Hill Therapy

This small portion of Wales, a lace of crags, boulders and scree

Of myriad sheep treadways across grass covered slopes.

A place of leisurely walks or lung bursting runs,

Or skin scraping bouldering and climbs with my son.

A place of true quiet to silence the soul,

To bring calm and restoration a repairing of mind

That brings grounding, a quiet a peace.

 

But when inner darkness descends with all its confusion

And vicious head swimming voices hate, harass and harangue,

Each vying for attention, shouting and howling,

Causing the darkest of dark thoughts to gather and crowd,

And mania to rise and drive me and push, 

So that life seems too difficult too painful to bear.

 

It is then that the hills give me perspective and space

To rest my mind and commune with their space

To push back with a vengeance the demons and dark

That subvert my thoughts with confusion and noise,

Distorting my feelings and twisting my mind

 

The tussocks and heather, the boulders and crags

Allow me to stop and take in the real world

To liberate my mind from manic distress 

And push back, push back bringing me back to the now. 

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Dafydd Davis, MBE