Today's poet

[Nathaniel Lee]

Sectioned.

Wonder if they'll let me see the sun today,
In my white jacket with it's serpentine sleeves,
I want to frolic and gamble go out and play,
When i speak about my little friends no one believes.

Two blue, one yellow, three pink and two green,
The softs walls of my room go up to the sky,
More coloured sweeties so i do not dream,
They look thru the window see me scream and cry.

I get my clothes and thank for their kindness,
Sign out, get the bus get home to the wife,
My consultant says an unqualified success,
But you tell me is this really my life ?.

By Matt Harmston.

[Nathaniel Lee]

Friends.

You know it feels great to have friends like you,
Writing poems each night for our enjoyment,
Freckle,Hes,HHH and many more too,
It makes me happy when kind words are sent.

It is not easy for me to make any good friends,
People get scared of what they don't understand,
I realise my disorder doesn't help to these ends,
Like anyone else it's nice to be part of this merry band.

I just want to tell you all what you mean to me,
I need to let you know your special place in my heart,
When i am writing with you is when i'm most free,
For our friendships i hope this is the start.


By Matt Harmston.

[Hes]

What a sweet story of serendipity. Glad you've found what you were looking for, Hes. Was it worth the wait?

It was indeed SS! There is a certain comfort to be had when you find your emotions conveyed so perfectly by a third party. I will save this for the next time I need it!

[Hes]

Friends.

You know it feels great to have friends like you,
Writing poems each night for our enjoyment,
Freckle,Hes,HHH and many more too,
It makes me happy when kind words are sent.

It is not easy for me to make any good friends,
People get scared of what they don't understand,
I realise my disorder doesn't help to these ends,
Like anyone else it's nice to be part of this merry band.

I just want to tell you all what you mean to me,
I need to let you know your special place in my heart,
When i am writing with you is when i'm most free,
For our friendships i hope this is the start.


By Matt Harmston.

Matt, this is really lovely. I do hope it is the start too. I know quite a few of us feel that way and having the space to express ourselves has been wonderful. Long may it continue. I really loved your previous poem. For me, it was one of your best. The question of 'what is normality?' and who decides how we should live our lives is a pertinent one and by your presence here and your open and poetic writing, I hope that you will continue to help people learn that there are so many ways to live a life and not all are easy but require understanding and courage. You do have friends here and I am hoping that it won't be long before we have our first Fell Poetical Society get together.

[Hes]

POETRY.

GOD to his untaught children sent

Law, order, knowledge, art, from high,
And ev'ry heav'nly favour lent,

The world's hard lot to qualify.
They knew not how they should behave,

For all from Heav'n stark-naked came;
But Poetry their garments gave,

And then not one had cause for shame.

Goethe 1816.

So perhaps that's why we can be a shameless lot on this thread?

Nice one MossDog! Here's to further shameless moments

[Nathaniel Lee]

Thankyou Hes it was meant with sincerity and it would be great to have a poetical society meeting. It is quite difficult to explain to someone that what might seem to be a normal life is entirely manufactured by the medical profession because it is safer for me. Does that make it right ?. Would it be better to burn twice as bright for half as long ?. There really has to be some degree of selfishness in any decision one could make. It would either mean
the 'patient' being totally selfish or their family being so {although the family would not see it that way.} probably better to have a facsimile of an husband,father and son than the original for less time. I fight with wanting to do the right thing and the safe thing everyday. I don't think i can say that i am truly the whole of me because of the price that comes with it. Sometimes with the poetry it helps get these things off my chest.

[Hes]

Thankyou Hes it was meant with sincerity and it would be great to have a poetical society meeting. It is quite difficult to explain to someone that what might seem to be a normal life is entirely manufactured by the medical profession because it is safer for me. Does that make it right ?. Would it be better to burn twice as bright for half as long ?. There really has to be some degree of selfishness in any decision one could make. It would either mean
the 'patient' being totally selfish or their family being so {although the family would not see it that way.} probably better to have a facsimile of an husband,father and son than the original for less time. I fight with wanting to do the right thing and the safe thing everyday. I don't think i can say that i am truly the whole of me because of the price that comes with it. Sometimes with the poetry it helps get these things off my chest.

Poetry is a remarkable medium for working things out and I just wish I had a better capacity for it but I find other ways with my artwork. I can't pretend that I understand what it is like for you but I think that my empathy has grown through your presence here on the thread. I know two people that are bi-polar and recognise some of what you say in their comments. To live with the constant knowledge that you have to make such a choice every single day must be torturous. I am just so glad that Freckle had the foresight to start this off and provide us with a place to exchange not only poetry but ideas about life.

[freckle]

The fascination of what's difficult

The fascination of what's difficult
Has dried the sap out of my veins, and rent
Spontaneous joy and natural content
Out of my heart. There's something ails our colt
That must, as if it had not holy blood
Nor on Olympus leaped from cloud to cloud,
Shiver under the lash, strain, sweat and jolt
As though it dragged road-metal. My curse on plays
That have to be set up in fifty ways,
On the day's war with every knave and dolt,
Theatre business, management of men.
I swear before the dawn comes round again
I'll find the stable and pull out the bolt.

Yeats

[Harry H Howgill]

Well TM. What a nice post to find first tonight. I'm glad you feel amongst friends here.

Friends.

You know it feels great to have friends like you,
Writing poems each night for our enjoyment,
Freckle,Hes,HHH and many more too,
It makes me happy when kind words are sent.

It is not easy for me to make any good friends,
People get scared of what they don't understand,
I realise my disorder doesn't help to these ends,
Like anyone else it's nice to be part of this merry band.

I just want to tell you all what you mean to me,
I need to let you know your special place in my heart,
When i am writing with you is when i'm most free,
For our friendships i hope this is the start.


By Matt Harmston.

[Harry H Howgill]

Well that's brilliant: Freckle, the human poetry encyclopedia strikes again.

Oh my god...that's it! That's it! I cannot believe it Freckle. Thank you so much. I have searched for that for probably about 20 years but had no idea who the author was or what it actually said. I just knew that when I listened to it, it made me weep and totally summed up how I felt. The impact of the words has stayed with me for all this time. Seems we are definitely on the same wavelength. Thank you again.