Here are some of the creative works of our particpants in the Step by Step project. We're proud to publish their work and achievements and hope you enjoy reading their poetry:
Haikus
tick tock goes the clock
another restless night for me
I long to dream just to feel free
tick tock goes the damn clock
By Stephen Jeffery
The berries are ripe.
The long winter is over
The sun shines all day
The smell of salt air
Throngs of people sunbathing
The sparkling sea waves
I enter the woods
The sun blazes through the trees
Spirits are lifted
The birds are singing
The stag stands proudly ahead
Nature is gorgeous
Calmness is the beach
The waves crash onto the shore
Salt is in the air
By Ellen Whittington
Shane
Shane, my inspiration my friend
Stood by me for everything
Memorable times past and present
Never lose hope
Overwhelmed by fear and cancer
Reassured me life is worth living
Never lose hope with Shane
By Matthew Smith
Father
My father was wise
I did not know it then
Now it comes to me
By Kevin Sappleton
Cinquain poems
Sun
life death
warm orange shine
gives life to everything
precious
Flower
colour scent
vivid bright bees
brings colour to everything
plant garden wild
People
good bad
friendly teaching knowledge
sometimes good for company
group
By Stephen Jeffery
Drugs, Mental Health and Me
When I think about using drugs it is usually because something has upset me or triggered my mental health. The things that upset me are: arguments with other people, thinking about how low I am at the time and peer pressure.
When I use I get a buzz which makes me feel all happy and also I don’t feel low any more. The feeling usually lasts for about an hour or so.
After using I then have a come down. This makes me go to a really low place which is really hard to describe. When I am on my come down I am easily annoyed and irritable.
After the come down I go into a dark hole. In the dark hole there is no light and I can’t find a way out. It makes me feel anxious, frightened and my mental health deteriorates rapidly.
A few days later after some sleep, irritability and low mental health I start to pick up and get better. I see light, I venture out of my room and speak to people for the first time and I start taking my medication properly again.
I finally start talking to staff at my accommodation about my experience on drugs. This comes with the details of who I took the drugs with, what happened when I went really low into the dark hole and what I am going to do to try and stay off of drugs for the future.
By Ellen Whittington