Let your Pain be your Inspiration

Let your pain be your inspiration

from the past, let it write above

your present situation

out of a heart of love

see it break the binds that hold

let the words you shape

bring hope and sincere aspiration.

Let your pain be your inspiration

unequivocally speaking truth

that fills your respiration

and bellows peace in ever emotion

where all around folks will see

you rise above the thought of demolition.

Let your pain

All that pain

be your inspiration.

O. Stephen Peart. 2020 © All rights reserved

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About this Poem

I remember wanting to be a songwriter when I was younger. I loved music and the power of melody mingled with lyrics creating a world where I could escape and fill safe. As I attempted to write at the age of 9, I found myself crumbling paper with the marks of a few words that just did not make sense. In frustration I asked my dad how can I write songs. He said, “Read the Bible”.

That’s all I remembered and for over 10 years I never wrote. Then one day, the pain was unbearable as I came from a place of silence and feeling incapable of speaking up or out for myself. I’d faced accusations, humiliation, belittled, and often seen as unable to stand up for myself. It was in that moment, sitting on my bed from around 9pm until around 3am in the morning I started writing. Every bit of pain I was feeling came out on the paper through the pen I held in my hand. Since then I’ve not stopped writing. I wrote Let Your Pain Be Your Inspiration to affirm that experiencing pain can be directed in a way that gives release and allows us to express ourselves with renewed meaning. Let Your Pain is part of the Speak Life Series. A production of Released Expressions.

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O. Stephen is passionate about words and believes that words can Inspire Change, Connect People, Perspectives and their Stories to create new possibilities. A published author and founder for Released Expressions Publishing, he writes daily to experience the power of the written word. He fosters growth through listening and learning to shape perspectives and bridging ideas.

He believes every individual can attain their full potential by Starting with a Word. O. Stephen is leading a movement to inspire people to Release their own Expressions. It is this vision that drives him daily to see others realize their superpower and deliver at work, home and play every day.

An avid Toastmaster and a member of the Toronto Writer’s Collective (TWC), O. Stephen carries his badge as a Mental Health Advocate. These offer him the motivation to stay grounded and be committed to serving the community. He is a dad to two (2) amazing girls. He is driven each day to live a life of gratitude and that’s just how he seeks to end each chapter. #1T518