Poems of Hope

Just Snap out of it

If you have a cold,

Have you thought about not sneezing?

If you have a sore throat,

Have you thought about not swallowing?

If you have a headache,

Have you thought about not feeling the pain?

If you have sprained your ankle,

Have you thought about not limping?

If you are blind,

Have you thought about trying to see?

If you are deaf,

Have you thought about listening more?

If your legs are paralysed,

Have you thought about trying to walk?

If you have depression,

Have you thought about trying to be happy?

If you have anxiety,

Have you thought about calming down?

If you have PTSD,

Have you thought about forgetting the past?

If you are hearing voices,

Have you thought about not listening to them?

Your pain is real and cannot be magically taken away,

But like the cold, the sore throat and the head ache,

Your pain can go away,

Like the sprained ankle,

Rest and recuperation might be what you need,

Like the person who is blind, deaf or paralysed,

Your ability to manage your condition can be an inspiration to others.

The Mountain

Life’s struggles can feel like climbing a mountain,

Tiredness can make us feel like quitting,

When exhausted learn to rest and enjoy the view to counteract the pain,

When it gets dark, stop climbing and look for the stars,

The pain can be a sign that you are fighting to get to a better place,

People higher up are not better than you,

They are simply further along their own paths,

When you face a rock slide it shows the people above you struggle too,

When you are feeling strong help people up,

When you are struggling you can use professional help of a mountain leader,

You can use your own support network of your climbing group,

Or reach out to strangers for a helping hand,

Strive to reach your own personal peak,

You decide where the top is,

And there are many different routes you can take to your destination.

Drowning

Everyone can feel like they are drowning in life,

Splash around to let people know you are struggling,

Don’t hold on to the edge for too long – learn how to swim,

Find yourself someone who can teach you,

Look for someone who will be a swimming instructor not a life raft,

Sometimes though you need the life raft before the lesson can begin,

It’s okay to use swimming aids – whatever it takes to be a stronger swimmer,

We are swimming alongside each other, it’s not a race,

Pushing people down won’t help you become a better swimmer,

There might be times when you need to hold on to someone,

There might be times when they need to hold on to you,

Hold each other up, don’t pull each other down,

You don’t have to be swimming all the time,

You can tread water, go back to the raft or even spend some time on a beach.