Celebration of National Poetry Day

National Poetry Day was the annual mass celebration on the first Thursday of October (this year it was on the 6th) that encourages everyone to make, experience and share poetry with family and friends. Each year people come together because voices, words and stories help to bridge understanding in communities.

The day generates an explosion of activity nationwide, thousands of amazing events across the UK – on doorsteps and at kitchen tables, in gardens and streets, in schools, libraries and public spaces both online and offline – all celebrating poetry's power to bring people together.

The aims of the day are:

• To showcase new voices and celebrate diversity.
• To promote the vital role that poetry plays in all our lives – poetry has the power to bring people and communities together.
• To foster love of language and the sharing of poetry.

In the spirit of the above, we would like to share an extremely moving poem that was written by one of our clients who attended a financial capability training course that we ran a couple of years ago. The lady in question had found herself in debt and expressed herself in verse in a way that is hard to imagine being so powerful in any other format.

Debt makes me feel

Trapped, lonely and isolated
Feeling like there's no way out.

Angry at myself
Arguments at home with those closest to me
Making us desperate, depressed and suicidal
Because of the guilt and the shame.

If the sentiment in this poem resonated with you and your circumstances, then please do not hesitate to contact us - we may be able to help.