THE CORNER 4 WOMEN: October 2023

Tuesday 31 October 2023

PERFECTION by Becky Hemsley

"PERFECTION"
by Becky Hemsley 2022

They make you feel broken

So there’s something they can fix

They’ll tell you that you’re fat

So they can sell you dreams of thin

They’ll steer you to bad habits

Then they’ll offer you their help

Then sell you twenty gadgets

So that you can help yourself

They’ll try to bring you down

Just so that they can lift you up

And they’ll make you feel bad

So that you’ll pay to feel good

Then they’ll indulge your spending

So that they can help you save

They’ll charge you to stop wanting

All the things they made you crave

They’ll trap you til you ask

How to escape the daily grind

And you’ll pay to move on forward

When they’ve told you you’re behind

They’ll make you feel empty

So you’ll pay to feel whole

They’ll make you doubt your inner self

Then sell you back your soul

They’ll hook you with a promise

That they cannot quite promote

‘Cause they hold contentment hostage

Then they send a ransom note

So pay no mind to them

And all the things they try to fix

And stop striving for perfection

‘Cause it simply can’t exist

******

Remember that most of our insecurities are bred from someone's need to make us feel less - so that they can offer us more.

Becky Hemsley 2022

Fab artwork by Illustre Mayon

‘Perfection’ is from What the Wild Replied

https://a.co/d/hm2Z86r

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THE BUTTERFLY by Becky Hemsley

"THE BUTTERFLY"
by Becky Hemsley 2021

“Trade me a memory,” the butterfly said

“A memory that’s heavy and harsh,

And I’ll sit and I’ll listen and try my sweet best

To lighten the load on your heart”

So he told her of struggles, of heartache and pain

And he cried as he spoke them aloud

For it wasn’t one memory but lots of the same

That were, all of them, weighing him down

He spoke of a place filled with darkness and fear,

A tunnel devoid of all hope

And the spots on her wings deftly captured his tears

Then softly and gently she spoke

“Thanks for the memories,” the butterfly said

Then she gave him a butterfly kiss

And she took a deep breath as she wistfully sighed

And then traded her memory for his

“I’ve always been me but not always like this

There was once when I thought I had died

I was shrouded in darkness ‘til I grew my wings

See,

I needed that darkness to fly”

********

Becky Hemsley 2021

Beautiful artwork by Lucy Campbell

'The Butterfly' is from my first collection https://a.co/d/cixPqfW

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WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS by Becky Hemsley

"WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS"
by Becky Hemsley 2023

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that

doing nothing is doing nothing

for you.

That being unproductive is unproductive

for you.

We’ve gotten so used to being busy,

so used to doing things with visible results,

so used to tracking our steps and logging our activity and ticking things off our to-do list,

that we’ve forgotten the importance of rest.

‘Doing nothing’ and being ‘unproductive’ are actually doing something productive.

They are helping you recharge.

Recoup.

Reading a magazine or having a bath or sitting in the garden with a cup of coffee are not a waste of time.

Time spent rested is not time wasted.

We are not machines.

We are not robots.

We are not here to

constantly work and move and do.

We are human beings.

And sometimes we just need to be.

******

Becky Hemsley 2023

Artwork by the fabulous Ohkeidea

From my most recent collection: https://amzn.eu/d/73Jq568

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Monday 30 October 2023

Love's Serenade by English With Mia

"Love's Serenade"

by English With Mia

In a quiet town, there lived a kind-hearted musician named Sam. He had a guitar that seemed to hold all the songs in the world. Every note he played carried a piece of his heart.

One sunny day, as Sam strummed his guitar under the old oak tree, he saw a girl named Lily listening, her eyes dancing with the music. She had a smile that could light up the whole town.

Sam felt a warm feeling in his chest. He knew he wanted to be friends with Lily. So, he plucked the strings and played a melody that seemed to say, "Hello, new friend."

Lily's face lit up even more. She loved the music, and she loved how kind Sam's eyes were. She went closer and said, "That was beautiful! I'm Lily."

Sam smiled warmly and said, "I'm Sam. It's nice to meet you, Lily."

From that day on, Sam and Lily became inseparable. They explored the town, shared secrets, and made up songs of their own. Their friendship was like two melodies blending into one beautiful tune.

But as the days went by, Sam felt his heart playing a new song, one that said, "I really like Lily." He wondered if Lily's heart played the same song.

One evening, under the starry sky, Sam mustered up courage. He took his guitar and played a melody that spoke of friendship turning into something more. It was a serenade of his feelings.

Lily listened, her eyes wide with surprise and joy. The melody felt like it was speaking her heart's language. She smiled and said, "Sam, I think my heart plays the same song."

Happiness danced in Sam's eyes. Lily's words were like the sweetest music to his ears. From that moment, their friendship blossomed into a beautiful love story.

They continued to make music together, but now it was a love song, one that echoed through the town and into the hearts of everyone who heard it.

Sam and Lily's love story became a melody of joy, a reminder that sometimes, the most beautiful songs are the ones written by the heart. And in that quiet town, under the old oak tree, their love's serenade played on, filling the world with its sweet, sweet tune.

https://www.facebook.com/MiaEnglishTeacher

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BROKEN PEOPLE NEVER FAKE EMOTIONS

"BROKEN PEOPLE NEVER FAKE EMOTIONS"
(author unknown)

I like broken people. In fact, I love them. They have more humanity in them. They might be bitter for a while, but when they calm down, they are gold, pure gold. They have seen life at its ugliest worst. They have cried those tears. They have suffered the nights. They have forgiven and forgotten their once closest people. When your soul burns so much in pain, it has to become gold. You gain a superpower, the power to feel emotions. In today's time, if you can feel and if you can understand people, then it's a rare gift. And broken people have that gift. They don't just nod their head and say "I understand." They have lived that feeling. So they are not faking it. They totally get how it feels. They have that depth. Your heavy talks don't bounce back from an empty brick. Your thoughts penetrate into their soul. They absorb it. They feel it. And then, it's a heart-to-heart talk. You might wonder what's so special about a person who can feel and understand what you want to say. Well, if you are not heartbroken, you won't know how frustrating it is when no one understands what you are going through. You have been lucky in life that this does not sound special to you. But honestly, you have not lived the whole life as well, not in all its shades.

Sadness is terrible, just terrible. But it grows you as a person. You discover layers within you. Even you get surprised how deep you can be. And when life hits you that deeply, something beautiful blooms within you. You become a better human being. You start to feel life more. Even your healthy relationships, with your family, with your friends, you start to understand them better. It brings more peace to your life. You are more sensitive to people around you, more mature. You no more end up hurting people for no reason. You know how words can burn people from the inside. You become more kind in your words. You become a soothing soul that can hug someone into peace. That's why I find broken people beautiful. They try to fix others even when they are crumbling themselves. How beautiful is that? How majestic? How brave? Right?

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LIVING WITH A BROKEN HEART

"LIVING WITH A BROKEN HEART"

(author unknown)

Remember what the Tin Man said in the “Wizard of Oz” after he finally got a heart….

“Now I know I've got a heart because it’s breaking.”

If someone you love died,

your heart is probably broken.

So how do you live with a broken heart? The answer isn’t how you fix it or move beyond it.

The skill is learning to live with your grief as an ongoing way of being in the world.

It’s the way you honour that which you love.

What I’m proposing is that, with enough healing, living with heartbreak can become natural, and very normal.

From my personal and professional experience, I can tell you that as you embark on your healing journey,

you’ll start crying a whole lot more.

Not just to clear pain, but for the simplest of everyday reasons, and out of nowhere.

You’ll cry when you see a bird, a can of paint, an apple, or even the shape of a cloud.

Random things will make you cry.

The heart is designed to grieve, it wants to grieve…..it has to grieve!

Especially when it’s broken.

This is the price you pay for love.

The loss of the life you thought you had, the life you once knew and held so dear.

Loss of a dream you believed was true.

But you can also find and feel grief in opening your heart.

Opening it to love and to new possibilities. Opening it to what the future holds.

Isn’t that what life is all about?

Endings and beginnings, closings and openings?

The heart was designed to navigate you through this forever winding adventure called life.

But you have to be willing to feel…..and to live with a broken heart.

Here’s the thing…..you can learn to live with your broken heart by befriending your grief.

You can discover the love that still exists around you…..and share that love with others who are also living with a broken heart.

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I MISS THOSE DAYS AND YESTERYEARS

"I MISS THOSE DAYS AND YESTERYEARS"
(author unknown)

I want to go back to the time when the only thing I was worried about was missing one episode of my favourite cartoons every afternoon, where the only load I carried was my backpack full of books I don’t really use at school. Moments when the only exhaustion I felt was playing too much outside the house with my playmates during the weekend.

I want to go back to the time when life was simply about discovering, making mistakes, and learning from them. I want to go back to the days when I didn’t care about my scars, my crooked teeth, my body, my unmatched clothes, losing friends and changing dreams every week, or sleeping on our couch whenever I wanted.

I want to go back to that feeling. It’s like home is where nostalgia sits quietly, looking at you and telling you to slow down, for you are young, energetic, and capable of relearning things.

Now, I feel like I am tired. I feel fazed. I feel in a rush.

I feel like I am too old to start something new or sometimes, too young to be good at something.

I miss the comfort of my childhood.

I miss the times when the last thing

I worry about is being misunderstood.

https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html

THE TRUE STORY OF PINOCCHIO

"THE TRUE STORY OF PINOCCHIO"
(author unknown)

Did you know that the boy who was made out of wood was lying, not for the need of it? In the original story from the late 19th century, Pinocchio used lying for his own benefit.

Contrary to his lovable behaviour in our Disney favourites, the real Marionette was quite the opposite. Unlike in the Disney movie, he lacks a human conscience. He was ungrateful to his creator and abused him through his soul, as he dreamt of traveling the world through him but was thrown aboard. He ignores the blue fairy’s advice and kills the talking cricket, who just wants him to be good.

The price he paid for his misbehaviour as he went on was cruel and inhumane. His feet were burned, he was kidnapped, starved, and almost fried, and he was almost murdered when he was hanged on a tree. But no matter what he does, he never learns his lesson. The puppet went on his merry way and continued to lie for himself.

The story has undergone many adaptations as the years go by, one of which was Disney’s Pinocchio in 1940. The story was manipulated and turned Pinocchio’s attitude upside down. He was naïve and wanted to be a real boy, but not at the expense of others. He was embodied by the cricket he killed in the original, and he has a conscience. But one thing is for sure, Pinocchio is a story that tells children to behave or else.

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Saturday 28 October 2023

STRONG LIKE LIONS

"STRONG LIKE LIONS"
(author unknown)

‘Everyone wants to be strong like a lion, but being strong takes hard work.’

Lions can be hungry for weeks and still be strong.

Lions might not always be with their friends, but they’re still strong.

Lions might not win every fight, but they’re still strong.

So, no matter where you are right now, even if things are tough, remember, you can be strong like a lion. Keep working hard, and you’ll do great things.”

This version is simplified and focuses on the message of strength and perseverance. If you’d like me to continue with a write-up or have any specific questions, please let me know.

“Just like lions, we can face challenges in our lives. Sometimes we might feel hungry for success, or we might not always win. But that’s okay because we can be strong and brave.

Think of life as an adventure, like being in a jungle. Sometimes, we have to be as strong as lions to face the tough times.

When you work hard and don’t give up, you’re doing ‘Lion $hit,’ and that’s how you become the best you can be. So, no matter what, keep going, and you’ll be as strong as a lion in your own way.”

https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html

Friday 27 October 2023

The Witch's Curse

"The Witch's Curse" (author unknown)

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled between tall, ancient trees, there lived a kind-hearted girl named Eliza. She had a heart full of goodness and a smile that could brighten the gloomiest day.

One chilly autumn evening, as the sun painted the sky with hues of orange and pink, Eliza ventured into the woods. She loved to collect colourful leaves and berries to make beautiful decorations for her home.

As she roamed deeper into the forest, she stumbled upon an old, twisted tree that seemed to touch the sky. Beneath its gnarled roots, she discovered a hidden door covered in ivy. Curiosity twinkled in her eyes as she pushed the door gently.

To her surprise, the door creaked open, revealing a cosy little cottage. The air smelled of herbs, and shelves were lined with mysterious bottles and spell books. In the middle of the room sat a wise-looking old woman with sparkling eyes.

The old woman introduced herself as Agatha, a kind-hearted witch who had lived in the forest for many, many years. They talked and laughed, and Eliza felt a warm connection with this unusual but gentle soul.

As the days passed, Eliza and Agatha became fast friends. Eliza visited the cottage often, and they shared stories and laughter. Agatha taught Eliza about the magic of nature and how to make potions that could heal and protect.

One chilly winter morning, as the snow blanketed the village, Eliza came to visit Agatha, worried about her cough. Agatha brewed a special tea, and with a warm smile, she handed it to Eliza.

"This will make you feel better, my dear," Agatha assured her.

Eliza thanked Agatha and sipped the tea. Soon, she felt warmth spreading through her, and her cough began to fade. Gratitude filled her heart.

But as the seasons changed, so did Eliza's visits. She got busy with chores and responsibilities, and the cottage in the woods became a distant memory.

One fateful day, Eliza received distressing news. The village was facing a terrible drought, and the crops were withering. The people were worried and turned to Eliza for help.

Remembering Agatha's wisdom, Eliza set off to the old witch's cottage. She knocked on the ivy-covered door, but there was no answer. She called out, but the cottage remained silent.

With a heavy heart, Eliza pushed the door open. The once cosy cottage was now dark and empty. Agatha was nowhere to be found.

Eliza knew she had to do something. She remembered the lessons Agatha had taught her about the magic of nature. With determination in her heart, she set out to heal the land.

Day and night, Eliza worked tirelessly, planting seeds, singing to the earth, and praying for rain. Her efforts did not go unnoticed. Slowly, the skies began to change, and clouds gathered, promising relief to the parched land.

One evening, as the first raindrops fell, a soft voice echoed through the forest. It was Agatha, her eyes twinkling with pride and joy. She had been watching over Eliza all along.

"You have a heart full of kindness and a spirit full of magic, my dear," Agatha whispered. "You broke the witch's curse, and now the land will flourish."

From that day on, Eliza became the village's guiding light, using the wisdom she had gained from her dear friend Agatha. And the forest, once again, echoed with laughter, gratitude, and the promise of new beginnings.

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