable.

Now its trees seem dead and white,
brittle and devoid of life;
Soon leaves will come bursting forth,
and nettles and briars be rife.

Before, few would have ventured here,
fenced off, locked and defended;
now it’s covered in paths and litter,
its fence no longer mended.

We wander over the island at will,
studying the woodfall as it crumbles;
this small canal-bound islet,
rare remnant of English jungle.

We make our way back as the light is fading,
past joggers, geese and swans;
we’ve had a pleasant day of rambling,
aimlessly hither and yon.

I feel better when I am

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

I feel better when I am gently allowing my emotions and feelings to flow
I feel better when I am trusting that they will naturally just come and just go
I feel better when I reassure myself that’s it’s okay to feel mad sad or low
And to sometimes know what that’s telling me, and for sometimes not to know

I feel better when I am listening to my body and what she really needs.
As her wisdom quietly talks to me, despite the poison I feed
I feel better knowing her needs are simple; rest, food, movement and touch
I feel better as I appreciate how she’s carried me, never asking for much

I feel better when I give myself a break and just let myself be me
When I stop striving for perfection, and allow ‘good enough’ to free me
I feel better when I finally notice your love and allow myself to receive it
When you say that I am okay for the thousandth time, and I this time I finally believe it

I feel better when I am allowing my words to soothe and heal the hurts of others
Who are wounded by the world of lost loves and imperfect fathers and mothers
I feel better when I am smiling as my own advice is the hardest to follow
As my once- wise words stick in my throat and I don’t even try to swallow

I feel better when I remember to notice all the bright and beautiful things
And to marvel and thank goodness for the wonders that each new day brings
I feel better when I remember that forgetting these things is human nature after all
If I want to see the beautiful sunrise, I must allow the nightfall

I feel better when I accept my thoughts and feelings as they are
Without trying to paint a rainbow over my bloody scars
I feel better when I embrace my wounds as part of the imperfect me
I feel better when I am being myself, and allowing the world to see me

I feel better when I am accepting that I do care what other people think
When I spit the bile of indignant independence finally down the sink
I feel better when I allow myself to feel the need to be loved and to belong
And recognise that we all need this and that it is not wrong

I feel better when I laugh until I cry, with friends who love me unconditionally.
I feel better when I see the humour of it all but know that the joke isn’t on me
I feel better when I do stuff just for fun and let myself have a silly season
I feel better when I just to enjoy myself-I don’t have to give any reason

I feel better when I am just sitting and watching my mind do her thing
I feel better when I am just breathing and listening to the wisdom within
I feel better when I switch off the screens and let my eyes see the real reality
I feel better when I am accepting our world for all its love and cruelty

I feel better when I create my own world through a poem, a song or a dream
I feel better when I express myself even if some people don’t know what I mean
I feel better when I am making a stand for a world that I know can be better
I feel better when we are all making a stand and helping each other feel better

In Solitude

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

It’s ok to walk alone,
You don’t have to hold their hand,
Drag them through unhappiness,
‘Cause you don’t want to stand.

Let them be and ponder.
They may catch you up.
You, alone, can wander
And learn to give them up.

Bubbles

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

The first 9 stretch out from the wand

Each one, plum sized, quivering gently

Propelled on a gentle mid-June breeze

moving randomly across suburban scenery

 

I take my time with the next blow

A pair of oranges, rainbow smeared

each one holding a reflected me

One glides away, doomed from the start

the other, disappears against a cotton sleeve

 

Blowing as if flickering a candle flame

I produce 28 gooseberries that saunter off like bees

Some mark the bark, some glisten the leaves

and the last few assail and escape over the trees

 

I try out my next trick and conjure 2 apples

fused as a conjoined twin

This double-bubble hovers and shimmers

waiting for me, but it’s a booby trapped globe, exploding

causing shrieks of glee

 

I contemplate producing a grapefruit

When a tug on my arm, small outstretched hand

other resting on a hip, disarms me begrudgingly

I hand over the bottle with a sheepish grin

and the soapy coated, orange plastic, dipping stick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

I feel better when feeling better is not my priority,

But instead comes as a surprise,

A new avenue for my curiosity,

And all the adventure that it implies,

 

There are times that I feel I cannot breathe,

That I feel better when I am not me,

We all have bodies that our minds can leave,

And I feel better when I am free,

 

For what good is feeling good if you dwell only on feeling better?

Happiness is in its own pursuit,

It’s when I don’t, that I can feel better,

It’s when I’m not, that I treasure feeling good,

 

Yes, I feel better when I am free,

To see,

To feel,

And to be.

Joy

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

If hope really is the thing with feathers
then joy must be the thing with wings, that lifts
you up over your life, free, untethered,
to see a world others can’t. High on drifts

of cool air, you fly, glide, dive and hover-
you are weightless, ageless, playing a game,
collecting sun memories like nectar.
Joy comes uncalled, it doesn’t know its name.

It appears sometimes when you’re least ready
an uninvited guest at your table
feeding you morsels of brown bread
to build you up. Joy says;  you are able

to be yourself, whatever that is,
no restrictions, no judgement, no limits.

Hope

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

I feel better when I am talking to my best friend.

 

He is always there for me,

Whatever it may be.

 

If I am feeling down, he will listen to me,

Lend a shoulder to lean on.

 

Even when I don’t have faith in myself,

That I will not get better, he does.

Kyle says, “It will be okay. It will get better.”

 

He is always there for me,

Whatever it may be.

 

Depression is not an easy thing to talk about.

But with Kyle, I can be open and honest.

His support is what counts.

I don’t have to hold anything back.

 

Kyle has been my rock for a long time,

But the same can’t be said for that family of mine.

 

I honestly don’t know what I would do without him.

He is the reason why I am still alive and will always be a friend of mine.

Kyle is not just any old friend but my best friend.

He is the reason why I am trying to get on the mend

So I can be his friend, his support, while he recovers with his own mental health.

 

Kyle may not be with me, right here, right now,

But his support is all that matters.

 

Sabeela

The Light

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

I feel better when I am

By Chelsea foster

 

Imagine a flower, fearful of the night

Covering up its beauty due to absence of a light

Much like a flower, we tend to hide away

To long to feel better is where we’d hope to stay

And though a flower lacks a heart, our similarities still remain

Though our strongest difference remains in these feelings we can change.

I feel better when I am sleeping, or should I say within my dreams

The place where I go, because nothing is as it seems

I feel better when I am drawing

Like a constant creation of ideas

Such a comfort through expression

That I hope to last for years

There’s many ways and many paths

That one can wish to take

To create a shine within your smile

And feelings afar from fake

I feel better when I see his face,

A friend could not compare

To the emotions that overflow my mind

When I know that someone cares

I feel better when it’s raining

The outside path is lit with light

A place to perfect for one dance,

It would have to last all night

I feel better when I’m on the beach

Or anywhere that’s far away

To take a trip to somewhere new

Is where I’d wish to stay

But not long till I’ve had my joy

From wherever I may Rome

I’ll pack my bags and head on back,

I feel better when I’m at home,

I feel better when I find that glow,

The one that’s all around

The glow that shines with in his eyes,

As the rain crashes to the ground

The shine within that brand new paint

As though unleashed from a darkened dome

That gleam from being somewhere far

Or somewhere close to home

Hidden within the glistening night

Or at the end of that dark tunnel

Even beneath the darkest streams

Or flowing along the runnel

I’ve seen this glow in many places

So I’m certain it can be found

Though it’s hard to grasp its glow

I promise it’s all around

And though it can be hard to find

And darkness hard to fight

Just like the little flower

I feel better when I aim to find the light.

 

ARTS IN MENTAL HEALTH

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Arts in mental health,
BrightSparks presents…
Writing on the Wall:
Attenborough welcomes you all,
colourful paintings on 1st floor,
different paintings express their feelings,
show how they’re dealing.
Their hard work shows the challenge;
this is their weapon to escape.
Easel works as armour.
Brushes work as swords.
Colour shows the anger and love.
Colour speaks, all languages.

TABLA

posted in: Poems 2014 | 0

Rhythm of the music is pure and divine.
It remains in you and me. Helps to make some peace.
The tabla gets battered but gives you pleasure –
Dha dhin dhin dha dha dhin dha
dha tin tin ta tak dhin dhin dha.
That’s the language but for me it’s my treasure.
Musical instruments are gifts from God
through which we connect to ourselves, each other.

*

Repetition of hand movements
create the fascinating sound of the Tabla,
put mind at ease and pause in thoughts,
help calm me down and know myself.
Powerful beats of Tabla piercing through,
connecting ear with heart and soul.
The battle inside stops for a while
giving me the pleasure of winning.
I rise from the feeling of being small
and I roar like a lion,
accept all the challenges.