Three Poems by Sarah S.

New to Recovery?

Live life, one day at a time
And when one day at a time feels like an endless battle,
Focus on one hour, one minute, one second, or one breath.

Stay connected.
Stay connected with those who have walked similar paths.
Stay connected with those who love you, support you, offer compassion, and hold you accountable.
Stay connected with those who stay away from shame, guilt and judgment.

Be here now.
Be true to yourself.
Remember with struggle comes strength.
Continue fighting for better moments, better days and a better future.

Pause and just breathe…

Stay grounded.
Focus on your feet planted where you stand.

When you face adversity, persevere. 

 I Am Present

 Feet firmly placed on the floor.

Whispers and rustling drift from across the room.

Shadows dance across my page as my pen travels from left to right, then back to the left.

The music playing soothes my soul and softens the tension

From my forehead down to my jaw to my shoulders and mid back.

The nearly silent sounds of others writing gives me comfort and encouragement.

Tick tock goes a clock.

A distant buzz occurs in the background of the world traveling by

As the five of us pour out our hearts into the pages of these notebooks.

A phone vibrates but still we write.

We write for processing.

We write for healing.

We write for validation.

We write for connection.

We write for our younger selves, our present selves and our future selves.

We write for the ones who didn't make it and we write for those still struggling.

We write for recovery. 

In Recovery I Have Found

 Acceptance

Adventure

Advocacy

Art

Authenticity

Awe

Beauty

Bravery

Capability

Change

Clarity

Comfort

Community

Compassion

Competence

Confidence

Connections

Coping skills

Courage

Creativity

Discomfort

Evolution

Excitement

Exploration

Forest Bathing

Grace

Gratitude

Grief

Groundedness

Harm Reduction

Healing

Holistic Wellness

Intersections

Joy

Kindness

Laughter

Lessons

Love for Life

Memories

Mindfulness

Normalization of Contrasting Emotions

Patience

Peace

Play

Poetry

Prevention

Pride

Self-expression

Strengths

Struggle

Understanding

Validation

Wonder

Worthiness

Yearning

Yoga

Youthfulness

 
And so much more.