Wellness Works Initiative

Church in the Wild

By Paul Albertie

The beggar isn't welcome in church. He is foul smelling and ugly. He lacks education and station. He is shamed by some and scorned by others. He is without ego or pretense. He is the embodiment of religion. He values the smallest act of kindness. He doesn't steal or swindle. He begs for his food. He is a monk without robes. He reminds us of how cruel people can be. Hopefully we can be a little more loving today.

grounded

By Jacquese Armstrong

i’m like a tree
planted in ground
but ever looking reaching
to sky

like a tree maybe a willow
flexible to bend
but never bow
never break

like a tree
standing regal
when branches are as bare
as frightening
as skeletal remains of dinosaurs
in a small room exhibit

like a tree
maybe an evergreen
covered in earthy winter mossed green
sufficient to stand
through all seasons

and when a branch
decays
it simply falls
makes its home in earth
and the tree
grows ever upward
reaching out

www.theviewfrommyplanet-jaa.blogspot.com

Consider Me

By Melanie Brander

You are in the office up on Capitol Hill
You decide my future by passing certain bills
So as you sit behind your desk in all your comfort and glory
How will you know what I need?
Who can tell my story?
Consider ME!
It makes you feel uncomfortable
when you pass me on the street.
You turn your face when it snows but you see me tying
rags on my feet.
When you complain about how far you
have to walk to where you park
think of me under a bridge alone
And cold in the dark.
Consider ME!
When you make budget cuts to hold
down the great state debt.
Remember there’s a person it’s affecting
you just haven’t met me yet.
I might have fought in the war so you
can hold that mighty seat.
Or you might have been a student in my class
first row second seat.
Consider ME!
Maybe I was your favorite aunt
or a uncle working nights at the local plant
I might have introduced myself at a
party or social event,
and you never knew how hard it was to get dressed,
And all the tears I spent.
Consider ME!
At election time you will ask for my vote
I belong to a growing group of disabled voters,
I could be your only hope.
So never just look through me again or hope I’ll go away
My vote could mean you win the election
It’s my decision either way
Consider ME!

Finding ME

By Rene' Buchanan

Unable to keep my demons at bay
I blindly said 'yes' to all the doctors did say

No matter that, often, they knew naught
I gave their words not a second thought

You see, I'd lost me long, long ago
Nothing of happiness did I know

So, I took all the pills they so freely gave
Since they said that my life they would save

Pink ones and gray ones – colors galore
Over the years, I swallowed more and more

Then came a doctor who said with conviction
You're schizophrenic – that's your affliction

And so he prescribed yet one more magic pill
Which catapulted me swiftly down a steep lonely hill

The years then began slowly passing me by
I knew less and less of the how, when, what, where or why

Forever it seemed I would never stop falling
Until an angel of mercy one day came calling

Whether she could help I truly did not know
But, oh, how I desperately wanted it to be so

Beginning to climb, I looked into her eyes
And, for the first time, saw no hidden lies

It was then that she said something so very profound
That the ME I had lost began to come 'round

She told me all those labels meant nothing at all
That I no longer had to be at their beck and call

Twelve years have now passed since my angel she came
Nothing, absolutely nothing, has ever been the same

Now, the climb, it was often terribly grueling
And, for a while, I needed constant refueling

But climbing with someone who believed I could win
Helped make me healthier than I ever had been

So, please, all you doctors who thought you knew best,
Know that your labels and pills failed every last test

They prevented you from truly seeing my face
Instead, you saw me as just a textbook case –

A case you 'solved' with the greatest of ease,
Helped by your multiple medical degrees

I was not, though, merely words on a page
I was someone whose person you failed to engage

Thank goodness my angel came along that day
And helped me throw all of your labels away

For now, I am happy and healthy and free
Having finally found long, long lost ME.

Recovery

By Oryx Cohen

Recovery means waking up and looking forward to the day ahead.
Recovery is having something meaningful to do with your life.
Recovery is hugging somebody you love.
Recovery is giving your co-workers compliments.
Recovery is feeling good about yourself.
Recovery is eating healthy, wholesome food.
Recovery is exercising.
Recovery is yoga.
Recovery is golf.
Recovery is basketball.
Recovery is truly enjoying the things you enjoy.
Recovery is friendship.
Recovery is feeling a part of a community.
Recovery is creativity.
Recovery is having a healthy body free from toxic chemicals.
Recovery is enjoying fresh air and nature.
Recovery is reading a powerful book.
Recovery is getting the sleep and rest you need.
Recovery is laughter.
Recovery is melting with a baby girl's joyful eyes and playful spirit.

And maybe most importantly, recovery ALWAYS occurs in relationship: with friends, family, lovers, the environment, with spirit, with Nature.

Recovery takes effort, does not happen in a box, with a magic bullet, or a magic pill. Ultimately, recovery is a lifelong process of finding our true spiritual path.

Recovery Lane

By Jeanine Collins

You and me, Us you see, We are the ordinary.
Round and small, Big and tall, We are the ordinary.
We will go to the meetings, We will laugh and we'll share.
Showing each other just how much we care.
When your road has been hard traveled and your eyes fill with tears.
With thoughts of how you've spent all those hard years.
Then come go with us as we skip down the road.
Finding recovery the new way we've chose.
In our world we are the ordinary.

What is My Recovery?

By Jennifer Constantine

Recovery is recognizing my resiliency;
Realizing that I can will my way beyond any pain;
Seeing that I can carry on and even thrive no matter how hard it gets.
Recovery is seeing myself apart from the past,
Onward to what others see:
I am a loving and patient mother,
An understanding and devoted wife,
A concerned and attentive friend:
I never give up hope.

Recovery is deep listening,
True dialogue,
Respect and compassion
Even in differences.
Recovery is appreciating another perspective,
And seeing the situation reversed.
Recovery is building on what I learn,
Paying attention to what others naturally teach, and
Sharing with others, the same.
Recovery is giving of myself
Beyond my own measure
Of what I think I can do,
Then giving beyond that-
Until my insight morphs anew.
Recovery is being active with others, who
Fervently believe as I do:
People are people FIRST,
Justice is worth fighting for,
Education, advocacy, and support are human rights.

Recovery is to cherish diversity in all its forms,
Recovery is to acknowledge mental diversity,
For the astonishing advancements
That distinction brings-
When supported and encouraged
Those once labeled “ill”
Are vital and amazing human beings.

The Tree of Life

By Josie Coogan

A tree is full of beauty rare
with branches roots and leaves
to human life this can compare
the womb from which it leaves

Just like the nurturing we need
to keep us well and sound
A tree will sprout up from a seed
if rooted firm, in ground

A tree needs water, we do too
a sunshine is a must
but not too much of either two
from waterlog to dust

The tree is my example
of how nature works for me
to me it is a sample
of a life forever free

So, like the tree be good and strong
and of yourself take care
who knows, perhaps before too long 
your inner strength will bare!

Melancholy

By Faustino Correa

Where do I stand in all this?
Everywhere and nowhere, it's like a riddle you must solve
Put the pieces together
To vanish to escape to have no boundaries
I lose myself in my mind, at times
All must have boundaries
A man with no boundaries, is in danger
Danger of himself
Feel the light
Embrace it
Caring for me
Embracing you is embracing me
Invisible to me and to the world
If only I can scream and I could be heard
Invisible like the air
If time itself stood still for me
As if I was everywhere and everywhere was part of me
Faced with the wrong doings of the world
In which everyday forces like gravity and others forces work against me like time
Fight for everyday is worth fighting for
It is all science and mathematics, as everything is called an experience And everything can be calculated so simple things can be explained Rationalized and minimized fight to the end
For the answer you seek, seems far
But it is just another day everyday

 

Martian Ecology?

By Esther C. Frankel

Mariner Nine found mountains and fissures
But no sign of life on Mars
Can it be Martians live underground
And never see the stars?

Were the fissures once endless highways
For cars spewing deadly pollution
While pleasure-crazed Martians breathe their last
With no thought to a solution?

Did they poison their waters, kill wildlife and fish
Chemicalize all food in creation?
'Til there was nothing left to eat
And they all died of starvation

Did the Big Powers protest, "We could stop all this,
But 'twould cost too many *Mallors"
Like greedy earthlings did they think
"Better die than spend precious dollars"
Was there a wild race between East and West
To build the most deadly bomb?
The barren planet bears silent witness
Each killed with equal aplomb

*Martian currency

 

The Rabbit Hole

By D.D. Garoutte

Recovery means
           Coming out of the Rabbit Hole
           No longer looking at the Red Queen
                       Or the White Knight
                                 Askew

Recovery means
           Looking into the Looking Glass
           Seeing your self looking back
                 No longer that other self
                            You seldom knew

Recovery means
           Having reason for hope
           It is no longer a grandiose illusion  
           To believe that someday you will be able to
           Live by yourself
           Hold down a job
           Follow your bliss
           Find your true passion

Recovery means that the fragile self
           Has grown stronger
           The frightened self
           Has grown wiser
           The person who wanted to come full circle
           Has finally done so
           Not without changes
           But with changes that allow them to leap
           To higher heights
           Without fear of going to high or falling to low

Recovery means that the strong self
           Has finally found expression
           The lonely self
           Has found a way to relate
           To others
           To oneself
           To the world

Recovery means
          Coming out of the Rabbit Hole
                Alive and Whole

Recovery, A God’s Grace

By Ramon Gonzalez

I will achieve my recovery by asking God
every day to strengthen my weaknesses
and not fall for the temptations that are
sure to come. I want to do God’s will as it
should  be.
God is Almighty, Merciful  and His love
Is deep and sincere,
He love us every moment and does not abandon us,
He cures us.
This is why I love him and always will.

Recovery Journey

By Leah Harris

Recovery means the freedom to be myself, creatively
To dream big, to reclaim grandiosity
Recovery is the awesome discovery of my inner divinity
Tempered with a deep humility
A simple faith, a quiet spirituality
That nourishes and sustains me through any difficulty.

Recovery means letting go of the myth of
Self-sufficiency and relentless efficiency. 
I don’t want to go it alone –
I have to be part of a living loving community
That uplifts me and reflects back to me
An inspiring vision of what we can all be,
Individually and collectively --
When we support one another, our potential is vast, extending to infinity.

Recovery is about living positively, to the best of my ability.
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude for the beauty and the majesty
Of this life -- a gift precious beyond measure.
In recovery, I find there’s far more pleasure
Than pain.  Now I may still be insane--
But the difference is today, I’m not ashamed.
I love my brain and all that it contains.

Recovery to me is dwelling not in the problem but in the solution
Cutting through mental conditioning and cultural pollution
I once was suicidal but today, staying alive--
Not just to survive, but learning to thrive--
Is my greatest contribution to the revolution.
See – I think we’re at a new stage in our human evolution…

And recovery is part of that journey
It all started with faith in the possibility
Of release from mental and physical slavery.
We made our healing a priority and it became
Our reality.  This wellness mentality became an actuality.
We are the evidence and we are the truth.
We are the living, breathing proof
That recovery is no illusion, no delusion of grandeur.

Here is the secret to recovery, here is the key:
If you can conceive it
Then you can achieve it.
Believe it!

Laces

By Michelle Hurrell

Sometimes it’s the shoelace broken-
not your heart cut open,
that starts your eyes to cry
over all those past wrongs,
you let so easily go by.

So much is in that bit of shredded string:
Injustice, embarrassment,
words that deeply sting.

Maybe it is worthwhile to
thank that little broken thread,
for cracking that numb smile
people prefer to see instead.

Past becomes your present,
when you cannot tie that bow.
You feel silly that you’re sobbing,
but you finally let it go.

You cry for broken dreams,
the pain of simply being here.
How you went to extremes,
and hurt the people you hold dear.

So cry until you’re empty
and tired deep inside.
Maybe to show your feelings,
you must let go of your pride.

Weep for your losses.
Let tears fall from your eye.
We all carry our own crosses.
You must learn to say goodbye
to all that sorrow
that brings you low.
Really, you must thank
that rotten untwisted bow, because…

sometimes it is the shoelace broken,
that finally cracks your world wide open.

What wellness means in your lives and for your communities

By Bobby Hyde

Wellness means to me that I can get out there and contribute meaningfully.  Knowing I am wonderful radiates to the community as I exert stamina to bring conscience, attention, and effort to social service centers, at commemorative seminars, in fundraising programming, when collaborating on city-wide safety measures and in acquiring state licenses. This belief and respect in me is a sign of wellness in me.  One must be centered in himself to be aware that he is a member of a society. This gives me a place to be.  This is essentially it.

My character is in my countenance which is to particularly have a cherry disposition and give a greeting happily, mostly, I think that’s all that’s needed.  As a result of this, maybe a conversation will ensue.

I have a habit of thinking what a person needs.  This is a giving attitude.  This is wellness.  When I voice that I need people to help, my words carry the weight of conviction.  I steer my discussion to convince people to come to my aid.  This builds and flows over to the community. It means a lot to be united in the common goal.  I think the use of words is an ability to ‘…get a job done.’  People embrace and surround the shaping of the community.

I do not portend success in achieving building the community simply happens. The wellness is inherent that’s for sure. However, we must uncover the worth of the community and let it shine.  It’s not the major technology, nor the ‘changing-times’ of mankind that is the depth of the community structure.  It is always the people. 1200 years ago, the nomadic Scythian people were farming across the Ural Mountains of Russia with more primitive technologies. However, they were no different from the same inherent principles that form our community. Our fortitude has kept the community and brought us to gather for the same reasons.

My wellness must follow and compliment the community.
Consider what are our working components making the community:

1. we must gather;
2. we must be concerned citizens;
3. we have the public trust in mind;
4. we must speak out;
5. we must communicate;  
6. we must create a dialogue with those governing;
7. we have needs;
8. we must settle our difference;
9. we are overpowered;
10. we believe;
11. we are the community.

The question is: ‘What holds these together?’ The eleven components come together to form a belief in our community. Our outlook and experiences help broaden our horizons and build toward the community.  Importantly, the precepts are in place to give credence to our society.

The Law of Opposites

By Joe Kobrel

I was walking with my friend Diane
on a small deserted mountain road.
We were talking about our lives. It was summer.
It was very hot and very dry. We were very thirsty.
We had been walking for about 20 minutes up a dusty road
and the dust had collected on our lips.
We didn’t want to turn around so soon
and head back to town to get something to drink.

Diane said aloud “I want water.”
She looked skyward, the big joke being of course
that if there is such a thing as God
that it would live on the other side of the sky.
She was praying but factiously. It was absurd.
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky
and we knew there were no stores along this road.
Within five minutes we came around a bend in the road
and heard the unmistakeable sound of rushing water.
Before the bend, it was impossible to hear.
We looked at each other,
as if to see that the rushing water we heard
was not just in our own minds.

Our gaping expressions told us that each of us had in fact heard this sound.
That still didn’t mean it was real.
It just meant we weren’t hallucinating alone.
We followed the sound of the water into the woods.
There was no trail. The sound of the water grew louder.
Finally we found the source – an icy, clear brook.
We stood over it, still not convinced we weren’t manufacturing a mirage.
We bent down.
Cupped our hands.
The water was cold.
We slurped.
Now we knew it was real.

“You know, Diane,” I said, turning to my friend.
“I could use a new car. How about it – you’re on a roll - would you ask for one for me?”
“I’m pretty sure it works better if you ask yourself,” Diane said, smiling.
I knew she was right.
I looked skyward.
“Since you seem to be taking calls today,” I began,
“I want…” When I had started my prayer,
 it was all  in good humor.
But in mid-prayer, a feeling hit; something
I’ve felt just a few other times in my life:
the eerie sensation of Being Heard.
Not by anything with ears.
“Heard” is actually too human, too biological a term.
It’s more a quality of being received.
The bottom had dropped out of my joking
right in the middle of my prayer
because I suddenly knew that on the priority list of needed things,
a new car was certainly not at the top.  

What came out of my mouth surprised me and certainly Diane.
“I want to lead the revolution.”
The revolution I had in mind had nothing to do
with armbands, military juntas or counterinsurgency movements.
The revolution I imagined can only be led by example,
as we each face our own demons,
individually and as a matter of course, collectively.
And this revolution will be measured
by how we treat one another
especially our most vulnerable.

What I did not know then
was that this was in fact a prayer for strength.
I was praying for strength because I had been feeling so weak,
so frightened about ever having
the requisite courage, clarity and support
to bring my dreams into being.
It turns out there is no better place from which to pray for strength,
because the Law of Opposites is always working, even when it isn’t.
The Law of Opposites states that no one is wise
who was not first unwise.
Weakness teaches strength.
Pain teaches peace.

Of course, in the real world,
when you’re living through all that unwisdom,
it’s easy to forget that strength is not a fixed state like Vermont or Louisiana.
It is a dance.
The dance of strength is filled with weakness and vice.
The dance of strength is filled with illness and pain and feeling utterly lost.
The dance of strength turns hope inside out,
makes you mistrust your hope,
leaves you finally with nothing, no aphorisms even.
Now you have a chance to be strong.

When my life fell apart 20 years after making this prayer;
when I lost my marriage,
my life-work,
my mind and
nearly my life,
I knew that I had been foolish enough
to ask for great strength
and that something, somewhere,
having heard my prayer,
had taken me up on it.

Landing, finally.............

By Susan Lowery

Divine Feminine, where I can feel the mystery, see the feelings
Where she and I converge and say, have and hold holy matrimony
Where my spirit and she mend and meld and whisp and sigh
Where we love and hold and rock and cry
Sing whimper and become pre-natal in release
Where she and I interlace our tethers of light like fingers together upholding
And-weaving-the-world.  Into a glistening, sparkling web stronger than the oldest of memories
And loved by the divine of generation to generation
I remember, I remember Mama, grandma and great-grandma
I am now upon the second – child free – but lover of life and nurturer
Living in discovery and recovery – more awake, more alive, more feeling everyday
I am blessed.

 

9/6/10 © susan lowery

I FEEL GOOD AGAIN TODAY

By: Romalda De Mello

It's with pride I say, "I feel
Good today, in every way."

My spirit soars above; my
Heart is filled with precious love.

My body's strong, fit, and well.
The mind is sharp, can't you tell?

Life feels swell except when it's hell.
I do have slips you see.
My secret is resiliency.

Bouncing back is fun: I grab my
Bag of coping skills and run.

Behind the darkness emerges the sun.
Another day has just begun.

It's a day to sing, to play, to dance,
And to say, I feel good again today!"

Who's Willing to Care

By Michael Nelson

Lost in my soul I moan for sanity which has long abandon me, falling tear drop stains screaming long forgotten names.. the derelict who cares, what about the drug addict who sleeps behind the stairs… why does my life feel so lost is it the racial discrimination my lack of education could it be my dead-end job which gave me a raise now I’m almost making minimum wage…I long for hope sometimes I search for it in a bag of dope; frustrated with rage I curse God and cry why don’t you just let me die!…but I’m still here bewildered and embrace by fear.. I’m the mentally ill without a friend if I knock on your door could I come in?…is there any words of comfort any hugs of love or would you say I’m crazy and keep me at a far…Jesus, Jehovah, Allah, God does anyone here my Cry.

Music and Recovery

By Justin Pedilla

When I hear music,
I feel free of all my worries.

When I hear music,
I feel like an Angel.

When I hear music,
I feel like the world needs love, caring and patience.

When I hear music,
I feel an energy that I can transmit to others.

When I hear music,
I feel music makes the world a better place.

Untitled

By Peer Group

Written in a peer recovery group at a residential recovery residence. We each took turns coming up with lines that spoke about our experiences of recovery.
~ Art, Doug, Jess, John, Steve, Tami

Recovery is for Always
Trying to find happiness
within a spirit of joyfulness
Continuing on the journey
Recovering day by day

Going out on bike rides
Feeling more and more independent
Moving toward a life of freedom
I’m starting to feel hope

I’m able to get my needs met—
to take on more responsibilities
I’m learning how to deal with stress
and I’m becoming financially stable

Feeling that I’m lovable
Feeling that I’m loved
Hearing my kids say “I love you”
Anything is possible

Recovery helps me communicate
Recovery helps me cooperate
The hard times are in the past
My soul is awakening

Going to meetings, getting support,
Having fun doing things I like
I’m feeling better every day
Recovery is for always

Choose Wellness

By Carol Coussons de Reyes

Facing my fears without medicine helped me to recover
a body that made me a mother

Breastfeeding created a bond of nutrients and love
That turned into a healthy son

Laughter and tumbles keep me young and slim
As once again I take the medicine

Take the stairs and turn off the news
Usually will case away the blues

Massage and yoga center my mind
When disaster is all I seem to find

With the support of friends I can choose wellness
Because I am sick and tired and ill of being a statistic of mental illness

Arcadia

By Whitney Robinson

Lessons from the New England woods—
You are never alone, if beetles count; you are not the center of anything.
There is still senseless death in Eden, but it all returns to earth in the end.
Ants build colonies in amber beer bottles, and these become poems,
and eventually the poet is eaten by ants, and a tree grows in that place;
once the red dust settles, the mind is still.
Owls are: omens of death in some cultures, of birth in others;
people’s souls transmigrate into fungi if they should learn patience,
or gnats if impermanence escapes them.
Acorn meat is unfairly bitter,
but there are more than enough berries for everyone.
Up close, you can see what hard lives the deer have had,
all ticks and scars. They bound away, and they are once more idyllic
in the primordial dawn.
Out here, I am not sick in any way that matters;
everything that has breath in it still, is alive. Nothing is wasted.

LIVE

By Karen L. Rolff

Take a moment, glance around

Ease your thoughts into the lost and found

Get in contact with your goals

Feel the magic of your mind

A thorough searching of your soul

Leaving obstacles far behind

Take a moment, glance around

Take the initiative

Not only dream...BUT LIVE!

Untitled

By Matthew Souris

My sense of peace is very clean…
It is easy to hear the sounds of the night.
God is doing a terrific job
With giving people the chance to be born and live life.
Life oh life, how odd it is.
Time is a tricky thing also.
Souls are meant to feel happy times,
Souls are also meant to feel pain.
I try not to take the Lord’s name in vain…
I fail many a time.

I try to live life with a touch of tenderness.
I believe that everything that has happened in the history of mankind
Is a giant story.
The story of life has many chapters.
Sad and happy themes,
Perverted and lewd storied of life appear.
Ugly stories continue to glide along Earth.

I sincerely believe that the future of reality
Is going to get more and more interesting and complex.
I love to sit and listen to soothing music…
It truly makes me feel like a King with glowing radiance!
Time is very weird.
The weirder it gets, the more I am tempted to challenge it!

 

Written in April 2000

Wellness, one day at a time

By Lauren Spiro

An onion matures slowly
Perfectly
Knowing, never doubting
It’s purpose.

Can I peal the layers
Off
One by one.
Can I find love
And wellness
And health
And meaning
And purpose
Simply.

The core of the onion is the sweetest
And strongest
Can I stand in my wholeness
And look out at the world
Staying grounded in that core
And be all that I was meant to be.

Can I stand up to the knife
And stare down the oven
And refuse to be put in a frying pan

And stay whole
In a world gone to pieces?
Yes, I want to live long
And well
I will embrace my comrades
And walk up the mountain
And over the hill
Rolling towards the green pastures
Where we plant seeds
And bonds
And grow plentiful gardens
With bounty
And beauty beyond our imagination

Recovery

By Greg Strasburg

Recovery is getting up in the morning,

And looking forward to the day.

It’s looking into a mirror,

And seeing a worthy human being.

It’s wanting to do what I enjoy,

And then doing it.

It’s making my own decisions,

And then not wondering if they were right.

It’s having support from friends,

No matter what I decide to do.

It’s enjoying life,

And God’s creation.

It’s knowing who I am,

And being at peace with that.

Recovery in my life

Kimberly Walker

Recovery means a life with my kids,
Recovery means plan on goals,
Recovery means to be kind and generous,
Recovery means finish school.

Freedom

By Darrell West Jr.

Chorus:
Countin’ down everyday 2 b release home, I pray 2 God relapse won’t come
Fresh air is what I wanna breathe & blow, so my freedom start to flow

Verse 1:
I got locked up at da age of 22, cryin’ was da only thing I knew how 2 do
I had 2 face it I was gonna b there for awhile, my name was forever gonna b in their files,
I had 2 grow up & b a man & wipe my face, tell myself dat I was gonna get outta this place
I been thinkin’ ‘bout who’s gonna b my friend, I definitely knew God will have his hand extend
He gave me da motivation 2 stay humble, so I told Him I’ll try my best not 2 fumble
Best believe I’m ready to give it my all, I got 2 stand tall

Chorus

Verse 2:
I feel like I’m not supposed 2 b here, in the system wastin’ all my blood, sweat, & tears,
I’m missing out on life wit my friends and my church, but time’s got me actin’ like a bird on a perch
No longer walkin’ round wit my head down, feelin’ like I’m livin’ underground
Instead I’m workin’ on my G-E-D and getting’ a job in the community
I’m not Rambo, it’s more like Rocky, I might keep fallin’ but I ain’t cocky
Like him I’m in training and taking my pain and I’m gainin’

Chorus

Verse 3
I’ve been asking myself, what am I gon’ do all day or night? Will I do what I can when I c da light?
What am I gonna do when I get out?  My answer—I’m gonna show ‘em what I’m about
I’m gonna celebrate hard on the days I missed, like July 4th, Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas.
Even after a day of working hard I still won’t mind playin’ a game of cards
It’ll b one of the best feelin’s of my life, bein’ free from the years of this horrible strife
My outcome will become one that’s no longer numb--it’s my FREEDOM

 

Use "Cleaning out my Closet" by Eminem

Today

By Joey White

Love that we are even here today     
Open our hearts and souls
Verify that we are somebody
Educating ourselves about our mentalities.

Live in today, so
It won’t get to be too much for us.
Fight for happiness
Else we won’t grow.

To be an example to take care of ourselves
Offer our experiences so that our
Dreams and hopes can come true
Always remember that
You are the most important person.

Was a Wandering

By Natalie Sequita Wilder

Was a wandering all hope was gone
Looking around trying to find a home
Like a dog missing his buried bone
So frightening it was to be all alone
Family deceased mind all in jumbles
There was no way to think sanely
Could not scream or yell for mama’s help or for
Sister’s to whom trusted secrets were kept
Oh! Who to listen and understand a life shattered
No one to hold its hand until a soft sweet voice
Said it will be all right relax and dream
No more wandering you have found support
In me others will come to just wait and see
Rebuilding lives through the Wellness keys
Unlocking windows and doors peer to peer
Nothing judgmental the verdict is in everyone
Has the privilege to be humanely serene and free