Directions For A Dangerous Day

“Directions for a Dangerous Day” is a spoken phrase poem by Canadian poet and author Shane Koyczan, from his eBook of poetry Our Deathbeds Will Be Thirsty. This poem is an extremely impactful piece that explores key “directions” to get by means of a foul day or any exhausting time. The poem highlights the necessity to attain out for assist when struggling, and emphasizes that there will likely be individuals who can assist you and pay attention. The poem sheds gentle on the significance of remembering that there can nonetheless be gentle amidst darkness, there can nonetheless be that means amidst battle, and pleasure amidst loss. Grief and gratitude can coexist and don’t want to remove from one another. Actually, permitting opposing feelings to coexist could make life even richer. Koyczan’s poem is an uplifting reminder of the right way to get by means of darkness and keep in mind that there will likely be gentle.

“Know that now could be solely a second, 

and that if at the moment is as unhealthy because it will get,

perceive that by tomorrow, 

at the moment may have ended.

Be gracious.

Settle for every prolonged hand supplied to tug you again from the someplace you can’t escape. 

Be diligent. 

Scrape the gray sky clear.

Understand each darkish cloud is a smoke display meant to blind us from the reality, 

and the reality is, 

whether or not we see them or not – 

the solar and moon are nonetheless there and at all times there may be gentle.”

Later within the poem, Koyczan continues:

“There will likely be unhealthy days,

occasions when the world weighs on you for thus lengthy

it leaves you on the lookout for a straightforward method out.

There will likely be moments when the drought of pleasure appears endless, 

cases spent pretending that all the things is all proper when it clearly isn’t.

Examine your blind spot.

See that love continues to be there; be affected person. 

Each nightmare has a starting, however each unhealthy day has an finish.

Ignore what others have referred to as you. I’m calling you buddy. 

Make us comprehend the urgency of your disaster.

Silence left to its personal gadgets, breeds silence.

So communicate and be heard.

One phrase after the following, categorical your self and put your life into context – 

when you discover that nobody is listening, be loud. 

Make noise. 

Stand in poise and be open. 

Hope in these conditions isn’t sufficient, 

and you will have somebody to lean on. 

Within the unlikely occasion that you don’t have any one, look once more. 

Everyone seems to be blessed with the flexibility to pay attention. 

The deaf will hear you with their eyes. 

The blind will see you with their fingers.”

To listen to Shane Koyczan learn the complete poignant poem Directions for a Dangerous Day, click on right here. 

Picture Credit:
Function Picture: Richard George Davis, used with artist’s permission.