When staying at Broadway Lodge, clients will be involved with a wide range of therapeutic activities in addition to one to one counselling and group therapy. This often means that new interests and hobbies are found and old talents rediscovered.
A flair for creative writing re-emerged for a client who recently left treatment. They have written two poems to express their thoughts and feelings which can be read below. The first, called ‘Ungiveable Gift’, was written for their medallion and was read aloud to peers before leaving treatment. The second, ‘Player 1’, was created on a day when they were feeling low.
We very much enjoy reading these and are grateful to be able to share them with others who we hope enjoy them as much as us.
Ungiveable Gift:
The silence and calm that pre-empts the day,
As the sun rises up from the horizon.
The chill on my bones and the warmth inside,
As another sober day rolls around.
The sound of the birds as they search for a mate,
A cacophony of longing from the trees.
As I close my eyes and think what could be,
I realise it’s now me that I love.
Centred and grounded, determined and driven,
I will always remember this place, these people
That have passed me a gift that can’t be given.
Through meditation and Tai Chi
I’ve found new things that ground me,
I’ve gained an understanding I thought out of reach.
The things that we do here are beyond explaining,
We go through things you cannot teach.
It’s an exercise of love and forgiveness,
And I have truly forgiven myself.
I want to thank each and every one of you,
Who’ve helped remove this expired life from the shelf.
Player 1:
From shunned, lonely and cold,
To accepted, happy and bold
My journey has been one of fear.
Fear of loss and acceptance,
Of anger and shame,
My life had proven to be an unwinnable game.
I still played it often, at least pretended to take part,
But I couldn’t read the rules, so could never make the start.
I cried out for company, for another willing player,
But I just don’t understand these rules for life,
Which adds another shameful layer.
Some have come and heard my call,
They came and rolled the dice.
But little did they understand,
To play with me bore a heavy price.
There is no-one left to play with.
Everyone has had enough.
It was time to write my own rules,
It was time to get tough.
I grabbed myself a pen,
I sat down and I focused.
I wrote down my own rules for life,
It’s now a game for many.
A game of freedom, people and truth,
A game of fun and laughter.
It’s taken me far from my dark place,
And I can now live happy ever after.
