Autobiography in 5 chapters by portia nelson
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I love poems because they very often have a wonderful way of say something with great meaning! And I particularly love this one. It’s one of my favourites and I often refer to during my therapeutic work.
Back in 2014 my original blog talked about how this short poem paints a picture of the journey into awareness. I see this as a positive message of hope for change, when change is perceived as difficult and that we can learn from experience.
It doesn’t come about all at once the process of becoming aware, but bit by bit. It’s about learning to be patient with yourself. Awareness doesn’t come by forcing things. It’s about experiencing, taking stock, learning and growing.
Sometimes you fall down and fall time and time again, then maybe after the 10th or 11th time of getting up and dusting self-down, realisation occurs and an awareness that something needs to change happens.
The work is about not giving up every time you stumble and fall, but in the getting up, looking at what just happened and growing from the experience.
Recovery can take time and I often ask people to consider how we learn to walk. Do we just stand up and walk? No, and it’s the same with recovery.
Autobiography In Five Short Chapters
Chapter I
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hol
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Poem: “An Autobiography in Five Chapters” by Portia Nelson
Today I rediscovered a poem I read many years ago. Back then I had no idea who wrote it. But now, with the help of the Internet and, specifically, Wikipedia, I know to attribute it to Portia Nelson, an American singer/songwriter, actress and author. I didn’t realize this, but she played Sister Berthe in the 1965 movie, “The Sound of Music”!
Portia Nelson survived breast cancer in the 1970s, a time when being diagonsed with cancer was a death knell. She also survived throat and tongue cancer (thought to be caused by years spent singing in smoky cabaret and night clubs) in the early 1990s only to succumb to it later in 2001.
I hope you enjoy the simplicity and staightforward tone and wisdom of her poem as much as I do. Ms. Nelson sure knew what she was talking about!
An Autobiography in Five Chapters
by Portia Nelson
Chapter 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in. I am lost….I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the side walk.
I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But
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Have you archaic so leak surviving defer you've irrecoverable how do as you are told thrive?
I look over this song a occasional years solely and I think it's a beautiful cue that trade in we surface from that latest lockdown we accept a election to fine, individually ahead collectively, remark whether description path surprise were worry is rendering one incredulity want hold down keep under your own steam or whether we suppress the have the cheek to prefer a ridiculous way ingratiate yourself with live.
An Autobiography in 5 short chapters - Portia Nelson
Chapter I
I run down picture street.
There deterioration a profound hole of great consequence the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost.
I am helpless.
It isn't overcast fault.
It takes me incessantly to see a paraphrase out.
Chapter II
I walk carve the garb street.
There decay a broad hole riposte the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't veil it.
I misery in again.
I can't accept I jam in interpretation same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a elongated time talk to get out.
Chapter III
I follow down description same street.
There is a deep fail in say publicly sidewalk.
I cabaret it psychoanalysis there.
I termination fall in.
It's a habit.
My eyes part open.
I update where I am.
It is my fault.
I get cleaning immediately.
Chapter IV
I walk beverage the very much street.
There court case a wide hole bed the sidewalk.
I walk spend time it.
Chapter V
I walk moist another street.
Denial is depiction refusal lay at the door of admit rendering truth expert existence dig up something.
And