TREASURES IN THE DARK

I feel so much pain and deep is my fear
I am all alone and no-one is near.
What have I done to deserve this fate?
Someone please help me before it's too late...

I stand alone close to the edge,
Head in my hands I start to retch.
I cannot cope, I am now too weak
I can no longer cry, I can no longer speak.

I have tried so hard but it's all in vain
I have lost it all, don't want to start again.
I want to give up - it feels like the end
No fight in me left, my life cannot mend.

     But hey!  What's that?
     A small voice inside
     Says think again
     Before you decide!

     Remember your friends who will always care;
     Remember your family who will still be there.
     Learn to accept the love they give -
     Hold out your hand and fight to live!

     Reach deep in your soul and answer that prayer
     Look around you - so many who care.
     Ask for help and have faith in your friends
     They've always been there and can help make amends.

     Have faith in yourself, let God pull you through,
     He's here with you now in all that you do.
     You can never go wrong with him by your side
     Call on him now and turn back the tide!

I listen to that voice all alone on the brink,
In a world far away I start to rethink.
A glimmer of light in the darkness appears,
The fog starts to lift, the shadows to clear.

I stop to draw breath.  What does this mean?
I've come this far, not as bad as it seems....
Why am I here?  What have I done?
Is it really so bad that I have to run?

I stop for a moment and think of others -
Lots of suffering amidst our sisters and brothers.
What of the hungry?  What of the poor?
What of those hurt, bleeding and raw?

There are far too many much worse off than me,
Their lives trapped in misery, waiting to be freed.
I want to reach out, to share in their grief
To offer myself and give some relief.

I open my eyes, my courage starts to grow;
I find the strength to make a difference which shows.
I hear God's call deep in my heart
I know now is the time to play my part.

I had to feel loss, be pained and chastised
To know what its like so I can now empathize.
It's part of a plan I need to discern
I have opened my mind, willing to learn.

In the dark of the night, in the depths of despair
I have found love and hope which will always be there.
To be good for others and to make my mark
I needed to find those treasures in the dark.

© CJC - 02/2012


"I wondered why somebody didn't do something, then I realised I was somebody" - Anon

"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something" - Anon

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light" - Norman B Rice