By Rosie Hart

a mum

bought me a green journal 

she had written on the first page 

‘you are made of the same thing as stars’ 

That saved me once

a friend 

lay beside me in bed

held me till I slept

She saved me once

a flatmate 

cooked me food 

made sure I was fed

It saved me once

a stranger 

in the park had thrown a ball for their dog at the top of a hill and the dog kept bringing it back to her but wouldn't drop it close enough to her feet so the ball kept rolling back down and the dog would chase after it in endless circles and when I walked past the owner turned to me and smiled and said ‘easy day at the park for me eh?’ And I laughed. On the way home the sun was setting. I was able to stand still and watch it for the first time in what felt like forever. 

I want to save others. Everyday. Everywhere. I want to smile at everyone in the streets in some manic lunatic effort to save them all from this big bad world that’s full of scary shit. It’s a start at least.