Xmas Well-Being Poems
As we’re so close to Xmas I’ve decided to share with you three of my own poems to warm your hearts.
The first one is about Gratitude, which I feel in abundance at this time of the year. Each year I make my own Xmas cards and stick in them a poem that I have written relevant to what is going on in my life. This is the poem I wrote this year for Xmas.
Practising the Art of Gratitude
Blessed by the riches of my life,
I’m forever grateful for these nuggets:
Family surrounding me with their love.
Heartfelt friendships from the special ones
and those who hold me in their hearts.
Living life on life’s terms
which allows chances for improvement,
alongside belief in possibility and choices.
The ‘through leaves’ experiences that
make my heart sing with joy.
Those moments when I am simply at peace.
Routines and rituals that keep me afloat.
My valued sobriety - 33 years and counting,
one day at a time.
My ‘Jonny’ for all the joy, love and support
he has brought to my life, alongside
the creativity he has helped blossom in me.
The essence of life itself and
the sheer beauty of this one precious life.
The next one I wrote when I was reaching a focal point in my recovery and was uncertain as to the best way forward. I often reach for this poem when I am in a similar situation. It rekindles faith in my own intuition. It is in my book ‘Wearing Red’
Pathway
Standing at the junction,
so many ways to tread.
The ultimate question
confronts me ahead…
‘Which one?’
I ask quietly,
eyes upward in hope.
The stars whisper
‘This one’
as they light up the path.
‘Shall I go then?’
I murmur
uncertain and scared.
They wink and remind me,
My heart knows the way,
as I step out in faith
without further delay.
The third one I’m sharing with you I wrote when I was feeling very negative and in one of those fearing the worst moments. I followed my own ‘What if’ advice and reframed my fears to focus on the good things that might happen. Once again I read this to myself when I’m in a doubting period and my mood shifts. It is also in my book.
Against the Odds
Sometimes -
the rain stops for the ceremony.
The last bus waits for the latecomer.
The train arrives early
and the roads are clear
for the urgent appointment.
Sometimes -
people turn away from conflict.
Youngsters offer support to those older.
Receiving becomes a pleasure, not a weakness.
and the ‘best laid schemes’ of mice and men
go well.
Sometimes -
We reach through our isolation
to find comfort in each other.
We remember that a simple hug or smile
can warm the human heart.
And we connect because we care.
And with these sometimes -
just maybe, a world can emerge:
where difference is welcome
and the unusual becomes the norm.
where River, Persephone and me,
all of us can claim our place
and things do not always turn from bad to worse.
where these things happen
against the odds.
I hope you find these poems meaningful to you, at this time of year.
I wish you all a joyful Xmas.
And I leave you with these words spoken at the end of last season’s ‘Call the Midwife’:
“There will never be enough love.
There cannot be too much.”