Recovery isn’t a destination; it’s a journey. For years, people told me to fake it until I made it. Only it was getting harder to hide my fears and doubts and pretend I’d got life all figured out. Always afraid I’d soon be found out. At times, I was an emotional wreck and felt out […]
Category: Poetry
My poetry
Unanswered Questions
A poem I composed written following a conversation with a woman who recently lost her sister to alcoholism. Another taken far too soon. It’s called “Unanswered Questions” I’m still unsure when it all began or where things went wrong. But I do know I feel bereft and that my heart aches from actions undone. […]
Post Traumatic Growth
You’ve been through a lot; most wouldn’t understand. You’ve experienced the pain and endured shame. You’ve had to learn to wipe away your own tears and work hard to overcome your fears Most of it alone…. Some days have been tough and yet you refused to submit and didn’t quit. Instead you’ve continued to learn […]
Don’t play me
I ain’t nobody’s fool. And I have got a heart of gold, but lo and behold, if you try taking the piss. What you see is what you get. You see, over the years, I have had to my bed and have learned how to lay in it. Some say I’m passionate and outspoken. But […]
The War of Words – I Wish
Just a reminder that words and actions, or the lack thereof, have consequences. It came out of the blue. I was caught up in a crossfire of words. All parties were fighting to be heard. So desperate to be proved right. They continued to fight. Their words echoed around the room. Creating a cloud of […]
A Rhyme about CHIME
It’s the run-up to recovery month this September. And in the background, the Sheffield Recovery Forum is on a mission to acquire Inclusive recovery city status in 2024. There have been lots of conversations about recovery capital and something called CHIME. So, during my breaks, I came up with this recovery poem based on the […]
Woman – There is more to you than you think
Woman – There is more to you than you think The Bedtime fairy tales were engraved into her younger self’s head Just the thought of being alone filled her with dread Afraid of being left on the shelf she always put other’s needs before herself She craved other people’s acceptance to help her […]
What’s in your cup
My cup was always half empty In fact, it was bone dry I would carry the weight of the world on my shoulders And held onto resentments the size of boulders I turned to drugs seeking absolution That was until I started searching for different solutions Instead of blaming everyone else and started […]
If they are your mate they’ll wait
I made some amazing friendships during my using/dealing days but one of the most complex parts in my early recovery was stepping away from some of those friendships. This was made worse by knowing that they weren’t bad people; in fact, it was quite the opposite. They never gave up on me when I fucked […]
Don’t wait until it’s too late
At the time of writing this, I don’t feel sad, I feel angry. It’s always sad when you lose someone, it’s part of life, we all go at some point, but every now and then the loss can hit you hard and this loss is no exception. Yesterday I was contacted out of the blue […]
