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