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Everyone Suffers

Everyone Suffers - a poem by a Sycamore Tree learnerHere is a poem called everyone suffers:
The offender, the victims, the community and others.
The ripple effect goes on and on,
It’s hard to restore and the process is long.

Wish I could turn back time for the things I done wrong,
Reconciliation—it’s time to move on.

From a broken home, hard life from the start,
All I wanted to do was get money fast,
From drugs, robberies, driving nice cars,
Look at me now, doing years behind bars.

Everyone suffers, not just me.
I want to say sorry to the victims and the community.
Sorry to my children and my family,
Because everyone suffers, not just me.

Now I’m looking forward to a new way of life,
Getting a job, being with my kids and wife.
Healthy and productive, no more crime,
Finally taking responsibility for mine.

While incarcerated in HMP
So glad I done Sycamore Tree.
The things I’ve learnt will stay with me,
Especially everyone suffers, not just me.

 


Mark (not his real name) wrote this powerful poem as his symbolic act of restitution on a recent Sycamore Tree course. We asked his permission to share it with you.

“I can honestly say that I never had as much satisfaction when I worked as I do now as a volunteer.” — Arthur, Chaplaincy Support volunteer

Volunteer with PF

Volunteers are the life-blood of our organisation, and what they do in the lives of those in prison and as they pray, is incredibly valuable. If you are looking to use your time to support some of the most marginalised people in our society to transform their lives, then volunteering could be for you.

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