Stranger

I am a stranger in this world

Alone and confused

No sense of belonging

I have nowhere to go

Nowhere to be

And no people to see

I wander the streets alone

A faceless person in the crowds

No one to notice who I am

My dreams are unknown

My words never heard

As no one will listen to me

My heart is empty and broken

No one to fill it with love

I am unknown and unwanted

I sit on the park bench

Watching the people pass me by

They never stop to notice me

People ignore me

Pretend I am not here

They just walk on by

‘Here I am’ I shout

This falls on deaf ears

No one hears my call

I am unknown in this world

A stranger and a wanderer

No one knows my name

What can I do, what will it take?

For people to stop and listen

To once just ask my name

A few words that’s all it takes

A smile, a nod or a wink

Just to make me feel alive

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2016

Three Words

They were more than just words

They changed my life

Brought me heartache

And a long process back

Three words, just little words

So many phrases made up of these

Some meant to heal the pain

And others to bind hearts

It’s amazing how these words

Can leave us feeling different

Some can leave you paralysed

Fighting for a breath

Three little words

Not that many

But laden with meaning

Bringing grief to the soul

It is a long fight back

But progress has been made

And hopefully in the future

New three words will be said

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2016

Through the Fear

Be still

Be confident

Be assured

Have no fear

You are loved

You are looked after

So do not stress

Just remain still

No one is perfect

People do slip up

And go into despair

Even those full of faith

John was full of the power

Yet still despaired in the dungeons

Darkness prevailed

In the worst of moments

John doubted

He asked questions

But he was loved

And hope was conveyed

The enemy stole the hope

And replaced it with fear

But the angels brought hope

In a message of faith

It’s important to be still

To be quiet and listen

And hear the quiet voice

Of He who calms our storms

We have been set free

So leave behind the fear

And embrace the power and love

That has been bestowed on us

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2016

The Past, The Present & The Future

The trouble with life is

There are three areas

The past, the present

And the future

Which one do you live in?

We try to live all three

In any given day

We get stuck in the past

And worry about the future

All while living in the present

We live in the past

Remembering the good times

But also never forgetting the bad

We can get so stuck there

Which can stop us to grow

We live in the future

Worrying about what may happen

Will I be lonely?

Who will look after me?

What is, or isn’t going to happen?

We need to live in the present

Live one day at a time

Savour our friendships

Appreciate what we have got

And be thankful for the opportunities

Yes the past is important

We can use our mistakes

To learn and to grow

We can use the happy moments

To make ourselves smile

Yes the future is important

But it is still to come

Why worry over what might be

When we can live.

In what actually is occurring?

So learn from the past

Pray about the future

But live in the present

Enjoy what you have got

And love those around you

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2016

The Gift

You gave me a gift

Which I freely took

Making mistake after mistake

But always knew

I would be forgiven

However it still pained me

I lived with the guilt

Which only means,

That the gift you gave me

Wasn’t fully accepted

I am sorry for my ignorance

For living with a closed mind

Yet still an open heart

I selfishly received

But never freely gave

I need now to change

To realise how wonderful

The gift I have been given

That mistakes made

Are freely forgiven

I need to now see

What grace really means

Yes, it’s a gift I’ve received

But it’s also for me to be

To forgive those who have hurt me

Forgiveness is hard

Yet I have been forgiven

Seventy seven times seven

So why is it hard?

For me to fully forgive

I need to start afresh

To wipe the slates clean

To treat other people

With the grace I’ve been given

And to love anew each day

Jo Anne Kennedy

July 2016