Recovery Poems & Creative Writing | Addiction Poetry | Start Recovery Leeds​

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Recovery is a journey of action — but it is also a journey of the heart and mind. Some feelings and experiences are too complex, too raw, or too private for everyday conversation. Poetry offers a sanctuary: a space where you can wrestle honestly with the past, find grace in the present, and begin to articulate hope for the future.

At Start Recovery, a specialist addiction counselling practice based in North Leeds, we believe that creative expression is a vital and often underestimated tool in the recovery process. Whether you are a writer, a reader, or simply someone in need of deep connection, these addiction poems and recovery writings are here to meet you where you are.

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Why Poetry and Creative Writing Matter in Addiction Recovery​

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Research and clinical experience consistently show that creative expression supports emotional processing in recovery. For people recovering from alcohol problems, drug misuse, gambling addiction, or other substance use disorders, poetry can offer:

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• Emotional release — a safe, private container for intense feelings including grief, shame, anger, guilt, and joy, allowing them to be processed without judgement

• Clarity and insight — the discipline of finding precise language distils complex, overwhelming experiences into simple, powerful truths that are easier to hold and work with

• Self-compassion — writing and reading about addiction and recovery helps reduce self-blame and shame, which are among the most significant barriers to lasting sobriety

• Connection — reading the experience of others confirms that you are not alone; your struggles and your breakthroughs are part of a universal human story

• Identity rebuilding — creative writing supports the process of constructing a new, sober identity separate from the addictive self

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At Start Recovery, creative expression sits alongside evidence-based therapies including REBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Mindfulness as part of a holistic approach to addiction recovery in Leeds and West Yorkshire.

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A Collection of Addiction Recovery Poems

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The poems below reflect different stages and experiences of the recovery journey — from the grip of active addiction, through the early chaos of trying to stop, to the gradual emergence of a life rebuilt. They are shared here as companions for the road.

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1. Goodbye Mr Green — Processing Guilt and Shame in Recovery

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by Ashley W

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Recovery begins with honesty — and sometimes that means saying goodbye to something that, despite everything it cost you, still felt like a friend. This poem speaks directly to the complicated grief of leaving a substance behind.

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So, this is goodbye Mr Green it's time to leave
It's time to quit your toxic dust I breath
I have decided you are just not for me
It's time to turn the page and write a different story
After all these years spent up in smoke
And all that time longing for just one last toke
You have taken my shine, you have taken my spark
My eyes were light and now they are dark
Now life is calling and it's time to live
But I will miss those warm night hugs you give
So goodbye Mr Green this is the end
Just so you know I was never your friend.

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— Ashley W

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Reflection: Guilt and shame are among the heaviest emotional burdens in addiction recovery. Acknowledging what a substance gave you — as well as what it took — is not weakness. It is the beginning of genuine self-understanding. Working with a specialist addiction counsellor in Leeds can help you process these feelings safely and without judgement.

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2. The Cloth Eared Moth — Navigating Triggers and Cravings

by Mark Franklin, Addiction Counsellor, Start Recovery Leeds

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Life does not pause because you are in recovery. This poem speaks to the relentless pull of craving — the way addiction can silence your own instincts, isolate you from the people who care, and keep you circling the same destructive patterns long after you know better.

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I am a moth
ears of cloth
and as I fly
I try to deny
the things I can't hear
because I've eaten my ears

I am a moth
ears of cloth
why do I never tire
of flying straight into the fire
I don't hear the call of my friends
as I have no ears to lend

I am a moth
ears of cloth
my wings are so burnt
because I've never learnt
how to control
I've lost my soul

I am a moth
ears of cloth
now I'm out with no moon
I need to get home soon
but I still cannot hear
and I'm now filled with fear

I am a moth
ears of cloth
why can't I see
what's happening to me
my senses shut down
as I spin round and round
I feel so alone
and stripped to the bone
So full of guilt and shame
I do it all again

I am a moth
ears of cloth.

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— Mark Franklin

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Reflection: Identifying triggers and understanding the urge cycle is central to addiction counselling. If you recognise yourself in this poem — the sense of spinning, of knowing and yet still going back — specialist addiction therapy can help you break the cycle. Get in touch with Start Recovery to arrange an initial consultation in Leeds.

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3. A Poem About AA — Hope, Renewal, and Sobriety

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Anon

This poem, shared anonymously, captures the disorientation of arriving at a recovery meeting for the first time — and the unexpected warmth of finding people who understand without explanation.

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I came to a meeting, all sad and alone,
So sick and tired, of the life I had known.
Aching and dying, deep down inside,
And feeling the pain, from the thing I must hide.

They told me they loved me, and were glad I was there.
Who are these people, and why should they care?
But the more that I listened, the more I could see,
This room full of alcoholics were all just like me.

I started to share, trying hard not to cry,
And I no longer felt like I wanted to die.
I wanted to live, but hadn't a clue
Of what to say, feel or do.
These people were sober and would show me the way,
So I listened some more to what they had to say.
They spoke of a God, and "just for one day",
So I thought "What the hell" and I started to pray.

They said, "get a sponsor," and "keep coming back".
They said that a program was all I did lack.
They said "work the steps, or you're going to die".
So I got me a sponsor, and I started to try.
I shared with my sponsor, who I had become,
The people I had hurt, and the things I had done.
She told me she loved me, and then shared with me,
The things she had done, and who she used to be.

That's when I knew, and could finally see,
That if I worked the steps, that I could be free.
Free from booze, and feeling that way.
Free from obsession, just for today.
So I still try to listen to what you have to share,
Tell you I love you, and know that I care.
Let you know I've found a much better way.
It's working a program, we call it A.A.
It's sharing my experience, strength and hope as I trudge.
It's living a life, and not holding a grudge.
It's sharing with newcomers, as they wander in,
And as they start to listen, then they'll know they can win.

If we all really listen, to what's being said,
The things that are shared, the book that is read,
If we listen and learn, we will surely see,
How truly delightful sobriety can be.

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— Anon

Reflection: Peer support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery play a valuable role for many people in recovery. At Start Recovery, we actively encourage clients to explore peer support alongside individual addiction counselling — the two work well together. Mark Franklin is a qualified SMART Recovery group facilitator.

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4. Thirst — Thoughts on How Bad It Got

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by Mark Franklin, Addiction Counsellor, Start Recovery Leeds

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This poem traces the full arc of alcohol addiction — from the bottomless pull of the drinking years, through exhaustion and the decision to stop, to the slow, quiet return of a life worth living.

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There is a thirst that has no bottom,
a hunger shaped like everything you feared
it wore your hands, it spoke your name,
it made the dark feel almost kind.

You fed it years. You know its weight,
the way it pressed your life to thin,
how morning came with ash and shame,
how you began the whole thing again.

But somewhere, quietly, you got tired
not weak-tired, done-tired, bone-deep done.
You reached for something no one handed you
and held it like a fragile son.

Recovery is not a clean straight road.
It doubles back. It tests the will.
Some days the want returns like weather
you wait it out. You're standing still.

You learn to call the feeling by its name,
to let it move through you like wind through grass.
You learn the people worth the telling.
You learn that this too, somehow, passes.

And slowly — not like trumpets, more like light
that fills a room before you notice day
you find a life that fits the shape of you,
one that doesn't ask you to decay.

There is a thirst that has no bottom.
You know it well. You've walked its floor.
But here you are, above the waterline,
breathing air you didn't breathe before.

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— Mark Franklin

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Reflection: If this poem resonates with where you are right now — the exhaustion, the quiet decision, the tentative beginning — you are not alone, and you do not have to find the way forward on your own. Start Recovery offers specialist alcohol and drug counselling in North Leeds, with initial consultations available within two weeks.

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Share Your Own Recovery Writing

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Your words matter. If you are in recovery and would like to contribute a poem or piece of creative writing to this page, we would be honoured to include it. Creative expression shared with others can be a powerful act of service — reminding someone else that what they are feeling has been felt before, and that recovery is possible.

To submit a poem or piece of writing, contact Start Recovery here. All submissions are shared with your permission only, and can be published anonymously if preferred.

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Ready to Take the Next Step in Your Recovery?

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Reading and writing can be powerful companions on the recovery journey — but they work best alongside professional support. If you are struggling with alcohol problems, drug misuse, ketamine use, gambling addiction, or any other addictive behaviour in Leeds or West Yorkshire, Start Recovery is here to help.

Start Recovery offers:

• Individual addiction counselling — one-to-one specialist sessions tailored to your unique triggers, history, and goals

• Family support — counselling and guidance for loved ones affected by someone else's addiction

• Relapse prevention — extended care and ongoing support for people at any stage of recovery

• SMART Recovery facilitation — peer-based support as a complement to individual therapy

Based in Adel, North Leeds (LS16), serving clients across Leeds and West Yorkshire. Initial consultations from £59. Book yours here.

Start Recovery — Specialist Addiction Counselling in North Leeds | Drug & Alcohol Counsellor Leeds | Recovery Support West Yorkshire