Anticipatory Growth

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POETRY FOR INCLUSION

Newness sprouts in the garden
beckoning excitement and expectancy
for another year, another season

to sow our faith
to hear our prayers
to forgive our vices

to heal our pains
to shine our lights
to see our worth

to write our poems
to sing our songs
to paint our thoughts

to feel our laughs
to taste our joys
to speak our truths

to hug our friends
to love our neighbors
to value our children

to control our tongues
to challenge our beliefs
to pick our battles

to mature our hearts
to strengthen our minds
to renew our souls

to release our past
to embrace our present
to dream our future

Dr Clark is an outpatient psychiatrist at Prisma Health-Upstate and clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville. He served on the American Psychiatric Association’s Task Force to Address Structural Racism Throughout Psychiatry, and he currently serves as the Diversity and Inclusion section editor and advisory board member for Psychiatric Times^TM. His newest books are Positively Haiku: Illustrated Affirmations in 17 Syllables and Positively Haiku 2: Peace, Love, and Discovery in 17 Syllables.