At the root of insanity
Is having too much time on your hands--
Too much time to think--
Too much time to remember past hurts
And to wish things could be different.
Too much time spent alone,
Staring at these four walls
With too much time to think,
To remember past hurts
And to wish things were different.
Got to rid myself of this insanity.
I'll busy myself with a flurry of activities
And seek the companionship of others.
They´ll tell me time heals all wounds,
But for now I'll still cry--
When I have too much time to think
And remember past hurts,
Wishing things are different.
--Jo A. Witt
Copyright 1994
WHEN I'M HURTING
It's easier for you to walk away, than it is for you to reach out to me.
It's easier for you to look away, than it is for you to see the depth of my despair.
It's easier for you to look through me, than it is for you to see "me."
It's easier for you to distance yourself, than it is for you to really care.
It's easier for you to hear, than it is for you to listen.
It's easier for you to judge, than it is for you to understand.
It's easier for you to label, than it is to get acquainted.
It's easier for you to bask in your joy, than it is for you to feel my pain.
It's easier for you to bewilder at my mysteries, than it is for you to probe deeply into the depths of my soul.
It's easier for me to look away, than it is to let you see the feelings betrayed through my eyes.
It's easier for me to cry, than it is for me to talk.
It's easier for me to walk alone, than it is to risk rejection.
It's easier for me to push you away, than it is for me to be held.
It's easier for me to distance myself, than it is to trust that you won´t hurt me.
It's easier for me to die, than it is for me to face life's challenges.
It's hard for me to smile when I am hurting.
It's hard for me to talk when you won't understand.
It's hard for me to reach out when I need help the most.
If only you'd really look at me and see who I am.
If only you cared enough to reach out when I push you away.
If only you'd hold me, without asking why.
If only you'd acknowledge the validity of my feelings.
But it's the easy roads that are most often taken.
And so I hurt alone.
--Jo A. Witt
Copyright 2000
WHO WILL CRY?
If tonight I die,
Who will cry?
Strangers with their feigned interest,
While those I love have turned away.
And if my best isn't good enough,
What more can I give?
Go ahead--walk away.
Just leave me here alone.
And if tonight I die,
Who will cry?
All my strength is drained,
With nothing left to give.
Drowning in the depths of sorrow,
No tears left to cry.
A silent voice and distant eyes
That no one hears or sees.
And if tonight I die,
Who will cry?
--Jo A. Witt
Copyright 2002
IN MY SHYNESS
In my shyness . . .
At times I retreat to my "shell,"
Clinging to the security of being alone.
In my shyness . . .
I may attempt to merge with my surroundings--
To be ignored, unnoticed, a silent voice rarely heard.
In my shyness . . .
I can feel completely alone,
Although surrounded by people.
In my shyness . . .
I'm perceived as having a padlocked soul--
And few try to gain entry into my realm.
In my shyness . . .
Few will dare venture to really know me--
To hear my quiet voice or to really try to understand.
In my shyness . . .
I can have a myriad of words to say,
Yet, my sealed lips will not release them.
In my shyness . . .
The words I do speak will at times be jumbled,
And I'll feel worse for having spoken them.
In my shyness . . .
I will be viewed as "stuck up" and unfriendly,
Labeled by the presumption of a troubled past.
Yet, despite my shyness . . .
I will at times emerge from my "shell,"
And you may catch a glimpse of who I am.
And despite my shyness . . .
I may put on a good "front,"
Disguising my innermost insecurities.
Despite my shyness . . .
A select few will manage to penetrate these "walls,"
With the sharing of time and the evolving of trust.
My shyness . . .
Frequently unrecognized, seldom understood--
A shackle, a haven, a veil.
--Jo A. Witt
Copyright 2001
JUST HOLD ME CLOSE
(Lyrics To A Song By Jo Witt)
Verse 1:
So I'm feeling low again
And nothing seems to turn out right.
And where are friends when you need them?
I'm lost and alone again.
Won't somebody help me?
Just show me that you care.
Help me up when I'm feeling down.
I can't do this on my own.
Where are you?
Chorus:
Just hold me close
And don't ask me why.
I don't want to talk about it,
I just want to cry.
Just hold me close
And don't ask me why.
You are the best friend I know.
Verse 2:
There's no greater pain than
To be hurt by a friend.
Abandoned in my darkest hour
by one who said he cared.
Now my heart is breaking
With pain throughout my soul.
Yearning for a caring heart
To see my desperate need.
Where are you?
CHORUS
Bridge:
Just reach out to me.
Just reach out to me.
Can't you see me?
REPEAT CHORUS (WITH KEY CHANGE)
You are the best friend I know.
Just hold me close.
--Words and Music
Copyright 2003 By Jo A. Witt
Visit Jo Witt's Music Web Site to download and listen to this song and others:
CLICK HERE
Permission is granted to share the above poems (but NOT the song)
for non-commercial use, provided the author's name and
corresponding copyright year are included. Use of these works in any other manner is prohibited and WILL result in legal action, prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
These works are protected by applicable
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INSPIRATION
Don't Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit--
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns;
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won, had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.
--Leo Piggott, 1931
It's In The Valleys I Grow
Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.
If I always stayed on the mountain top
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.
I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountain tops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.
I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.
My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.
Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.
Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.
Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know
The mountain tops are glorious
But it's in the valleys I grow!
--Author Unknown
Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.
--Ecclesiastes 7:3
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
My Declaration of Self-Esteem
I AM ME
In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me
Everything that comes out of me is authentically me
Because I alone chose it - I own everything about me
My body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions,
Whether they be to others or to myself - I own my fanatasies,
My dreams, my hopes, my fears - I own all my triumphs and
Successes, all my failures and mistakes
Because I own all of Me, I can become intimately acquainted with me -
By so doing I can love me and be friendly with me in all my parts - I know
There are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other
Aspects that I do not know - but as long as I am
Friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously
And hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles
And for ways to find out more about me - However I
Look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever
I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically
Me - If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought
And felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is
Unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that
Which I discarded - I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do
I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be
Productive to make sense and order out of the world of
People and things outside of me - I own me, and
Therefore I can engineer me - I am me and
I AM OKAY
--Virginia Satir, (C) 1975
Found in Virginia Satir, Self Esteem, Celestial Arts: California, 1975
I Am
I am a worthwhile person.
I am entitled to be who I am.
If you can't accept mu as I am,
Then you are not worthy
To be a part of my life
To ignore or reject who I am
Is your loss.
I deserve uncompromised devotion.
Anything less is unacceptable.
If you can't view me
As the treasure, the prize
That I am,
Then forget it--
I am worth more than that.
There will be others
Who will recognize
The worthiness of who I am.
I am who I am
And I am a worthwhile person.
--Jo A. Witt, (C) 2001
Why Me Lord?
Why me, Lord--must I suffer
With so much terrible pain?
Why me, Lord--does it happen
Just over and over again?
Why me, Lord--am I being punished
For some unjust I have done?
Why me, Lord--when there are others
Am I singled out to be the one?
Why me, Lord--I just can't understand
And I know I shouldn't question you.
Why me, Lord--is there something special
In my life you want me to do?
My child, I'll never overburden you
With more than you can bear.
My child, I'm always near you
Though sometimes you think I'm not there.
My child, I'm using you to witness
That through Faith and Love and Prayer
You can overcome your burdens.
Take my hand. It is always there.
--Lila M. Farr
Tough Time Don't Last
I said, "Sometimes I fail."
He said, "I'll see you through."
I said, "But what if I fall?"
He said, "I will carry you."
I said, "My fears are great!"
He said, "Trust Me alone."
I said, "But I´m depressed."
He said, "I'll cheer you on."
I said, "Life isn't easy."
He said, "Please let Me help.
Remember, I love you."
I said, "Lord, I accept."
--Perry Tanksley, 1986
HOPE
It is HOPE that sustains us
When life seems too tough.
HOPE for a brighter tomorrow,
The HOPE that in time
Things can and will get better.
With God, there is always HOPE
Because He has the power
To change things for the better.
Tough times are opportunities
For spiritual growth.
If God is for me,
It doesn't matter who is against me.
But if God is against me,
It doesn't matter who is for me.
Cling tightly to HOPE,
Draw near to God,
Grow in patience,
Life can and will get better.
--Jo A. Witt, (C) 2001
The world is there
for those who say
I am
and do not hide behind
I could have been
if only.
--Linda Freeman
Alive Now!, July/August '84
When I have everything,
God is nothing.
But when I have nothing,
God is everything.
--Jo A. Witt, (C) 2002
You have seen me tossing and turning through the night.
You have collected all my tears and preserved them in your bottle!
You have recorded every one in your book.
--Psalm 56:8
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
O my soul, why be so gloomy and discouraged?
Trust in God!
I shall again praise him for his wondrous help;
he will make me smile again,
for he is my God!
--Psalm 43:5
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
In my distress I screamed to the Lord for his help.
And he heard me from heaven;
my cry reached his ears. ...
He reached down from heaven and took me
and drew me out of my great trials.
He rescued me from deep waters.
--Psalm 18:6, 16
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
he has not despised my cries of deep despair;
he has not turned and walked away.
When I cried to him, he heard and came.
--Psalm 22:24
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
you have listened to my troubles
and have seen the crisis in my soul. ...
I was trusting you, O Lord.
I said, "You alone are my God;
my times are in your hands. ..."
Hide your loved ones in the shelter of your presence,
safe beneath your hand,
safe from all conspiring men. ...
I spoke too hastily when I said,
"The Lord has deserted me,"
for you listened to my plea and answered me.
--Psalm 31:7b, 14, 20, 22
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
My eyes are ever looking to the Lord for help,
for he alone can rescue me.
Come, Lord, and show me your mercy,
for I am helpless, overwhelmed, in deep distress;
my problems go from bad to worse.
Oh, save me from them all!
See my sorrows; feel my pain; forgive my sins.
--Psalm 25:15-18
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
--Isaiah 40:31
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
Job is an example of a man
who continued to trust the Lord in sorrow;
from his experiences we can see
how the Lord's plan finally ended in good,
for he is full of tenderness and mercy.
--James 5:11b
"The Way" Living Bible, 1972
A Prayer of Hope
Father, I struggle sometimes to recognize Your presence
As I go through life's struggles.
Yet, I know You have Your purpose for all things.
I am so short-sighted when it comes to this life thing.
But I know that You can see the future
And that You have a plan for my life,
A reason for all things I've endured in my life,
And that You can use it all for good.
It would be easy to become self-absorbed,
To be bitter toward You and all who've hurt me in my life.
Or I could use those struggles for Your good--
To live my life in service to You
By walking with the downtrodden,
Reaching out to those who are hurting
And offering them caring and understanding
That can only come from one who has also struggled,
Endured hurts, and found hope beyond challenging circumstances.
And I know that this life is but a moment in relation to eternity.
So, please heal all present and past hurts
And enable me to have a forgiving heart
So that when I stand before You in judgment,
You truly will in mercy forgive my imperfections--
Made possible through confession, repentance
And believing in the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ--
And You will say "Innocent," as I have dreamed that You would.
And that having devoted my life to uplifting others
Will have been worth it all
Just to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Then I will truly know that all I've endured in my life
Has served a purpose.
That You can work all things for good.
And there is peace and deep-seated joy
That can only come from the hope
That my struggles need not be in vain.
And that my ultimate future
Can be incredibly wonderful beyond words.
In this is my hope.
For this I devote my life.
And with You I entrust my future.
Amen.
Jo's "Proverbs"
Life is an adventure,
Limited only by one's willingness to venture.
Status quo is a very comfortable boredom.
Labels are a suffocating box,
Clipping one's wings their abilty to fly.
Belief is the foundation of possibilities -
One is only limited by how far they believe they can
climb.
When the spirit leaves, the stuff remains.
Love ignites positive energy,
The strength of which is limitless.
Where there is love, wings soar.
The hardest person to escape, is yourself.
The hardest wounds to heal, are the hidden ones.
In truth, there is trust, without which love falters.
Happy experiences are happier,
When shared with a friend.
A true friend doesn't chart the course,
They journey along beside you.
There is great healing in an apology.
Life is hard and not for the faint hearted.
Fairness, like perfection, is an illusion.
Love of others stems from loving one's self.
Beauty is found in simplicity.
Uncertainty is a heavy anchor,
Disabling the ship.
Keeping record of wrongs, shatters hearts.
Free of control, value is lost.
By climbing high, one can see far.
A heavy heart, cannot fly.
A hug can fuel one on to greater wonders.
The spirit dances, when the heart is free.
--Jo A. Witt, (C) 2007
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