Where Do I Belong

Where do I belong?

Asked the zebra, with one less black stripe than his pack,

watching the others blend in with the shadows,

while he shimmered in the sunlight, just a little off-track

Where do I belong?

Wondered the cleaner, who drew algebra on the whiteboard at night,

her equations erased by the morning’s routine,

her brilliance hidden, just out of sight.

Where do I belong?

Sighed the prisoner, reading library books for the fiftieth time,

building worlds in his mind behind cold iron bars,

dreaming of freedom in rhythm and rhyme.

Where do I belong?

Whispered the girl on the playground,

as laughter and skipping rings echoed around,

her feet frozen in the grass, heart pounding with hope,

longing for someone to notice she’s found.

Where do I belong?

Wondered the gymnast, her body bending further than the rest,

earning applause for impossible shapes-

but nursing silent aches deep in her chest.

Where do I belong?

Sighed the girl in the bathroom stall,

her cheeks flushed with worry and shame,

grateful she packed spare pants that morning-

finding courage in small acts, surviving the day just the same.

Where do I belong?

Breathed the artist, whose colours spilt wild and free,

painting emotions that others can’t name,

longing for someone who simply can see.

Where do I belong?

Thought the dreamer, whose mind raced faster than most,

chasing ideas like shooting stars,

always ahead, but never quite close.

Where do I belong?

Wondered the woman with words tumbling out,

her thoughts racing faster than she can say,

blurting out truths, her laughter too loud-

watching others step back, as she wishes they’d stay.

Where do I belong?

Whispered the woman at dawn,

as tears finally fell for the one she had lost,

three years of silence buried under towers of books-

now mourning the love and the time that it cost.

Where do I belong?

Wondered the mother, fondly watching her two wild boys climb and leap from the counter,

her laughter echoing through the kitchen,

while her heart quietly aches for a daughter she’ll never encounter-

her body whispering it’s time to stop,

even as dreams of pink dresses and braids softly drop.

Maybe we all are searching

for a place where our hearts can sing,

for a tribe that sees our stripes and scars-

and says, "Come in. You belong with us.

Exactly as you are."

Mental Health Awareness week - May 2025

• 1 in 4 adults in England will experience a mental health problem each year

• In 2023 there were 6069 suicides registered in England and Wales, the highest rate since 1999 (shocking statistic)

• Mental health services in England received a record of 5 million referrals during 2023, up 33% from 2019.

• The waiting list for mental health support is estimated at 1 million people in 2024.

If anyone is struggling at the moment or feels alone, like they don’t belong, message me or reach out to a friend, relative, spouse, colleague. Don’t feel alone, we all belong somewhere, you may just not have found your tribe yet!