To mark this year’s World Mental Health Day I thought I would share a poem.

Over the past two years a number of deliberate life changes previously mentioned in last years WMH day blog have helped me overcome symptoms of complex PTSD.

Throughout this time of healing poetry – writing and performing it- has helped me to explore and express issues that I have been dealing with as well as overcoming fears and connecting with others. So it feels appropriate to share this today.

Take Time

Life has taught me

The importance of time

Not just being at the right place

Or finding time to lime

But taking time to face

The fears and feelings

We don’t want to trace

To allow for some healing

Sometimes we are just

Freewheeling

Through life

Navigating

between lust

And relationship strife

Alternating

Between stresses

And appreciating

Blesses

But not concentrating

On our internal needs

The underlying issues

That grow like weeds

The inner child

We forget to feed

Or the self love

That provides the seeds

to truly grow

A life to be in awe of.

We may not see

The light that glows

Internally

If we are fighting fires

Externally

Everyone else’s pacifiers

Constantly battling

Infernally

Before we are tackling

Our own necessities.

So our time is precious

And Me time is necessary

And should be consciously

arranged in our diary

Whatever that looks like

For you is the way

Riding a bike

Having therapy

Writing or singing a song

No time spent

with yourself is wrong

It doesn’t matter

What you do so long

As you have time to breathe

Reflect, renew

The most important

Thing to do

Is YOU taking time

To be with YOU