Rich are the fruits of life,
Rich is the Tapestry we weave.

My life is full & rich,
Many people connect with me,
They tell me their Story,
People who need me, people who give to me,
People who teach and inspire me,

I live, I love, I Journey on,
My Journey of Self-Discovery,
My Life is my Responsibility,
I create the life I want,
The Formulae is simple,
Thought, Action, Deed,

Life is Rich but the core is Basic,
Like the Simple Threads which weave our Tapestry,
They come from Within,
From Stillness deep within the Self,
From Knowing the Self,
From the Power of Being,

Yes I am a Doer,
But first and Foremost a Be-er,

Constant doing is not living,
Headless chickens!
Meaningless, chaotic and inefficient,
leadin
g to exhaustion and loss of the Self,
Our Lives flash by in an instant,

Ill-health surfaces, trying to slow us down,
Wake us up, give us time to think,
to breath, to rest our exhausted bodies,
and nourish our dying souls,
But too often only death can stop us,
Death is our only power,

Yet Simply 'Being' presses 'Pause',
Being lets me Breath again,
Being gives me clarity & insight, To do what really matters and do it well,
Being gives me Strength & calm through any storm,
Making anything possible,
I have the key within myself,

The picture is ever changing,
Life happens, Life changes as the tide,
Up and down, to and fro,
I am but a student alert, aware and ready,
That is all that really Matters,
Being gives detachment,
Simply 'Being' gives Perspective,

So let not the tide sweep you under,
Let not death be your only Shelter,
Look Within yourself,
The 'Timeless Zone' is always there,
The Still-point,
The point of Nothing,
The Point of Everything,
The Self.

Sylvia Brown

Dedicated to my dear friend Ian White (-2nd May 1967-15th May 2001-)

Ms makes it's attack on me
Whack after whack, oh where can I flee?
My body feels weak, my movements so slow,
I duck and I dive to avoid the next blow,

It beats me up. I'm black and blue,
Nine rounds with Mike Tyson,
how many more can I do?
My body is numb, I start to shake,
Please Rescue me, I need a break!
But no one hears my desperate plea,
So I have to search inside of me,

I reach inside, what can I find?
A Will to Live and Strength of Mind,
I am so determined to Survive,
To Live my Life, to Stay Alive,

So this torture I must withstand,
With Faith I'll find a helping hand,
Deep inside myself I find a Strength,
To help me swim that extra length,
My stubbornness drives me from within,
To continue my search and Never Give In,

So I ride the storm. The skies WILL clear,
I KNOW that sunshine will appear,
And my sinking feet in the Quick-Sand,
Will find themselves on Solid Ground,
and Gingerly I'll get back on my feet,
For I will Never Accept defeat!

Sylvie April 2000

I feel like stones being ground to dust,
My weary bones so full of rust,
I feel my life out of control,
Battering my torn and tattered soul,
Forcing me just like a slave,
Onward to an early grave.

But in truth this will not be,
For ms is not the enemy,
Like an anchor in the dock,
My faith holds firm. I am a ROCK,
Holding me where I belong,
Alive, Surviving, Steadfast and Strong.

I reject old patterns. I will not be told!
I accept all that happens and release the old,
My mind often yearns for that easy 'quick-fix',
But I must resist for it doesn't exist,
Only courage, faith and patience pays,
In reality there are no easier ways.

I believe in success despite the ms,
The victim is gone the more I strive on,
Through thick and through thin,
I WILL NEVER GIVE IN!
Despite all the strife,
I WILL LIVE MY LIFE!

I now have a formula I add to each day,
My journey to WELLNESS to keep ms at bay,
The pathway is stony. I stumble and fall,
And often I meet what feels like a brick wall,

But from this path I will not stray,
I BELIEVE there will always be a way,
To stop the progress of ms,
And transform the diagnosis to 'God Bless',

So I ACCEPT all the tears and release all my fears,
And I cling to the rope that signifies HOPE,
I know I will bleed but I know I'LL SUCCEED,
I'll believe in fates plan and I'll pray all I can,

I will shine like a STAR for I have come so far,
A twinkling LIGHT to help others with their plight,
Ms may do it's worst but my bubble won't burst,
WHACK AFTER WHACK, I KNOW I'LL BE BACK!

I'll live my Life, and Laugh and Learn,
For like a ROCK my Faith is firm,
My Goal is high to become fully well,
I reach for the sky! Only time will tell.

So I'll live for today, ENJOY THE RIDE!
The rest is for God to decide.
I now BELIEVE ms will set me free,
And truly be the making of Me!

Sylvie Florida 2000

Fatigue, Numbness, paralysis,
Brain degeneration,
Praying for time,
Searching for someone,
Someone to be there,
Someone who'll love me,
Love the unloveable,

But all alleys are dead ends,
Men Runaway. It's only words,
Time always runs out,
No one can stop it,
No one can cope,
& I get what I dread,
Aloneness, Emptyness, Darkness,

I get torn into pieces,
No one understands,
They all have their 'Life Theories',
that I'm supposed to believe

But they don't have this do they,
THE RUTHLESSNESS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS!

Sylvia Brown, Summer 1998

You came to me a star so bright,
You lightened up my darkest night,
You gave me hope,
We shared such joy,
With you I'd cope,
Crazy I know.

I felt there was a plan to life,
A reason for the pain and strife,
I gave my all. I loved and lost.
Now yet again I pay the cost.

It was far to good to be true.
You came and went out of the blue.
My life's collapsed and you are gone,
And yet somehow I must strive on.

For Why? For What? I do not know.
The is no plan when life's so low,
All I wanted was a chance to love,
And help with God's great works above.

Yet my body is now trapping me,
What is the point? I do not see.
If I can't make the world a better place,
I'd rather leave but with God's grace.

In hospital I lay and ask God why?
He lets me cry and cry and cry?
What have I done that is so wrong?
I just want to float off and be gone.

Sylvie July 1997

I live in my reality,
What I see, what I hear,
What I comprehend,
'My Reality'

Change threatens my reality,
I am trapped by my comprehension,
I cannot comprehend,
I become lost,

I often breakdown,
In fear and confusion,
I become 'detached' from 'my reality',
but the 'act' goes on!

So I must strive beyond,
Change my reality,
I must become lost to find myself,
I must lose myself to comprehension,
...to comprehend further,
...to grasp a new reality,
...to extend my limits,

But how to extend the limits of others?
who will never reach beyond a simple reality?
Their fear will remain...
...Only to be beaten by my Courage!

Sylvie Summer 1996

-Calculator, Filofax, Ajax, Duster
-Pile of Books, discarded Stockings, Chewing Gum, burnt Toast

The Order in life is to live
The 'Disorder' in living is Life
Existance is Ordering the Disorder

Order Sharply and life becomes jagged corners
Penetrating, Harsh, Cold and Calculated...in a Box
One scrubs so hard....the friction burns
Life is worn away

Better to burn the Toast, Toast life
...and digest the consequences

Digestion requires the Chewing of Gum
The Hazard is Choking
Take too much and the Risk is High
The toast crumbles into dust....with no Form

The Stockings of discarded innocence
Used and Abused....disintegrate into Chaos
....a Random Path....travelling far...
but leading no where!

The Ajax may not scrub it clean
The Files will always exist
Get up! Dust yourself down!
Calculate the meaning in your head
Express the thoughts with illustration
Pile up the Books
LIVE & LEARN.

Sylvie Spring 1995

Eat Nothing, make yourself Sick
Eat yourself Silly, make yourself sick
-These are the Limits

Learn Nothing, no 'nothing'
..but the more you learn, the more you 'know'
you 'know nothing'
These are the Extremes

See everything, See Nothing?
See nothing, See further?
-What are the boundaries?

Perfect health, a 'perfect' life
No Health, No Life...
...or something beyond life?
-These are the Questions!

A 'Perfect' Life....100% Joy
But where is joy without Sorrow?
...or Sorrow without Joy?
-this is my Paradox.

Where is Light without Darkness?
To see further must one not Stumble in the Darkness?
The full Spectrum of beauty emerges
through Sunshine and Rain

Perfection is pure Beauty
but where is Beauty without appreciation?
Every Need is Catered for.
So where is Love without Need?
and where is Beauty without Love?

Sylvie February 1995