What’s hard is never knowing
What the day will bring
Will you scream in anger
Or dance and play and sing
There is no rhyme or reason
No safe path through the mines
Each day, never knowing
If things will turn out fine
These are not the memories
That any child should have
We want them to be smiling
We want to see them laugh
There is no erasing
The bell can’t be unrung
Just the chance to do things differently
And new songs to be sung
About the poem Storm and Silence
The poem Storm and Silence is about growing up with a parent with a mental illness. It’s not my story, but it is the story for many children. It’s not necessarily the story of abuse, but it is one of chaos and unpredictable behavior. Children live on the edge because they don’t know what circumstances will produce what outcomes. There may be some common elements, but it may be next to impossible to know how a day may play out. There can be high highs and low lows. And everything in between.
The key is to be aware of all of it. And try not to carry too much of it forward to the next generation. You may not have control of the first few chapters of your life. But you can write them going forward.
Poetry Books
Here are some of the books that are available from Robert Longley. I would recommend the Sacred Poem journals. Reading my earlier books (especially the ones for Military, Police and Firefighter’s families) cover to cover can be overwhelming. The poetry journals are designed to give you one poem per day while you journal about what might be going on in your life. There are specific journals for grief, success, and more.
Get inspirational poetry books by Robert Longley Here.
Inspirational Poetry Products
While I do signed poetry prints that are 11×14, that isn’t the size or product that all people want. Some just want a sympathy card, others may want a large canvas print, or maybe a coffee cup. There are limits to what I can customize with the options available so some products just don’t work. Please just ignore them, I know that that format doesn’t work. If you are looking for something specific, or would like to make something specific just let me know. I’m open to just about anything.
Get inspirational poetry products by Robert Longley here.
