To the Volunteer

[Jasper Brush]

The first poem I posted ‘To the Volunteer’ was rubbish; repeated words, bad punctuation and spelling, mixed tenses, first and third persons, and bad grammar—the lot.
Here is the revision, if it really matters. It is not ABPA orientated.

The Poem;
To be inscribed inside a ‘Thank You’ card.
Maybe John Sands.

A Thank You to Volunteers

My world is unforgiving, and maybe, no one wants to know;
In truth, my life’s a struggle, and depression is the foe.’
That’s why my friends and enemies are forever in my life;
one bestows me comfort— the other— anxiety and strife.
A friend will hold my hand when I’m troubled and with fear
the foe clouds my thoughts and makes my reasoning unclear.
In eternity my past mistakes cannot be changed to good
I have wrestled with my demons and did the best I could.

There are those, whom I honour when my platitudes unroll,
they listen to my stories about, age and illness, and its toll;
their aim is to seek those, like me, in sickness and distress;
then tread the path of righteousness to do their very best
to help and guide my life, and others, in suffering and pain
and with friendly soft words -- raise a simple smile again,
and fulfil my strength for living when I find it hard to cope;
these undaunted workers of compassion, love, and hope.


Jasper Brush




ORIGINAL

To the Volunteer

My life is unforgiving and no one wants to know;
of why I’ve have to struggle against the maybe and the foe.
And why the friend and enemy are simple in my life;
one gives me solace and comfort the other gives me strife.
There is one to hold my hand when troubled and with fear
and the other to challenge what I cherish and hold dear.
Bad things I’ve done, can’t be resurrected to turn to good
and I wrestled with my demons and wish to change I could.

But one, I honour, with feeling, and comfort of my soul;
Is a new awakening daybreak where my platitudes unroll,
and find unselfish courage to aid a stranger in distress;
and tread the path with utmost strength and do my best
to aid, and comfort the life, of others, in suffering and pain
and with a friendly soft word -- raise a simple smile again
and bring sunlight to those lives that find it hard to cope;
an undaunted silent worker, of compassion, love and hope.


Jasper Brush

[Jasper Brush]

The revision.


A Thank You to Volunteers

My world is unforgiving, and maybe, no one wants to know;
In truth, my life’s a struggle, and depression is the foe.’
That’s why my friends and enemies are forever in my life;
one bestows me comfort— the other— anxiety and strife.
A friend will hold my hand when I’m troubled and with fear
the foe clouds my thoughts and makes my reasoning unclear.
In eternity my past mistakes cannot be changed to good
I have wrestled with my demons and did the best I could.

There are those, whom I honour when my platitudes unroll,
they listen to my stories about, age and illness, and its toll;
their aim is to seek those, like me, in sickness and distress;
then tread the path of righteousness to do their very best
to help and guide my life, and others, in suffering and pain
and with friendly soft words -- raise a simple smile again,
and fulfil my strength for living when I find it hard to cope;
these undaunted workers of compassion, love, and hope.


Jasper Brush

[Maureen K Clifford]

You got it sorted John - I confess when I read the first one on WD it sounded so unlike the work you normally do that I thought you were perhaps on a downer or not well - but that revision seems to be sparking on all cylinders again. Very good.

Cheers

Maureen