THE CORNER 4 WOMEN

Saturday 4 May 2024

PUT IT DOWN by Becky Hemsley

"PUT IT DOWN"
by Becky Hemsley 2024

Put down the bag of worries that you are carrying forward with you into this new day.

And set down the sack of regrets that you’ve been dragging along behind you for as long as you can remember.

It is all so heavy.

And carrying it so far for so long is crushing you.

The worries are a future that may not happen and the regrets are a past that is gone.

And you are not there.

You are here, in the present.

Don’t be pulled so far backwards or forwards that you forget to live here.

Don’t be kept so paralysed by fear of the future and pieces of the past that you avoid the now.

So even if it’s only for a short while,

even if it’s only for a moment.

Put it down.

Put it all down.

*****

Becky Hemsley 2024

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Beautiful artwork by Zara Muse (@zaramuseofficial on Instagram)

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More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

Friday 3 May 2024

THAT'S MY FAVOURITE THING ABOUT HER by Donna Ashworth

“THAT'S MY FAVOURITE THING ABOUT HER” by Donna Ashworth

When I was in my twenties, an older lady made a fairly common remark about me to my mum;

“she’s very sensitive, isn’t she!” (insert derogatory tone).

My mum replied (with a smile)…

“That’s my favourite thing about her too!”

And I have never forgotten it.

I don't blame the older lady, she was brought up in a society where showing emotions equalled weakness and seeing someone walk around this dangerous world with their heart on their sleeve, was uncomfortable. I get that.

In fact, I instantly took the comments as deserved and punished myself for being so transparent, again. It was years later when my mum’s reply actually sank in, took root and began to grow…

And grow it has.

How ridiculous to believe that our beating hearts full of kindness and love could ever be a bad thing.

That the way we look UP all the time, at the sky and the trees and the beautiful mountains - can ever be a waste of our time.

That our empathy and need for human connection is anything but wondrous.

That our instinct to FEEL, everything this life throws at us is not perfectly imperfectly AS IT SHOULD BE.

And years later, when my sensitivity actually really truly became my best trait, in the eyes of the world, and the books began to flow. Did this person say “Oh how lovely!”

No, they said, “I wish you would write a proper book.”

So, my friends, my lovely wonderful friends…

There will always be people who see your best trait as weakness. And there will be others, (one is all you need (you)), who see it as a joyous sight to behold.

I see it.

And I am grateful for all of you sensitive warriors out there, with hearts on sleeves and outer shells as clear as day.

Thank goodness you didn’t ‘harden up’.

The world is hard enough.

Donna x

P.S: The softest people are the strongest because EVERYTHING hurts… but on we go

Thank you all for hearing, seeing and sharing with me. Brings me courage I never knew I had!

You can find all my books here

https://donnaashworth.com/books/

https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.

More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

STILL by Becky Hemsley

"STILL"
by Becky Hemsley 2023

I can’t say I loved you. I just can’t

Because it makes it sound as if my love is past tense. Gone, finished, ended.

And that is so far from the truth.

My love is not in the past. It will never be gone.

I love you now. Still.

You didn’t take all this love away with you. It stays. It lingers.

Some days it jumps up and hits me in the face just to remind me that it is still here. Still persevering.

Some days it nudges me. Challenges me to keep going. Daring me to find the strength to get through the day.

But mostly, it just resonates inside of me with everything I do. With every step forward and every glance back. Every close of my eyes. Every breath.

My love is not dependent on you being here.

There is nowhere far enough,

and nothing permanent enough

to stop me from loving you.

So I will not say I loved you.

Because I love you.

Still.

********

Becky Hemsley 2023

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Beautiful artwork by Ed Perkins (@ededperkins on Instagram).

'Still' is from When I Am Gone - poems for grief and loss https://a.co/d/8BTEgA7

https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.

More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

ONCE UPON A TIME by Joanne Boyle

"ONCE UPON A TIME"
by Joanne Boyle

Once upon a time

In a land from far away.

A man and women met

and their hearts entwined that day.

Their love was a forbidden love,

like the tales from long ago.

Their parents were so different

and they told them it was no.

The girl was locked in her room.

She would cry herself to sleep

but love only obeyed the heart

and she gave it to him to keep.

As the days passed by,

the boys heart was full of rage.

How dare true love be denied

With the woman he would engage.

He marched up to her door,

with his head held high

and when her daddy answered

he looked him in the eye.

"I love your daughter Mary.

Why can't you give us a chance?

I have come to ask you if I can

take her to the yearly dance?"

Daddy at first felt angry.

How dare he be undermined?

But he also admired the bravery

and he answered with this in mind.

"Mary is our only child.

She is our pride and joy.

I only want the best for her

and I'm not sure you are the boy.

What is it you can offer her

so we know she will be alright?

Do you have good prospects.

Is your future bright?"

Charlie put his head down

and then fell down on his knees.

After a minute or two of thinking

He said "hear me out please."

I can promise her laughter

and to treat her with respect.

I promise to always be there

to listen and not neglect.

I promise to be faithful.

To provide everything we need.

Possessions hold no meaning

They are born from greed.

I will love her every single day.

I'll be the blanket if she's cold.

And every day we will dance

Even when we grow old."

Daddy stood and listened

He wiped a tear drop from his eye.

He thought he would be a lesser man

If his Mary saw him cry.

All it took was a nod of his head

and with that Mary became a wife.

And Charlie kept his promise

and they danced every day for life

******

Joanne Boyle Heartfelt

art by Steffi Krenzek

https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.

More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

Thursday 2 May 2024

AUTUMN LEAVES by Becky Hemsley

"AUTUMN LEAVES"
by Becky Hemsley

Here come autumn leaves

In yellows, oranges and reds

Echoing the colours

That the sun paints as she sets

A beautiful kaleidoscope

Of amber, russet, gold

Gently letting go

As autumn ushers in the cold

And maybe there’s a lesson

That the leaves can teach us all;

That clinging on can hurt as much

As letting ourselves fall

Kaleidoscopes keep changing

And a sunset’s not the end

And it will not be long

Before the leaves are seen again

‘Cause all the world’s in balance

And our lives are like the tides

Always ebbing, flowing

Where we fall so we can rise

Building to crescendos

That are balanced by a lull

‘Cause never knowing empty

Means not recognising full

So watch the autumn leaves

As they are loosening their hold

Take a leaf out of the book

Of amber, russet, gold

‘Cause if we want the springtime

If we want to rise and grow,

Sometimes we have to recognise

That first we must let go

********

Becky Hemsley 2023

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Stunning artwork by Tarn Ellis

https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.

More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html

TUNNEL VISION by Becky Hemsley

"TUNNEL VISION"
by Becky Hemsley 2023

There is so much we miss everyday. So much that passes us by, that we barely even see let alone notice.

The leaf in the shape of a heart. The toddler dancing to the music playing in the supermarket. The puppy carrying a huge stick in the park.

Little things that make us smile.

Things that we share with the people we love when we get home and say “guess what I saw today.”

And yet, we don’t do it enough. We are tunnel visioned, living always a few steps ahead, thinking that we’re closer to some elusive light at the end of that tunnel.

But the little stuff is the light. It’s the things that slowly light us up from within that romanticise our everyday lives. That remind us there is joy everywhere if we look for it.

We can’t always rely on the big stuff - the holidays, the parties, the weddings, the weekends - to fill us up with joy. They are too short-lived, too fleeting.

We need to slowly drip feed joy into our lives. Our veins. Our souls. That’s how we’ll hold on to it.

And just like a child or a puppy or a plant that grows without us even noticing how big it’s getting, our joy - our love of life - might just do the same.

So that one day we might not cling to the holidays and the weekends.

And one day we might look around and realise that we’re not in the tunnel at all.

But that we are the light at the end of it.

*******

Becky Hemsley 2023 https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Beautiful artwork by Lindsay Rapp Gallery

‘Tunnel Vision’ is from Letters from Life https://a.co/d/geGjqmB

https://tc4women.nicheebookcollections.com/NEWSLETTER-EBOOK-LIBRARY-SIGNUP.html We now have over 1700 e-books on our library shelves for your reading pleasure, so do come along and check us out.

More articles by Su DeNyme (our resident writer) & John A Elliott are available here: https://www.nicheebookcollections.com/TC4W/ARTICLES.html