Wide awake and positive
Bring on my day
I don’t need sunshine
To keep the storm at bay
The worlds my oyster
I’ve got a new day to breathe
I’ll embrace lifes riches
In me I’ll believe
I’ll greet each and every day
Thinking I too have survived
Reflect of the miracle that I am
Thinking it’s good to be alive
‘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.
I’m splashing in the puddles the air is so clean – is the air always this clean? the other people don’t seem so excited but this is my first day ever of splashing in the puddles, in the daylight after rain.
John collects a handmade hardback book
He will be presented with this at the House of Lords on the 1st May 2013
Congratulations from all of us at !!
His work will feature in The Yellow Book going nationwide
Selected Poetry Entries for The Yellow Book please click the titles to view:
Congratulations from all of us at !!
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.