Give Me a Second: Changing Perceptions Inspirational Poetry

By Brenda Keough

This book is a very powerful read and also very empowering. Writing the book in poetry form is an amazing idea and interesting way to get the storyline across to its readers.

The author is brave for sharing her story with the readers and allowing us to experience the pain and suffering that she had to overcome as an injured worker to become the woman she is now.

Misdiagnosis happens more than we think, this book will empower young women and men to speak up and stand up for their rights to proper medical care. Silence is not golden, and each poem is meant to help society learn and stop this from continuing to happen to others now and in the future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543450637

Brenda Keough

Brenda KeoughAka Giggles the Poet, was born on March 5, 1963. At the age of twenty-two he had an accident (a broken rib-upper back) and was misdiagnosed with rhomboid muscle strain. In 1985, she began what she calls her walk though medical madness. A road that left her fighting for her life, accumulating losses and heartache while fighting for her rights to respectful medical care and respect from a corrupt Workers Compensation system. Brenda found her way out through her writing which gave her a voice and a way out of the mind maze that was created. Youll see many faces of human misery, and find a spirit that never stopped fighting for justice. Dealing with broken people and systems. She is now a Counsellor and Consultant, advocate, motivational speaker helping mend the minds of many. She lives in Toronto with her partner Steve and cat Princess.

Book preview

My Thirty-Year Cross

Pain has many faces

And so many are still blind to mine

Doctors teach me how to work with pain

Then I’m condemned by these same people gone blind

I’m carrying a thirty-year torch for my freedom

And as I walk away from this heavy cross

I will put it back upon your shoulders

That’s the heavy weight that I carried from my thirty-year loss

Take your eyes and raise them to heaven

Then turn around and look me in the eye

You made me fight hard for my beautiful life

You tore my soul apart when you took my second child

I will walk proudly away from this thirty-year battle

But, with a small bit of advice I will give

Remember how many injured workers you took down over the years?

How many torches you put out, when they fought hard to live

Now, raise your eyes to the beautiful heavens

And feel your weight upon the ground?

Then turn and look me in the eyes once again

That’s the weight that I carried from my thirty-year crown

I can say I forgive, because you gave me more courage

And for the last thirty years, God has kept me alive

And as I walk out of my prison, across this beautiful earth

I will have an army of angels steadfast by my side

Transformation

I have crawled through life on bloody knees

I’ve reached for dreams and failed

My mind was dark, my body broken

By someone else’s nails

I climbed back out of purgatory

And made isolation my home

I learned to stand and think a thought or two

I learned to crawl forward on faith alone

When I thought about my lot in life

That’s when I recognized my flaws

Then, I ended all my strife, it seems

By breaking all society’s laws

Lord, my mind is finally mending, and now I too

Take my place in this beautiful earth

I can say I’ve learned the greatest lessons of life

And I’ve come full circle witnessing my own rebirth

I have no excuses and I changed the story

So, you need not know of my past

Because, God gave me the courage to face life without fear

And ride each challenging tiger that comes into my grasp

All I Ever Wanted

All I ever wanted was a home

A place to feel secure and not feel all alone

But, all I ever saw was cruelty and pain

This I can erase from my heart and I will never feel it again

All I ever wanted was a place

Where I could laugh without fear, not hide my smile, or face

But, all I ever knew was always taken

Each time I fell to the ground, I would rise again a little shaken

All I ever wanted was some peace and calm

A place where I could be myself, know who I truly am

All I ever knew was strife and war

Where so many tried to keep me down, but cannot anymore

All I ever wanted was a friend

Someone who would see the real me, and plan life to the end

All I ever wanted was to know

If the voices that whisper upon the wind will ever let me go

All I ever wanted was a break

Instead of me turning away, this time I will partake

Because, this is my life and all I want to do

Is rebuild it with a strong foundation and have my dreams come true

Darkness

Night settles into darkness

With blackness we can’t see beyond

But when a soul is lonely

The night and darkness seem too long

On shooting stars we make a wish

For each dream we hold close to our heart

But when a soul feels adrift

Those dreams seem so very far apart

A soul floats in the darkness

The morning seems so far away

But holding wishes, holding dreams

Gives us strength to face another day…

Chapters

These are chapters of life you see

For some, they are reality

For most, they can’t erase the pain

Or stop their tears that fall like rain

These are people you might know

They hurt inside but can’t let go

Some stop their life while some go on

With hope that they will see a better dawn

Some people can only take so much

Of each false lie, or each false touch

Then they hide inside their mind

They give up life and leave with time

These are chapters of life you read

For some they make it, some succeed

And for those that do they’ll always know

That as our sorrows come, so shall they go….

If I Die

Lord, if I die before the dawn

Help those I love to carry on

I do not want my life to cease

But if I die, I die for peace

I sit here Lord, so full of pain

When I reach out, it’s not to blame

No one hears my cry, because if they did

They’d look for more ways to help me live

Lord, if I’m dead before the dawn

Please mend their hearts, help them be strong

Tell those I love that it’s for the best

I’m tired of the pain, and now I’m finally at rest…

Some People

We come in many shapes and sizes

Some lie a lot, some wear disguises

Our colors range, as does our race

We will gather memories we can’t erase

Some people have parents of their own

And, that is something some have never known

Each person we meet throughout the day

Will stay with us, or are sent away

Our struggles differ, as does our need

Some are greedy and some succeed

Some reach out, some close the door

Some are selfish only wanting more

After all, that’s done or said

Some walk through life, their soul is dead

Because they never took the chance to grow

They’ll never learn from what others know…

Make The Most Of

Make the most of how you live

Don’t just take, but learn to give

Don’t be judgmental, don’t be cross

Reach out to help those that are lost

Make the most of every breath

You’ll learn from life, as well as death

You can rise above the feasting greed

Learn each day, you will succeed

Make the most of each sunrise

Be yourself without disguise

Make your mark, trust in each step

Because, what you reach for you will get

Life

In the distance, the thunder roars

While the cold, rain continues

The grass comes alive, flowers shine bright

As does the dreams live deep within us

Family and friends come into our lives

They help us grow and build dreams together

And life will change from day to day

With it comes such stormy weather

Our fears become a daily word

That lies unspoken in our minds

But, we must fight to overcome

Fear that takes all our time

God planted his angels like flowers

And through storms we’ll stand straight and tall

We might feel beaten once or twice

But we will never fall…

Window Of Our Soul

Through the window of our soul

Where eyes may never look beyond

Through this window, we will see

How souls can wander and never be found

Through the window of our soul

We learn of things we shouldn’t see

With this knowledge, we will know

That we can conquer and let go

From the window of our soul

We see the world in perfect grace

From this window, strength grows strong

To help get us through all that we must face…

Dreams

Dreams that wake you up at night

Dreams that make you scream in fright

Dreams they’ll get you in the end

Dreams are not your friend

Something wakes you up at night

Fearing everyone in sight

Something is tearing at your mind

Something that’s not kind

Something wakes you up again

Something is driving you insane

You try to scream, to wake up fast

But something has you in its grasp

You shiver, sweat and run outside

But, have no place that you can hide

For in this world some dreams come true

And there’s nothing you or I can do…

Labels

It takes one to put a label on

From then on, more will wonder

It takes one to tear lives upside down

From then on many more will blunder

It takes one to start a war with words

From there on you will not get past

Because what others read, and what others see

Are judgments that will make your nightmare last

It takes one to put a label on

It takes one to turn the rest away

With just a label and with just a word

No one hears the words you have to say

Broken Hope

Lord, this noose around my neck keeps getting tighter

And the ones who put it there have gone away

When I look up to heaven, I begin to ponder

How will I survive this maddening pain another day?

Each day I’m breaking, but that doesn’t make a difference

The eyes of cruelty are black; they’ve gone blind

I’m still caught up in a medical war that I must