THE CORNER 4 WOMEN

Saturday 3 February 2024

BAGGAGE by Becky Hemsley

"BAGGAGE"
by Becky Hemsley 2021

She opens up her suitcase

And it’s loaded to the brim

She simply doesn’t have the room

To squeeze more baggage in

Her hold-all’s filled with years and years

Of things she has endured

But you think she has no hold-all

‘Cause she acts so self-assured

But just because she’s confident

And acts like she’s alright

It doesn’t mean her baggage

Is inconsequentially light

For though her life looks rosy

It doesn’t mean to say

That she doesn’t carry burdens

That weigh her down each day

She’s fought off many monsters

Often swam up from the depths

She’s walked through many fires

And pulled herself back from the edge

So never think she walks on air

When she’s actually walked through hell

You just don’t know her load is heavy

Because she carries it so well

******

It's ok to put a few things down sometimes

Becky Hemsley 2021

Artwork by Magic Art Photography by Kasia Derwinska

Baggage is from Talking to the Wild https://a.co/d/57xLeCX

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BLOWING MEMORIES IN THE AIR by Joanne Boyle

"BLOWING MEMORIES IN THE AIR"
by Joanne Boyle

One of the jobs in heaven,

is to blow memories through the air,

like confetti from the sky, that

lands in hearts everywhere.

If you are lucky enough to catch it,

then tend to it with love

as with it comes a memory,

that has fallen from above.

Watch it like a movie,

and watch the characters again,

dancing with your memories,

washing away the pain.

You can put it on repeat,

but when day turns in to night,

but your confetti in your heart,

and whisper, Goodnight.

Joanne Boyle

https://www.facebook.com/poeminabottlle

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Art by Steffi Krenzek

AND WHEN THEY LEAVE by Tahlia Hunter

"AND WHEN THEY LEAVE"
by Tahlia Hunter

"I cannot control whether or not another person chooses to stay or leave. I can only control how I choose to show up each day and work towards becoming the best version of myself. And so I trust that this person is entering my life for the reason they are meant to at this time and I will treasure their company and let this connection unfold in the way that it is meant to, whether it lasts for a day, a month or a lifetime.

And it matters not whether they leave, as I have learned to love my own company and not need another and I will never leave myself. For this is the foundation for all positive relationships.

And if I truly love another person, then I will want what is best for them, and if that is for them to not be with me, then I will let them go with love, knowing that if they are ever meant to return, they will, and if not, them leaving makes space for those who are still meant to come.

And if I ever find myself missing them, I will remind myself that what I love and admire most in them also exists within me and I can be that for myself now. And every positive emotion I experienced in their presence, I created within myself and can experience just as strongly in their absence.

And when they leave, it is not a reflection of my worth,

it is simply that our paths are no longer aligned

as we are travelling in different directions.

And if I feel that they failed to truly see me or appreciate me,

I will never take their actions personally

and remind myself

that it wasn't that they didn't love me,

but they loved me

from the level from which they could love."

Words by Tahlia Hunter

https://www.facebook.com/TahliaHunterBlog

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

Artwork by Christian Schloe Digital Artwork

YOU ARE A DIAMOND by Tahlia Hunter

"YOU ARE A DIAMOND"
by Tahlia Hunter

"You are a diamond.

A diamond has many facets

reflecting light in different directions.

Each facet represents

a different fragment of yourself

at one age, one time, and one point along your path.

Each person you encounter

sees only one fragment of you

based on what they have heard about you or seen of you

at one stage of your life,

and is never able to fully glimpse who you are.

And so if you should find yourself

feeling ashamed of your past self

or broken or shattered at times,

may you remind yourself of the truth

that each facet of you

no matter how fractured it may appear individually

contributes to the precious jewel that you are;

for the light that you are shines beneath all

and you are never defined

by only one fragment of who you are."

Words by Tahlia Hunter

https://www.facebook.com/TahliaHunterBlog

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Artwork by Catrin Welz-Stein

I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT FRIEND by Joanne Boyle

"I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT FRIEND"
by Joanne Boyle

The Friend that's Not

I don't ever want to be that friend,

the one that's really not.

The one that never checks in,

the one that's just 'forgot'

I don't want to take the side,

of others I don't know

or to run and gossip,

or to just go with the flow.

I don't want to be that friend,

that doesn't care about the truth,

or doesnt take the time to listen,

and doesn't ask for proof.

I don't want to be that friend,

who doesn't ask what for,

when they see a change of behaviour,

and know there's something more.

I don't want to be that friend,

the one that's just like you,

so instead ill take the time,

to ask what you are going through.

Joanne Boyle

https://www.facebook.com/poeminabottlle

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

Art by Steffi Krenzek

Friday 2 February 2024

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

"WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING"
(author unknown)

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and it made me feel so proud and inspired that I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and it taught me that it’s important to be kind to animals, even if they’re not our own.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favourite cake for me, and it showed me that the little things in life can be the most special.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and it gave me comfort to know that there is someone who is always there for me to talk to.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and it taught me that we all have a responsibility to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say,’ Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking

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HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS

"HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS"
(author unknown)

When you grow up, all you ever do is leave. You leave people, situations, and places. You often wonder where home is because you always feel like a fish out of water wherever you go. You make a home for yourself in the city. You decorate it with plants, posters of a treasured rock band, and furniture that you got from the flea market. Sometimes, it gets awfully quiet; other times, it's filled with the voices of your new favourite people. When it gets too silent, you call your Mother 1200 miles away and ask her about her day. You like to listen to her sometimes, but when she asks about yours, you gabble and say you're okay and then bid goodbye. You don't want to trouble her with your issues. It never completely feels like home because you are always missing something—your school friends, the old town roads, your Grandma's pickles, your cousins, evening drives, the smell of your room, and your family.

And when you return to your hometown, you miss the comfort of living in your own place, Sunday brunches, your new friends, going on random trips, meeting strangers, and the view from your balcony. The silence that used to bother you in your new home is something that you crave when you return. You realise that this will never be over, the way that you are feeling. Maybe, you will get used to it when you get older. But right now, you are in your 20s, and life is already hard. And no matter how much you want to feel at home, you often end up missing things you're far away from.

You think that maybe the romantics are right. Maybe, you will find home in some other person, a better half. But the truth is that you will find a piece of you in every place you have ever been, in every person you have ever loved. You paint your nails the way that senior in your school did when you were 12 years old. And there's an album in the corner of your room that your first kiss suggested for you to listen to, and that's how you discovered your favourite rock band. You find your habits lingering in the way your brother arranges his books—separating hardcovers from paperbacks and organising them by colour. Nobody does that, you think.

You realise that blueberry yogurt on toast and little flowers of butter and orange jam isn't your recipe; it's the way your Mother used to make toast for you when you were five. You notice that your best friend still plays your road trip playlist when she drives, and you cook chicken the same way your roommate in college taught you. You share your habit of clicking pictures of flowers by the roads with your Dad, and like your ex, you always check traffic on maps before leaving. Even if you don't talk to them anymore, you will always have tenderness in your heart for people. You will realise that so much of them is you, and so much of you is them.

You realise that's why you can never feel completely at home because a part of your heart is always wandering in some other memory, in a different place that you used to call home. Your love spreads endlessly, and you realise that this is what happens when you have the joy of experiencing so many different kinds of loves and friendships. As you mature, you learn that departing isn't merely about leaving; instead, it's about carrying a piece of others with you and leaving a part of yourself behind. It transforms you into a magnificent collage, a gem woven from the threads of all those you've loved, of all those you are ever going to love.

And someday, that feeling will be home enough.

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BATTLE by Becky Hemsley

"BATTLE"
by Becky Hemsley

When life feels like a battle

In the middle of a war

And your battle cry’s a whisper

‘Cause your voice has lost its roar

When the shield that you carry

Can’t protect you like it should

And you’re struggling to fire your arrows

Like you normally would

When your armour weighs you down

And you are battered and you’re bruised

When the enemy’s advancing

And you’re sure you’re going to lose

When battle feels exhausting…

Put down your sword and rest

Save your energy

Because the war’s not over yet

But also look around you

To the others in the fray

And listen for the army

That is calling out your name

Tell them you are wounded

That you stumbled and you fell

Because beneath your armour

There’s a chance they cannot tell

Let them cover you

Say that you’ll do the same for them

When they are hurt and wounded

And your strength returns again

For now, retreat a little

From the weariness of war

But remember, you’ve survived

Each battle you have fought before

So give yourself some credit

‘Cause you’ve made it all this way

And I promise you are strong enough

To fight another day

********

Becky Hemsley 2021

Stunning artwork by Monika Skrzeta

'Battle' is from 'What the Wild Replied' https://a.co/d/0FETvAC

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Thursday 1 February 2024

WHEN I AM GONE by Becky Hemsley

"WHEN I AM GONE"
by Becky Hemsley

When life feels suffocating

And the way ahead too far

Then breath by breath by steady breath

Just stay right where you are

When morning comes in blazing

Threatening to burn the day

Just let the sun in gently

Ray by ray by steady ray

When night intimidates you

And the silence tries to scream

Just rest against the darkness

Dream by dream by steady dream

When life is just too much –

It’s far too loud and far too bright

Then live little by little,

Day by day and night by night

See, I know it all feels heavy

Like a load you cannot lift,

A race you want no part of

And a weight you cannot shift

But when the road ahead is long

And overwhelming you

Don’t push yourself too quickly -

Slow and steady gets you through

******

Becky Hemsley 2023

Image by rawpixel.com

This is from the book 'When I am Gone' but I think it can apply to any difficult day xx

https://a.co/d/42Eeza6

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