Broken can be beautiful

On days when I feel sad and blue

And everything seems bad

I want to crawl back into bed

Can't see a way past sad

There's war and famine everywhere

Nature screams in pain

People dying, children crying

The whole world's gone insane

There's trauma here and heartache there

Why's everyone so cruel

We're all people with feelings

Yet we act like we're too cool

There's cost of living, college debt

No pay rise coming soon

Can't get in to see a doctor

Until sometime late in June

The dating world seems scary

To my bruised and battered heart

I fear that they'll abuse me

If I even give a part

My friend just wants to end it

She's been sick for many years

The doctors shrug their shoulders

And she leaves their rooms in tears

Yes life is grim and gruesome

It's no picnic or parade

So how do I keep going

In this crazy, life charade?

Instead of thinking 'bout

All the things I didn't own

A house, a dog, a partner

That new expensive phone

I started giving thanks

For the good things in my life

Fresh air, good friends, my job

The peace amongst this strife

I started seeing sunsets

And smiling at the show

Those vibrant pretty colours

Told my sadness where to go

And flowers in the garden

Birds up in their trees

Singing for me daily

The calm buzz of the bees

The fresh crunch of an apple

The crust of new-baked bread

A dance class at the club

My soul was being fed

The time to do my writing

To walk in local parks

To dine out with a friend

And hear about their larks

That changed everything for me

For beauty is a salve

Friendship is a tonic

They ease that pressure valve

Life is still no picnic

The blue days haunt me still

But now I search for glimmers

And my cup, they do fill