I wrote this poem when I first started attending Al-Anon, and I was extremely disappointed in the life I had with my husband. Since I have left him, I am no longer depressed. But I ran across this poem and wanted to share it.

Out in the cold and crying for years....

Crying inside, where no one hears my tears.

I see up from down here to the world that's outside.

I'd much rather live than merely survive.

Would it even matter if I fell apart

To anyone other than those in my heart?

I used to be a butterfly fluttering in the dark

Somehow this world seems flatter.

How do people thrive in a world so hard and cold?

Lonely people drifting, some find little love to hold.

No warmth to breathe in. Hardened heart and muffled soul.

Once you lose that sense of wonder, well, you know you're getting old

...and tattered.

Help me open, Lord, the eyes of this old heart once again

To feel the rush of newfound love come crashing in....

Help me regain that sense of wonder, let a renewed faith begin.

While I remember all I learned from you before to help a friend.

Lord, it matters.