Poetry Shared

This will be my last post. I promised a last poem. I wrote 'Vase' as part of my OU A215 course poetry, with the theme of life. It is my best to date and my favourite...

Vase

Lilies dropping pollen;
Like blood stains
On white sheets.

Gerberas wilting faces
Shrivelling up
Like dead leaves.

Dehydrated they drink
The vase of tap water
Like a drip.

To any reading my blog - I thank you...

With very best wishes,

Ali

SAD

I have decided I may wish to take a break from writing. A break from blogging...

I threw a stone in the sea. It said "I wish I had never..........". But writing is my outlet. It helps me and now there is nothing left. I know many writers experience this. I have poems rejected, stories and magazine submissions collected in the 'no folder'. I have tried... I have succeeded but in the wrong publishing avenue (that's one to forget).

I will share one last poem later. There are more, but I think I will save them just for now. A lot of my work was helped along by the wonderful Open University course I took in Creative Writing. A love of haiku is something I will take from that - something new that I had never tried. I still love reading poetry. Once a poet - always...

On the theme of SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder of which I am a sufferer...SAD Symptom Information. I have a Lumie alarm clock which has a light that wakes me, Boots even stock them now, here is their Lumie Website. I can highly recommend it, especially when the clocks change. These darker days of impending Autumn are drawing in. I shall bake, I shall tidy the garden, I shall walk through rustling leaves and I shall still dream.

I wanted to share a blog that I have followed for a while. It can be sad, it can be uplifting but Ella is a genius in cooking all things. I read yesterday that sadness has hit and her dear partner is suffering a rare form of cancer. This lymphoma is rare. As I have lost a family member to the disease and know others that have been touched by it, I can say please follow their story. Ella is a writer - a cookery writer. She is witty and warms up Winter days even if you have these sort of days in the Summer.

Her latest post on Eating With My Fingers is so sad - but also very inspiring and hopeful. I wish her all the luck and her wonderful man a full recovery.

Life can be cruel. We can deal with it.

Books, books and more books... keeping them alive.

I wrote this poem last year. I like to get books from charity shops and also am a supporter of keeping our local libraries. Tradition is important to me and hopefully we can keep it going for generations to follow.

Bedside Table

Library and charity

Upon my bedside table;

Supporting

The community.

Keeping the library

Open for everyone

A British tradition.

Give your books to charity

For others to browse

Through; or buy if they 

Want to.

Recycling words

In paper form 

Before they're extinct.

~

National Libraries Day 2015 see here to support the library.

World Book Day  information at 
http://www.worldbookday.com/about

For great books see Oxfam Bookshops.

Poem for January

Spirit

I am not here

I am dead:

In mind

Not in body,

No head space

Taken too much 

By others cares,

Not intended; ended. 

My intention was

Not this way.

Looking For The Good

After a few weeks of colds (the never ending sniffles), rain, wind and general grey days, it's no wonder the normal January blues are at an all time high. The other day, I decided to look for the good.

*

After heavy rain, came blue sky. Birds seemed to fly more gracefully, darting from tree to tree in the garden. My usual walk to the shops was highlighted by a pink flowering shrub (a camellia, I believe) which I vowed to capture on my phone on the way home, hoping for better light. I found warmth in the coffee shop and the local charity shop. Not just the heating, but kind people who smiled, rather than look the other way. Everyone seemed more chatty about the changeable weather in a heart-warming way. I didn't mind getting wet - my hood sufficed the forgotten brolly (why does it always rain when you have no umbrella ;D and never when you are prepared?!). The dark clouds cleared. The shrub - in the church graveyard was captured (felt a little strange doing this but had to be done... albeit it came out blurred). I apologise for trespassing - as one does!

Beauty lives in nature

I look up to blue skies on my return journey. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day...

Looking For The Good

January
is such a down
turned month to me.

I look around
to find the good -
this is what I see.

Floating Flowers

I used to float candles. Now I flower... A rose from the tree in the garden scents the bowl with geranium. Delicate fallen orchid flowers; stay strong in water bowl. The frayed rose and gerbera that are no longer for the vase; float afresh.

Simplistic beauty.

Today my diary says: "UN International Day of Peace"

Yesterday, I had in my head this title 'Turn' ; a song by Travis. If you listen to the lyrics it makes a lot of sense.

A special photo that was taken by my daughter. Sending hope to all on International Day of Peace.

September - Life Writing

I wrote this as part of my final assessment on life writing (a new genre to me). Thought I'd share it here...

My September

I sit on the cold damp timber wall which was once a railway sleeper. Eyes are closed shutting out the sharp sun rays. The sun is peaking behind the overgrown conifer that I hide behind; mulling things over. The garden is tidied to a point; growing wildflower. A garden as nature intended.  The summer sun has not left; still burning my arm.

Weeds raise high above the raggedy grass. Football is no longer played here. A few raindrops hit my head. Birds twitter to each other through the branches of the oak trees behind me. Wood pigeons annoy me with their droning calling. I remember husband threatens to shoot them down; like he did with his air pistol when he was a young lad; bravado boys talk.   

*

Through the dirty cobwebbed glass I see a vibrant yellow butterfly. My hands burn as I still run them under the hot tap. Day dreaming as preferred, not watching or feeling the scorch today.  A flash of fluttering iridescent wings catches my eye. I think dreamily that it is like the sparklers in your eyes before a migraine. An aura of beauty precedes blinding pain. A large dragonfly beautifully elongated swoops across the abandoned next door neighbour's garden. It is free falling in the wildflower meadow where it belongs until the end of its day.

***

White Roses

White roses signify peace and harmony. I had a hand-tie on my wedding day. We leave a white rose to those that are no longer here; at the graveside. White - a sign of peace, purity, beauty, life.

White rose in my garden

Lavender blue and bramble too

I have been looking through my diary; as usual June and July are busy at school and birthdays next month. My diary is a gardening diary by 'Carousel Calendars'. I try and get one each year as I love the illustrations by Judith Glover and the quotes on each month. You can see more items as well as the diary here at Judith Glover's website. I think you will agree; beautifully drawn and great as a present for any gardener or flower lover. I think the website is lovely; lots of pretty items there and an interesting story about Judith.

For June there is a lovely quote in graphics of the rainbow (I have tried to copy this in a similar manner ;- )
It says;

'EARTH LAUGHS IN FLOWERS'
Ralph Waldo Emerson.

This year it is surely having the giggles. Had to share.

Here are some more of today's garden as it is evolving into full summer.

Hello Bumble

References:

Emerson, R. W. ( in Glover, J. (2014),' June', 2014 Diary 'Garden Days , Exeter, Carousel Calendars.

Website at www.judithglover.com