Andrew Mayden

A teacher I met here in China has been writing poetry and sharing it with his friends. I am posting it here with his permission.

To Those Who are Depressed

By Jack Kanoi

To be alive itself is an incredible gift pack
That’s filled with an assortment of joys
And each joy is also another gift pack
With a yet more amazing selection of toys.

But sometimes we forget all that we have
And give our attention to what’s amiss;
When our minds are seized with such desires,
We’re drawn into a whirlpool shorn of bliss.

The funny thing about us is our minds
Which can create heaven from hell;
But instead of trying to make things better
We let it throw us down a well.

We need to merely distance ourselves
A little from our errant minds
And instead of letting it lead us to hell
We need to watch how it winds.

Watching the thoughts that pass through our minds,
Makes the mind become subservient to us
So then it cannot run helter-skelter
And throw us under a running bus.

All we need to do when we’re down
Is to focus on what the mind is doing;
We can then begin to master the mind
And direct the course of whatever is brewing.

Good music, meditation and inspirational books;
Exercise, walking and the warmth of Mother Earth
Can all help us to bounce back to joy
And help us see what life is worth.

A silent prayer sometimes to what’s around,
Asking for help, guidance and care
Can lift us fast from our deep morass
And show how special we are, and rare.

Life is an occasion to celebrate a lot –
The joys, the beauty and much more;
So, please leave your worries far away
And fill yourself with joys to the core.