Hope on the Horizon

By Claire Rowan

i’m going for a walk mum
i don’t know how long i’ll be
i’m going to the horizon
there’s some hope there just for me

how do I find the horizon?
will there be a great big sign?
do you know what hope looks like?
how will i know it is mine?

if i find some hope for you there
i will bring it back, you’ll see
we can share it with the others
we can finally be free

if i can’t find the horizon
then i’ll walk around the corner
i heard there’s hope round there too
that might make my walk shorter

i might end up in a forest
and won’t see the wood for the trees
but i’ll try not to miss the boat
or end up on my knees

i’ll cross each and every bridge, mum
i’ll just go and get my coat
we can ride this storm together
even in our different boats.

I have written poetry for many years, usually when I feel sad or confused. I’ve written so much more than usual in the last year! It helps me to make sense of things that don’t make sense and I enjoy sharing them with my friends and knowing they’ve helped them, even a little bit. I have had a few poems published in anthologies too. I write funding bids for a national charity in the UK and love the creative side of my job. I have a beautiful family and precious friends, who I appreciate so much more than I ever have before.