Post by Susan Peabody on Oct 17, 2024 9:39:22 GMT -8
Songs of the Soul
On the Road to Recovery
Susan Peabody
Change is to human life
What the metamorphosis is to the caterpillar;
It is the inevitable cycle of life.
If there is no change, there is no life.
Introduction
This is a book of poetry that I wrote when I stopped drinking alcohol in 1982 and found my way to Alcoholics Anonymous. My journey has had its ups and downs, but I have been carried over the threshold from despair to joy and enlightenment, and I am now resting comfortably in the arms of God.
The Journey Begins with Sadness
The tears within burn and stain my heart.
Gather me into Your arms.
Feel the pounding of my pulse,
Like thunder echoing over the lonely hills.
November 1982
Addiction
Blinded by the flame of desire,
I could not feel the warmth at hand
Or be reflected in the glow of God’s light.
Goodbye
Oh, life so full of pain,
I turn from thee to seek peace and love,
With my Father who art in heaven,
Who is waiting to stroke my golden hair
As I lay gently in His arms.
Rebirth
You writhe till you die.
You pray, till you lay
In God's loving arms,
Awaiting new dawns,
When you feel, till you heal,
And grow, till you know,
The gain from the pain—
The new that comes from the old.
Recovery
Pulling my charred soul out of the fire,
With the help of a Higher Power,
I can but marvel at the beauty of my surroundings.
Now, I float on the wings of gratefulness.
I hold the hand of God
Who showed me the path to peace.
How quickly the tortured soul finds peace,
When the light of God
Shines a beacon upon the path to everlasting goodness.
Friends in Recovery
Through the mist,
Into the sun;
Step by step,
I cannot run.
I reached out
To touch someone.
Hands came back;
Here comes the sun.
Sparkling eyes,
Hearts of gold,
Words to strengthen,
Hands to hold.
The gift of love,
It comes to me;
My heart is full
And I am free.
A Brighter Tomorrow
Life may take a downward spiral
And overwhelm us for a while.
Pain may seem a way of life;
Endless moments filled with strife.
Gloom may settle in our soul,
Splitting that which once was whole.
And yet despite this painful rift,
There still exists a timeless gift.
The saving grace when all is gray,
God's promise of a brand new day.
The Eternal Child Within
You came to me one day,
Mysterious and old.
We spoke of your childhood—
Of the wind that blew cold
Across your path
In the winter of despair;
When you felt so alone
As if God wasn't there.
Then we played together
In the dim candlelight.
You were so happy,
All aglow with delight,
To have found your way home
To the one you adored.
Shown the way, of course,
By our Savior the Lord.
Now, my dear child,
My tender soul,
You bring me such joy.
With you I am whole.
For I am nothing
Without all my parts;
Without the sweet voice
Of my inner child's tender heart.
Apart from the Flock
When you were born, the heavens smiled.
You flashed a grin and stayed awhile.
You grew and grew; twas no surprise.
What lovely hair and sparkling eyes.
A sensible child, you turned out to be;
Strong within; inner eyes to see.
Compassion you felt, for those not so blessed.
You tended the flock; you even obsessed.
Then came the day, when you looked within,
And found the time to flow with the wind.
To find your life apart from the flock.
A life with yourself and your own inner clock.
And your life today is still grounded in love;
But now you've learned about love from above.
About loving God, and loving yourself too,
As well as those God sends to you.
God
You gave me life and nurtured my soul.
You prayed for me till I was whole.
You cried for me when I was in pain.
Your tears soothed my sorrow like life-giving rain.
I treated You badly, my anger unfurled.
You always forgave me, despite all I hurled.
Now I've found peace; my spirit is free.
From the depth of my soul, I want to thank Thee.
For I know what a burden I had to have been.
Yet somehow You loved me, despite all my sins.
Joan, my Sponsor
From the beginning you were there.
To smile and to nurture—to love and to care.
You held out your hand when I wanted to walk;
You taught me to speak when I wanted to talk.
When I triumphed in life, you watched with pride.
Your tears of joy you could not hide.
When growing pains came, you shared my sorrow.
You quietly said: “Look to tomorrow.”
Now—as the years slip by ever so fast,
I reflect now and then on the times that have passed.
And the tears flow free, washing over my smile,
As your face appears and I think for awhile.
What a precious gift you were to me.
You helped me to live; you helped me to see.
The Awaited Suitor
My heart pines away; I sing the blues.
I ask now and then: Where are you?
Are you real? Are you there for me?
When will I see you? When shall it be?
I face the horizon; I take Christ’s hand.
In great expectation, I look over the land.
Nothing happens, oh woe is me.
What shall I do? When will it be?
With tears in my eyes, I look up and smile.
Christ cups my face, and after awhile,
He softly speaks, and breaks the news:
"I am the One who was chosen for you."
"Can you love Me, year after year,
As you would have loved him if he had appeared?"
My face grew pale, and my body shook.
I took His hand, too frightened to look.
Then I agreed to give it a try.
My suitor was here; He had finally arrived.
Reflections
Love – it tears at me;
Then it fades and drifts away.
Yearning – how it haunts me;
Then finally rests unsatisfied.
Pain – it overshadows me;
From somewhere deep within my soul.
Kindness – to one and all;
This is too hard, give me an easier task.
Regret – it never leaves;
Then God forgives me and I am whole.
Acceptance – why do you allude me?
Stand still and embrace the situation.
Yesterday – what does it mean?
Nothing, it is always today.
Meaning – oh give my life meaning;
Seek God and meaning will appear.
Universal Woman
Daughter of woman,
Mother of woman:
You are the link
Between past and future.
Woman alone,
Woman among many:
Seek out the truth
Of your own identity.
Child of God,
Sister of mankind:
Let not your mourning body
Deter you from your quest.
Nameless soul,
Wandering in a timeless maze:
Be not afraid
Of your new beginnings.
Universal woman,
Smiled upon by all:
Your wounds will be healed
And you will stride proudly forth.
Passing It On
How far you've come; how wise you are.
Now hitch your wagon to a star.
Embrace yourself, and love God too.
Feel His love; it's not brand new.
This is your day, and you're the one.
You've seen the light; you're in the sun.
But don't forget, there's more to do.
Others will say, they want light too.
And you will be called, to give them a hand;
To welcome them into, this wonderful land.
Where peace is found, and happiness too.
Where you met God, and He met you.
The tears within burn and stain my heart.
Gather me into Your arms.
Feel the pounding of my pulse,
Like thunder echoing over the lonely hills.
November 1982
Addiction
Blinded by the flame of desire,
I could not feel the warmth at hand
Or be reflected in the glow of God’s light.
Goodbye
Oh, life so full of pain,
I turn from thee to seek peace and love,
With my Father who art in heaven,
Who is waiting to stroke my golden hair
As I lay gently in His arms.
Rebirth
You writhe till you die.
You pray, till you lay
In God's loving arms,
Awaiting new dawns,
When you feel, till you heal,
And grow, till you know,
The gain from the pain—
The new that comes from the old.
Recovery
Pulling my charred soul out of the fire,
With the help of a Higher Power,
I can but marvel at the beauty of my surroundings.
Now, I float on the wings of gratefulness.
I hold the hand of God
Who showed me the path to peace.
How quickly the tortured soul finds peace,
When the light of God
Shines a beacon upon the path to everlasting goodness.
Friends in Recovery
Through the mist,
Into the sun;
Step by step,
I cannot run.
I reached out
To touch someone.
Hands came back;
Here comes the sun.
Sparkling eyes,
Hearts of gold,
Words to strengthen,
Hands to hold.
The gift of love,
It comes to me;
My heart is full
And I am free.
A Brighter Tomorrow
Life may take a downward spiral
And overwhelm us for a while.
Pain may seem a way of life;
Endless moments filled with strife.
Gloom may settle in our soul,
Splitting that which once was whole.
And yet despite this painful rift,
There still exists a timeless gift.
The saving grace when all is gray,
God's promise of a brand new day.
The Eternal Child Within
You came to me one day,
Mysterious and old.
We spoke of your childhood—
Of the wind that blew cold
Across your path
In the winter of despair;
When you felt so alone
As if God wasn't there.
Then we played together
In the dim candlelight.
You were so happy,
All aglow with delight,
To have found your way home
To the one you adored.
Shown the way, of course,
By our Savior the Lord.
Now, my dear child,
My tender soul,
You bring me such joy.
With you I am whole.
For I am nothing
Without all my parts;
Without the sweet voice
Of my inner child's tender heart.
Apart from the Flock
When you were born, the heavens smiled.
You flashed a grin and stayed awhile.
You grew and grew; twas no surprise.
What lovely hair and sparkling eyes.
A sensible child, you turned out to be;
Strong within; inner eyes to see.
Compassion you felt, for those not so blessed.
You tended the flock; you even obsessed.
Then came the day, when you looked within,
And found the time to flow with the wind.
To find your life apart from the flock.
A life with yourself and your own inner clock.
And your life today is still grounded in love;
But now you've learned about love from above.
About loving God, and loving yourself too,
As well as those God sends to you.
God
You gave me life and nurtured my soul.
You prayed for me till I was whole.
You cried for me when I was in pain.
Your tears soothed my sorrow like life-giving rain.
I treated You badly, my anger unfurled.
You always forgave me, despite all I hurled.
Now I've found peace; my spirit is free.
From the depth of my soul, I want to thank Thee.
For I know what a burden I had to have been.
Yet somehow You loved me, despite all my sins.
Joan, my Sponsor
From the beginning you were there.
To smile and to nurture—to love and to care.
You held out your hand when I wanted to walk;
You taught me to speak when I wanted to talk.
When I triumphed in life, you watched with pride.
Your tears of joy you could not hide.
When growing pains came, you shared my sorrow.
You quietly said: “Look to tomorrow.”
Now—as the years slip by ever so fast,
I reflect now and then on the times that have passed.
And the tears flow free, washing over my smile,
As your face appears and I think for awhile.
What a precious gift you were to me.
You helped me to live; you helped me to see.
The Awaited Suitor
My heart pines away; I sing the blues.
I ask now and then: Where are you?
Are you real? Are you there for me?
When will I see you? When shall it be?
I face the horizon; I take Christ’s hand.
In great expectation, I look over the land.
Nothing happens, oh woe is me.
What shall I do? When will it be?
With tears in my eyes, I look up and smile.
Christ cups my face, and after awhile,
He softly speaks, and breaks the news:
"I am the One who was chosen for you."
"Can you love Me, year after year,
As you would have loved him if he had appeared?"
My face grew pale, and my body shook.
I took His hand, too frightened to look.
Then I agreed to give it a try.
My suitor was here; He had finally arrived.
Reflections
Love – it tears at me;
Then it fades and drifts away.
Yearning – how it haunts me;
Then finally rests unsatisfied.
Pain – it overshadows me;
From somewhere deep within my soul.
Kindness – to one and all;
This is too hard, give me an easier task.
Regret – it never leaves;
Then God forgives me and I am whole.
Acceptance – why do you allude me?
Stand still and embrace the situation.
Yesterday – what does it mean?
Nothing, it is always today.
Meaning – oh give my life meaning;
Seek God and meaning will appear.
Universal Woman
Daughter of woman,
Mother of woman:
You are the link
Between past and future.
Woman alone,
Woman among many:
Seek out the truth
Of your own identity.
Child of God,
Sister of mankind:
Let not your mourning body
Deter you from your quest.
Nameless soul,
Wandering in a timeless maze:
Be not afraid
Of your new beginnings.
Universal woman,
Smiled upon by all:
Your wounds will be healed
And you will stride proudly forth.
Passing It On
How far you've come; how wise you are.
Now hitch your wagon to a star.
Embrace yourself, and love God too.
Feel His love; it's not brand new.
This is your day, and you're the one.
You've seen the light; you're in the sun.
But don't forget, there's more to do.
Others will say, they want light too.
And you will be called, to give them a hand;
To welcome them into, this wonderful land.
Where peace is found, and happiness too.
Where you met God, and He met you.