Verses From The Abyss

We are proud signatures of the Shropshire Armed Forces Covenant and are committed to supporting all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces.

Adam is ex-military. He is currently rough sleeping, and we are supporting him as he navigates many challenges, including PTSD.

Alongside these struggles, he is writing poetry.

Adam writes with a rare honesty and depth that speaks straight from the heart.

His poetry captures his experiences, including his time here at The Ark, and he has kindly given us permission to share this piece of work.

We are humbled by his words of appreciation for our staff, and even more so by his strength and creativity.

Thank you, Adam, for trusting us with your words.

The Hardship Engraved

By Adam Bell (Verses From The Abyss)

Life dealt me hardship once again—

a wound I had never known before.

A new chapter of pain carved into my skin,

a mark I cannot forget.

I fought for my sanity,

stood as brave as I could,

but this battle knew only one ending.

The streets became the ruin of a failing mind;

my children carried the weight

of their homeless father.

The government I once served in uniform

turned its back with polished lies,

mouths spilling excuses,

eyes blind to truth.

My tent became a fragile sanctuary.

Hunting, foraging—my daily routine.

I am a man who belongs to the land;

the forest has always been home.

Yet my children drown in our shared sorrow,

months without my embrace.

Concrete and brick—

the only chance to hold them again.

To those in power, this means nothing.

My mind—my undoing—

dragged me from stability into ruin.

I lost it all,

Truly I feared this was the final chapter:

a dismal end to love, to life.

How I miss my children,

my everything.

The shadows grow;

nights now devour me whole.

Every path exhausted,

each one cruel,

and still my tent remains my home.

Yet do not despair for me.

I write from the forest’s darkness,

my stomach filled with berries and rabbit.

Even in madness, I have met new souls—

each carrying a story,

each fighting despair.

Among the abyss, a light appeared—

not an ark that floats,

but a fortress rising from the earth,

its walls alive with warriors.

Here, ferocity meets kindness:

a will to mend what government failed,

a warmth to pierce the coldest night.

My path remains uncertain,

but I now carry a sword of hope.

And with it,

I will find my children’s arms again.

This poetry is Copyrighted: written by Adam Steven Bell 6/9/25

Find more of Adam's poetry on his Facebook page 'Verses From The Abyss'. Please show your support and give it a follow.

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