THE CORNER 4 WOMEN

Monday, 8 April 2024

ROAR by Becky Hemsley

"ROAR"
by Becky Hemsley

As children we’re convinced

That monsters hide beneath our beds

But as adults we soon realise

That they walk the streets instead

It’s not their face that’s monstrous

It’s their loathing and their lies

For it isn’t how they look -

The monster’s who they are inside

And at first we tiptoe round them

Terrified to make a noise

But slowly, very surely

We are bound to find our voice

But as fear gives way to anger

And our loathing multiplies

We start becoming monstrous

And we think we’re justified

But flames won’t put out fire

Water will not halt a flood

And we cannot stop the monsters

By behaving as they would

You see, anyone that’s ever

Loved somebody else before

Knows no matter how much hate we feel

Love always matters more

So though you’re brave to fight them

And your courage makes you tough

Don’t fight them out of hate

But to protect the things you love

And when life gets too scary

Promise me you will make sure

That you won’t become a monster

But you’ll still learn how to roar

******

Becky Hemsley 2020

Image created with Bing

"Roar" is from Talking to the Wild https://a.co/d/7KhInfX

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THE BEAUTIFUL SWAN by Tahlia Hunter

"THE BEAUTIFUL SWAN"
by Tahlia Hunter

“You see yourself as an ugly duckling,

rather than as a swan

because of how you have been treated

by those surrounding you.

But you must not look to the opinions of others

to tell you who you are,

because many of them are broken mirrors

who cannot see your value

as they cannot see their own.

And even if others don’t see your greatest potential within you,

that does not mean that it doesn't exist,

for you are merely in the process of becoming who you are meant to be.

And all versions of you are equally beautiful and worthy,

for it is the past version of you that took you here,

and it is the present version of you that will carry you to even greater heights."

*****

Words by Tahlia Hunter

https://www.facebook.com/TahliaHunterBlog

Artwork by Catrin Welz-Stein

SHINE by Becky Hemsley

"SHINE"
by Becky Hemsley

Yesterday she told you

She’d been beckoned by the moon

That she was to become a star

And would be leaving soon

And like a supernova

You felt your heart collapse

Knowing that the days ahead

Would soon become her last

But mop up all your tears

And squeeze them out amongst the clouds

Buy her favourite flower seeds

And plant them in the ground

Savour every smile of hers

And send them to the sun

Paint the sky her favourite pink

As day has just begun

Gather all the words she says

And teach the birds her song

So that the world still speaks of her

Even when she’s gone

So when the sun comes up

You’ll know it’s her that’s smiling down

And when it rains you’ll feel her love

Escaping from the clouds

Watch her flowers flourish

And listen to the birds

And hear them sing the echoes

Of her voice and of her words

Look for her in sunrises

In thunderstorms and snow

Because she’s trying to tell you

She’ll be everywhere you go

And when it’s dark, look for the stars

And see the way she shines

And realise, though she’ll leave

She’ll never really say goodbye

******

Becky Hemsley 2022

Beautiful artwork by Duy Huynh Studio

'Shine' is from When I Am Gone https://a.co/d/i9oAy2A

Sunday, 7 April 2024

MY MOM

"MY MOM"
(author unknown)

My mom had a lot of problems. She did not sleep and she felt exhausted. She was irritable, grumpy, and bitter. She was always sick, until one day, suddenly, she changed.

The situation was the same, but she was different.

One day my dad said to her:

- I've been looking for a job for three months and I haven't found anything, I'm going to have a few beers with friends.

My mom replied:

- It's okay.

My brother said to her:

- Mom, I'm doing poorly in all subjects at the University ...

My mom replied:

- Okay, you will recover, and if you don't, well, you repeat the semester, but you pay the tuition.

My sister said to her:

- Mom, I hit the car.

My mom replied:

- Okay daughter, take it to the workshop, find how to pay and while they fix it, get around by bus or subway.

Her daughter-in-law said to her:

- Mother-in-law, I come to spend a few months with you.

My mom replied:

- Okay, settle in the living room couch and look for some blankets in the closet.

All of us at my mom's house gathered worried to see these reactions.

We suspected that she had gone to the doctor and that she was prescribe some pills of "I don't give a damn about 1000 mg."

She would probably also be ingesting an overdose.

We then proposed to do an "intervention" to my mother to remove her from any possible addiction she had towards some anti-tantrum medication.

But what was not the surprise, when we all gathered around her and my mom explained:

"It took me a long time to realize that each person is responsible for their life, it took me years to discover that my anguish, my mortification, my depression, my courage, my insomnia and my stress, did not solve their problems but aggravated mine.

I am not responsible for the actions of others, but I am responsible for the reactions I express to that.

Therefore, I came to the conclusion that my duty to myself is to remain calm and let each one solve what corresponds to them.

I have taken courses in yoga, meditation, miracles, human development, mental hygiene, vibration and neurolinguistics programming, and in all of them, I found a common denominator: finally they all lead to the same point.

And, it is that I can only interfere with myself, you have all the necessary resources to solve your own lives.

I can only give you my advice if you ask me and it depends on you to follow it or not.

So, from now on, I cease to be: the receptacle of your responsibilities, the sack of your guilt, the laundress of your remorse, the advocate of your faults, the wall of your lamentations, the depositary of your duties, who should solve your problems or spare a tire every time to fulfil your responsibilities.

From now on, I declare all independent and self-sufficient adults.

Everyone at my mom's house was speechless.

From that day on, the family began to function better, because everyone in the house knows exactly what it is that they need to do.

Saturday, 6 April 2024

LIFE IS LIKE A PIANO PIECE by Tahlia Hunter

"LIFE IS LIKE A PIANO PIECE"
by Tahlia Hunter

“Life is like a piano piece that you play over and over,

trying to master it.

You must not punish yourself

for the times that you make mistakes,

for you are merely practicing,

and each time you play,

it becomes more and more beautiful,

being refined over time.

And though there are still moments of dissonance,

it becomes more harmonious,

and is played with a lighter touch.

For you have come to appreciate,

that it was never about mastering the piece perfectly

but playing it as best as you can

and embracing each version,

as what was once a struggle becomes a joy,

until you let go and ascend,

and the melody is carried with you,

for if you fall in love with the process,

you will remain in love forever.”

*****

Words by Tahlia Hunter

https://www.facebook.com/TahliaHunterBlog

Artwork by Duy Huynh Studio

THE THREE REMEMBRANCES by Tahlia Hunter

"THE THREE REMEMBRANCES" by Tahlia Hunter

"The first time you remember them,

you feel nothing but emptiness,

for you are mourning the loss of one

whose absence can never be replaced.

The second time you remember them,

you feel nostalgic,

recalling treasured memories

of precious moments shared,

with the person you so loved

who is no longer physically there.

But the third time you remember them,

you smile,

as you only feel love.

For you know in your heart that only love is real:

All else is a temporary experience.

And they have never truly left you,

for they remain with you always in spirit.

And you know that you were so lucky and blessed to have shared those precious moments with them while they lasted. And they will feel lucky watching over you as you go on to experience many more.

And they would not wish to see you remain sad,

but for you to experience every single joy and miracle that life has to offer

and celebrating your life

is the best way to celebrate them.

And reaching this moment

may take a week, a month, a year, or a lifetime,

but with every breath you take and smile you muster,

you are one step closer,

and one step closer to being reunited with them."

*****

Words by Tahlia Hunter

https://www.facebook.com/TahliaHunterBlog

Artwork by Bernie Anderson

SILENCE by Becky Hemsley

"SILENCE"
by Becky Hemsley

It was the Sunday market

And as I wandered down the aisles

An older woman weaving

Made me stop and watch awhile

She wove a little blanket

But the thread she used was odd

For it wasn’t wool or yarn she used

But words pulled from a pot

She threaded up her needle

With a string of “I love you”

And she wove them into “help me”

Braided with “I miss you too”

Then “no” a hundred times

Rose from her pot as silver thread

And I saw that she had named her stall

The Blankets of Regret

And as I stood and watched her then

I saw “I love you” fade

And “help me” slowly disappeared

And “no” began to wane

Her blanket had become a quilt

Of pale translucency

And I asked if I could hold this thing

That I could barely see

I expected light and air

But it lay heavy in my hands

And I had to ask about it

For I had to understand

So I asked “what are you weaving?”

And she told me “everyday

I weave the silence left by words

We’re too afraid to say”

******

Becky Hemsley 2020

Artwork by Olga Haidamaka

'Silence' is from my first collection:

https://a.co/d/dL4DwIk