CreativeWriting


Creative Writing



Words to inspire us and others; provoke


thought & generally add something


to your day

Just Like You by Lauren Smith

I want to have a close friend,
I want to enjoy my studies at college,
I want to live independently in the future,
I want to achieve my ambition of attending university,
I want to fall in love and experience a romantic relationship,
I want to get a good job,
I want to be happy and successful,
Just like you!
I want my voice to be respected,
I want my ideas to be appreciated,
I want to experience the wonder of the world,
I want to explore natural beauty at its depths,
Just like you!
So, the next time you want to discriminate, 
victimise or isolate a person with autism,
Please remember we are just like you,
Deep down – the same as everyone else,
We just act differently on the surface!


Meet Me Halfway by Lauren Smith

You don’t understand the depths of my emotion,
When you push me into doing things I feel uncomfortable with.
You don’t truly understand the intensity of the anxiety I experience,
So, don’t say that I don’t meet you halfway.
To walk down the street with bustling crowds and flashing lights,
To sit in a class full of commotion and chaos,
To sit in the canteen, desperate for friendship, a sense of belonging,
Causes me immense anxiety and makes me urge to escape.
At college, I have to mask my personality,
Battle my constant fears,
And try to act up to any expectations you set,
And you have the audacity to say I don’t meet you halfway.
I might be lucky – I have all that I need.
But when my anxiety and negative self-talk overflows, I crumble.
Obviously, I’m lucky – autism is a gift, a treasure, something to be proud of,
But I struggle immensely with almost everything you take for granted.
Look at how far I’ve come,
I’ve survived the shudders of secondary school, got through prom,
And started college all on my own.
Would you rather me make continual but gradual progress, or do you want me 
to fail and break down under pressure?
There’s all or nothing in my world – it’s called black and white thinking – 
struggling to read between the lines,
I either do something I feel happy and content with or I do absolutely nothing at
all.
So, when you push me into doing something: role plays, presentations, a work 
placement...
I refuse and break down, simply because it’s overwhelming; how do you expect 
me to cope?
I know you think you know how to help me; you work in the field of inclusive 
practise,
But actually, you don’t know me – I am an individual with autism.
I am the only one who knows what’s best,
You don’t know me – but I do! Don’t try and put words into my mouth – trust me
– it doesn’t work!
My knowledge probably comes across as intimidating,
I’ve researched the condition endlessly.
I’ve devised a set of my own coping mechanisms, 
What works for one child with autism, probably won’t work for me – recognising
individuality is the key!
Socialising is draining – exhausting and overwhelming,
To say hello to a friend is just as hard for me as starting a job is for you – 
daunting and frightening,
I have less social energy than you to start with,
So, imagine, how tired I feel by the end of every day – any additional stress and 
anxiety causes a shutdown – this causes an inability to function or communicate 
at all.
I may be socially inept, considered as unsociable,
But, sometimes your social skills can be just as poor,
I don’t think you realise how excruciatingly difficult it is for me to make friends 
at the best of times,
It becomes near impossible to develop a friendship with added pressure.
The frustrations I experience continually, on a day to day basis, may seem 
unimportant to you – ridiculous maybe,
You can block out the world whenever you want – I can’t,
I am constantly trapped in a world which seems isolating, confusing and 
demoralising – I feel deflated.
Yet you feel you can make comments, like ‘you’re not meeting me halfway.’
Some may say I’ve been sheltered, protected from the world,
I’ve felt secure for too long,
Well, I’m now in the outer world – being thrown into the deep end,
And I’ve instantly realised one of the most important things.
I’ve said it before and will continue to say it until the message is clear,
Autism is a spectrum condition, but not every person on the spectrum is the 
same!
The fact is often missed as people with autism share certain traits,
Honestly, we all have different needs and one box doesn’t help us at all – we 
don’t want to be categorised into what you see as the ‘norm’ or ‘correct way of 
society.’
I am a person with autism – I am human and I have feelings,
I have a voice and a right to express my own valued opinions,
So, next time you imply you want me to meet you halfway,
Question your knowledge beforehand and consider how making unfair, 
judgemental, detrimental comments will help me cope.
I will continue to fight for my rights – I’ve fought from the second I was born,
I believe, I should be respected and my differences embraced,
My needs challenged but at my own pace,
My positive contributions and achievements should be acknowledged for one 
and celebrated for another.
I think you should start listening to my voice, quiet but fierce,
And meet me halfway!
Don’t discriminate or stereotype – just accept and support me, in the suggested 
ways!
Autism awareness is a highlight for me,
No matter how many books you’ve read, videos you’ve watched or people you’ve
spoken to about the subject,
If you haven’t walked my long trudge of a path,
You don’t have the true understanding of the disability.
That’s right – I have a disability,​
A hidden disability, where guilt, shame, upset, anger and anxiety threaten to 
trickle through, when I’m overwhelmed,
My life is a battle – a rollercoaster – a challenge,
So, maybe you should, for once, meet me halfway!​ 



I Have A Voice by Lauren Smith

Presumptions defining autistic people are incorrect,
The stigmatism surrounding the condition is demoralising,
We need to join together to bust the myths,
And show the true colours of the autism spectrum.
I have a voice,
Everyone has a voice,
We should all have the opportunity to communicate,
Communication is essential; a vital skill for survival in the socially orientated society. 
Just because I’m autistic, 
It doesn’t mean I am incapable of hearing what others say, 
understanding language, decision making or expressing myself.
I can use words to tell you how I feel,
But at states of high anxiety, overwhelm or frustration, I turn to poetry.
Please do not talk about me behind my back, 
for I can hear the whispers you attempt to hide.
Please do not discuss my life with others before I give my permission;
I have the same rights as anyone else.
Please do not assume I don’t understand what you say, my strong intellect allows me to 
comprehend more than you can imagine.
Please do not assume I am voiceless, because I’m autistic.
I may be painfully shy at times,
But my thoughts are loud and fierce. 
When I talk, people are either shocked or just disregard my voice,
“Was that a whisper from the lonely corner I just heard?”
I can speak for myself and educate others – using my voice,
Before you make assumptions or judgments, you should listen... listen to my voice.
Maybe if you listen, 
You’ll discover the depths of a mystical world,
You’ll capture and embrace my emotions,
You’ll learn something new about the wacky world we live in,
And I might just listen to you.
Hear... Listen... Understand,
The accumulation of our thoughts is probably greater than yours,
Trust me, if you listen to the autistic individual, you will learn.
We should stand to give a voice to the voiceless – we need our voice to be heard... 
You need to listen. 

Is This is Me (which “is” do I take away)
by Anonymous

You’re so confident, got it all sorted out.
You know so much, there is no doubt
You have the answers, you know what to do
You know what to say, you’re always so you
Strong, resilient, grounded and calm
Ensuring we’re heard and come to no harm
posting the quotes and talking the talk
encouraging others to walk their own walk.

So that’s what you see on the outside of she
Do you dare travel deeper to find me.
Open wounds and a thousand sticky plasters
Cleverly covered, with that I have mastered
Blindly driving through a Painful darkness
Numbed feelings and an empty starkness
Triggers and traumas ready for fight
Fear and anxiety begging for flight
External pain in exchange for rest
Bleeding, bitten thumbs again re-dressed
Self-hatred and shame want to joint in the game
Self-worth sits smugly at the table
Pull up a chair, lets have you all there
Let’s find her another great label
Have I mentioned shame, no not yet
How about the feeling of permanent threat
Or my unhealthy outlook on all thing’s food
And how hurt and self-hate affect my mood
Childhood traumas and PTSD
This is the darkness that sits around me
Body dysmorphic, and dyslexia too
Anything else can come joint the queue
The offshoots of these, like branches on trees
Are feeling that rip through my core
I fall out of bed with the feeling of dread
From the nightmares that make my head sore
I look in the mirror to make up my face
And pretend not to hear all the chatter
Like disgust and despair are having a race
But if nobody knows, does it matter
All through the day those thoughts like to stay
Like draw-fulls of clutter and junk
And I bat them away with a shield made of hay
With the hope that I haven’t yet sunk.

But there’s something inside, I find I can’t hide
I’m resilient and I am quite strong
I’m funny and kind and I own my own mind
And have courage to keep going on
My days aren’t all bad, and that I am glad
My family and friends are the best
My Husband is great, my trusted soul mate 
And Mother nature, makes me so blessed
so, when my darkness lays its hat down to stay 
I just remind myself, I really am ok
 


Nothing to do in Clevedon by Rachel Dark

“There's nothing to do in Clevedon"
Perhaps I'll take a stroll?
And search for fun and fulfillment in a town so quiet and dull.
I'll walk along the hillside and look out across the bay
I suppose it is quite lovely on a bright and sunny day?
I'll push on through the woodland in search of something new
But what's that in the distance slowly coming into view?
A lake that sparkles brightly, full of songs as children play
And a promenade of others doing nothing with their day
And there she stands so graceful as the day that she was born
A pier so proud and stoic that has weathered every storm
I'll find myself a place to rest, to relax and drink in the view
And marvel at a town so old that can still feel brand new
A lesson learned today, and now something to believe in
- Is that there's nothing quite like having "nothing to do in Clevedon"



Standing Next To Suicide

They were always so happy who would've known?
They had so many friends and never alone

If he'd looked at me I would've said hi
But his head was down, couldn't catch his eye

I was busy I had to get home,
He looked distressed and I was alone

They had a wife and two kids, a house, a career
How could they leave all they held dear?

Everyday we stand beside them in queues
At the bus-stop, in shops
In the workplace, in schools

We're too busy to notice, too hurried to say
"How's it going?' "you Ok?" or even just "hey"

Don't be embarrassed, don't be afraid, there's no shame in saying "hey, how's your day?"

We all have a need for human connection
                 Every interaction can be the subtlest of intervention                     


New Life by BK Edwards

The cold seen through the mist.
Green shoots begin to sprout,
As more of us can get out.
We begin to come out of our hibernation.
As they start to roll out the vaccination.
Flowers bring back colour and cheer.
We start to feel that spring is here.
Reawakening our souls to life.
Breaking through the world of strife.
A new season
A fresh reason
To celebrate, new life.
Daffodils growing tall and bright
Herald the increasing Light.
Hope springs up into Easter.
As friends and families bubbles get together.
Celebrating new life and a new beginning.
As we have the sense of winning.
The battle is finished,
The war is won
In this new season, we can live again.
Be revived for hope is alive.
As the veil is lifted now torn in two.
When we finally get to meet,
May we appreciate the people we greet.
Learn to be grateful, thankful for what we have.
Take care of our minds, make time to relax.
May this season bring recovery.
As love begins to reach us, and friends come to meet up.
As love, kindness and hope come into view.
May this be the dawn of living anew.



The Healing Power of Nature 
by Sharon M

The Sun is always shining
Even when hidden by clouds

The tree trusts its roots to sustain it and
keep it grounded

The flowers bloom just when the time is 
right

The tree provides shelter without expecting
something in return

The water flows where the path leads it

The pebbles are shaped and refined by the
edges being knocked off

No worries or cares, no anger or frustration,
no tears no sadness, just trust in itself to do
what it does, when the time is right

Forecasts

There is no them and us
We’re all in this together
We’re just everyday people
Facing different weather
Those in the storm without a port
May struggle daily just to get by
Others, unaware,
May be gazing into blue sky
Don’t assume in your sunshine all see the light
Others are lost in the darkest of nights
Whoever you see whatever you do
Ask them…
“How’s the weather with you?”




The Phone by Rose Leader

Come on mate there's other people
 out here waiting 
to use the phone and it's 
just started raining. 
Blooming girlfriends!
Honestly, the number of times he's in there 
You'd think they would invent a personal 
phone he could carry round with him



Journey Forward by BK Edwards

Journey Forward by BK Edwards
As we make this journey forward,
Many obstacles along the way.
We need to learn to listen,
And also, to be heard.
We have to learn new skills,
And ways in which to cope.
We will come up against locked doors,
But beyond them there is hope.
Let's develop strategies,
and believe in ourselves.
So when we come upon a door,
we know how to cope.
Gather all that we have learnt,
No point leaving it to lay,
We need to take it with us,
And use it day by day.
So now we move together,
Empowered and in control.
Along the road to recovery,
for that's our ultimate goal.
Thank you for those that have listened,
And those that have understood.
And all who'll be there along the way,
As we make our journey forward.


A Fallen Woman

 ï»¿



I have fallen from grace, a fallen woman.

Fallen through the cracks, through the net there to save me.

I moved across the country to be here, where I knew no one. I fall.

“You are away from your abuser. Now carry on with your life”. I fall.

I brought up my children, they live their own lives. Independent, a credit to me. I fall.

After decades of abuse, I slip through the net. I fall.

Alone, exhausted, though not a victim. No, I am a survivor. Yet I fall.

 

“ You don't have young children, we can't help you”. I fall.

“ You're not on income support, we can't help you”. I fall.

“There are domestic abuse support groups”. They traumatise me more. I fall.

 

I am an older woman, invisible. I fall again, this time I am caught and held.

I am listened to and heard. I am held.

I open my eyes, I am held.

I look around and can see a way forward. I am held.

I am unsteady on my feet, I am held.

I take steps. I am held.

The path is lined with understanding, encouragement, support. I am held.

I feel calm, self-reliant, purpose, laughter, confidence. I am held.

I am valued. I walk. I am held.

I met people who are now friends. I can hold and am held.

 

I was a fallen woman, I fell through the net. Thank you We are Aware, I am held.


 

One woman dies every three days at the hands of their abuser or ex abuser in the UK. It wasn't until 2017

that women aged sixty to seventy four were included in the statistics. Women of every age should be

included.


Untitled

by

Anonymous II


My goodness!

What a radical and wonderful idea

Now you've put it like that, suddenly it's oh so clear!



Eureka! I see clearly now

The answer was so simple

The stars have suddenly aligned

And now begin to twinkle!


With no weight upon my shoulders

I am floating like a feather

Now I've taken your sage advice

And pulled myself together....




Untitled

 

by Anonymous



A girl so sick of being tired

of holding it together

began to build a fortress

to withstand the cruelest weather

the plans were drawn, the bricks were laid

the mortar set to harden

and thorny brambles overtook

her once abundant garden


Every guest had been rejected

and been banished from her door

and ships that passed too closely

all laid wrecked upon the shore

all invitations had been shredded

or were stamped "return to sender"

and knuckles bruised from knocking

on a door marked "do not enter"


The fortress stood for many years

never to crumble or give in

a symbol of protection for the little girl within

until the hurt began to fade and clearer was her vision

the child inside discovered she had built herself a prison


She stepped outside the fortress

to wander and explore

and found the sunlight hurt her cheeks

and her feet a little sore

she found the courage to walk on

to trust and feel again

and find some others walking similar terrain

she felt thankful for their company

and hopefully concluded

that perhaps there was a place for her

amongst the walking wounded


A place of understanding, where others felt the same

a place she saw no judgement when she called her beast by name

where she could roar and show her scars

and be met with love and care

where people give a knowing glance and whisper

"we are aware"


Some days her cheeks still blister when the sunshine burns too bright

and the fortress seems to beckon

when the demons come at night

yet here she stands amongst the rubble

of a fortress built from pride

no longer a lost and lonely child

for now she's found her tribe


Be Kind, Be Wise 
by BK Edwards

The average emotion lasts about 90 seconds. 
Then it gets driven by thoughts and perceptions.
We need break the cycle.
Use Wise Mind and imagine,
A different scenario.
A new image in our minds eye.
New ways to cope, not just get by.
We gain strength from our pain.
Change the pathways of our brain.
Be positive and make new friends.
Find acceptance and new perception.
Learn to let go of our problems.
Try Mindfulness and meditation. 
Learn to observe the small things.
Like the sun and seasons in nature.
Taking the focus away from the future.
Visualise a safe place in your mind, and go there.
When things lead you to despair.
Practice using skills even when you are well.
Encourage yourself, use affirmations.
Try to coach yourself to say positive things.
One day, you might even start to believe them.
So be kind to yourself, take one step at a time.
Try these new skills they could help change your mind.

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