I stepped outside on this warm day
I had to go for milk
My neighbour Gerry offered a lift
God bless folk of his ilk
He’s kind but I declined
Only going up the road
But I smiled as he drove on
So good to live beside
People you can rely upon
And here today the good Lord
Opens wide his arms
To point to mothers brothers
Amidst this world’s alarms
Those who do the will of God
Are family to me
Those who walk in kindness
They are really free
Lemn Sissay
He say to me
We are family
Lancashire born and bred
He found the words in his head
To reach across divides
To show the man who hid inside
The lonely homeless child
And Gabor Mate teaches me
In these latter days of mine
How trauma in our early days
Distorts the world’s sunshine
We need to see the hurt that’s done
Respond to people’s pain
Then we all can brothers be
In Burns’ sweet refrain
Brian Fahy
19 July 2022
+ Lemn Sissay’s story is eloquent testimony to the vital and powerful effect of loving family in childhood.
+ Gabor Mate’s life experience and teaching reveals to us how childhood trauma causes us to adopt all kinds of self-protection in our behaviours and addictions. I remember discovering Stoicism for myself as a way of surviving seminary. I would be neither happy nor sad, but indifferent to all things around me so as to avoid emotional and psychic pain.
+ Jesus teaches us today about the true family of God, beyond our natural families, when we do the will of God in our lives and so connect with one another in loving kindness.
Erris Poetry 