With apologies to Mr Kipling |
You will find two poems here. The first was written in the year 2000 when a friend asked me to write my own version of 'IF' to describe the bad time I was going through. The second version was written after my recovery. IF it brings comfort to anyone who is feeling a little lost then it has served its purpose. IF If I could stop my troubled brain from whirling And lose this sense of utter hopelessness. If I could face the day with hope and courage And learn to cope and deal with my own stress. If I could wait and find that there’s a purpose, Or know just what it is I’m waiting for. If I could find the joy in living, Then hold it in my heart and long for more. If I could dream then wake to find it’s happening, If I could think that I can handle life. If I could find my buried sense of humour To help me through this awful time of strife. If I could rise and feel that something Was worth the effort that it takes. If I could stop the terror and the panic, Discard the tablets; stop the shakes. If I could find the energy that’s missing, Enthusiasm for one single thing. If I could see the funny side of problems, Then smile and laugh and even try to sing. If I could iron and not be bored by ironing, Or wash the pots without a single care. If I could cook a meal and then enjoy it. Walk the dog; appreciate the air. If I could sort out my emotions And know for sure just where my feelings lie. If I could face my work with all it’s problems, Build up the confidence I need to try. If I could fill each day instead of thinking, Wash all this self pity from my brain. If I could do all this starting tomorrow, Then I’d be myself and feel alive again. IF If I can rise above the dark clouds of depression And learn to face each day with faith and hope. If I can cast aside the fears and tremors, Pick up the shattered pieces; learn to cope. If I can find a way out of the horror That once controlled my every waking thought. If I can feel with every fibre of my being That it was worth the battle that I fought. If I can turn my dreams into reality Find the strength to face my deepest fears. If I can see the funny side of problems And fill each day with smiles instead of tears. If I can use my thoughts to nurture goodness Find energy to work and to achieve. If I can value every minute’s worth of pleasure Maintain this strong conviction to believe. If I can take the bad times with the good ones, Eradicate the blues with hopeful thought. If I stay calm when all around is chaos, Then I have found the peaceful state I sought. If I can live my life now free of tablets, Find solace in the natural things in life. If I can tackle all the day throws at me, Handle all the challenges and strife. If I can leave bad memories behind me, Forget the problems, start my life anew, And feel that now each day’s worth living, If I can do all this, then you can too. If I can aid someone who suffers, To cast aside depression, live again. If I can help them find an answer, Then the long, hard battle has not been in vain. |