THE CORNER 4 WOMEN

Sunday 19 May 2024

PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS by Becky Hemsley

"PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS"
by Becky Hemsley

One day at dawn I met a girl

As I went out to walk

She didn’t notice me at first

‘Cause she was lost in thought

I held a coin out to her

And then quietly I said

“A penny for your thoughts”

But she looked sad and shook her head

“A penny will not be enough”

She whispered with a sigh

“I think I’d need a hundred coins

To say what’s on my mind”

“Well maybe start with one,” I said

And she took it in her palm

She took the deepest breath

And then she gently took my arm

She slowly started speaking

And her eyes grew slightly brighter

Her face relaxed a little

And the air around felt lighter

I held another penny out

She took that one as well

And her breathing steadied as she

Spoke the tales she had to tell

And all of this continued

For an hour, maybe longer

And all the while her voice

Was growing confident and stronger

And then we reached the wishing well:

She looked at me and grinned

And one by one she wished on pennies

As she threw them in

Then she told me “thank you”

Waved goodbye and walked away

And I saw her only once more

After seeing her that day

I saw her trading thoughts again

For pennies made for wishing

But this time someone else spoke

For the pennies she was giving

*****

Never underestimate the ripple effect of your kindness

Becky Hemsley 2024 https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Artwork by Snehal Pendurkar (@paintingbysnehal on Instagram)

'Penny for your thoughts' is from Letters from Life https://a.co/d/4ICwONW

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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

Saturday 18 May 2024

To all my female friends 50 years and up

"To all my female friends 50 years and up" (author unknown)

Most of us are ageing through the next phase of our lives. We're at the age where we see wrinkles, grey hair, and extra pounds.

We see cute 25-year-olds and reminisce.

But we were also 25, just as they will one day be our age. We aren't those "girls in their summer clothes" anymore. What they bring to the table with their youth and zest, we bring our wisdom and experience.

We have raised families, run households, paid the bills, dealt with diseases, sadness and everything else life has assigned us.

Some of us have lost those that we're nearest and dearest to us.

We are survivors.

We are warriors in the quiet.

We are women, like a fine wine or classic car.

Even if our bodies aren't what they once were, they carry our souls, our courage, and our strength. We shall enter this chapter in our lives with humility, grace, and pride over everything we have been through, and we should never feel bad about getting older.

It's a privilege that is denied to so many.

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

SO WHY DO I READ by Gary Paulsen

"SO WHY DO I READ"
by Gary Paulsen

I just can't help myself.

I read to learn and to grow, to laugh

and to be motivated.

I read to understand things I've never

been exposed to.

I read when I'm crabby, when I've just

said monumentally dumb things to the

people I love.

I read for strength to help me when I

feel broken, discouraged, and afraid.

I read when I'm angry at the whole

world.

I read when everything is going right.

I read to find hope.

I read because I'm made up not just of

skin and bones, of sights, feelings,

and a deep need for chocolate, but I'm

also made up of words.

Words describe my thoughts and what's

hidden in my heart.

Words are alive--when I've found a

story that I love, I read it again and

again, like playing a favourite song

over and over.

Reading isn't passive--I enter the

story with the characters, breathe

their air, feel their frustrations,

scream at them to stop when they're

about to do something stupid, cry with

them, laugh with them.

Reading for me, is spending time with a

friend.

A book is a friend.

You can never have too many.”

********

By Gary Paulsen, Shelf Life: Stories by the Book

Books: https://amzn.to/4bsMeyr

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

CHASING MY TOMORROWS by Becky Hemsley

"CHASING MY TOMORROWS"
by Becky Hemsley

Today I woke and found myself

With less than yesterday

My life was missing things

I had assumed were here to stay

Things that had seemed little

‘Til they left a giant space,

Left an empty silence

And a longing in their place

And I began to understand

That when push came to shove

I longed for what I’d had

When I’d thought that was not enough

I’d always looked ahead

Was always chasing more and more

Growing so complacent

Of the things I once wished for

Running to tomorrow,

To the weekend, to next year

Forgetting I was lucky

For the things already here

And all this made me realise

That my life can’t buy more time

So maybe I should spend my time

Loving this life of mine

And maybe I’ll be grateful

For the little things I’ve got

That seem inconsequential

But which mean an awful lot

So, tonight I’ll thank the stars

Instead of asking them for more

And I will hope to wake with all

The things I’ve thanked them for

‘Cause now I see that my todays

Are filled with time I’ve borrowed

And I shouldn’t sit around and waste them

Chasing my tomorrows

******

Credit Goes To : Becky Hemsley 2023

Gorgeous artwork by Kristina von Wiesen Art

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

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

THE STORY OF OLD MR BILL

"THE STORY OF OLD MR BILL"

(author unknown)

The fire needed more wood! It was cold in this old house he thought as he carried in wood. He was standing warming up by the fireplace just thinking! Old men do a lot of that. He was lonely since his wife had passed. Thanksgiving didn’t really mean the same now! Oh he knew it was supposed to but he was just feeling down! It was a hard time for him and everybody else during the depression. Food was getting harder to come by and money wasn’t anywhere to be found! He was just wondering what he was going to have for supper! He remembered he had a bunch of sweet taters in the cellar! Be good baked with butter! He could roast them in the coals of the fireplace! Wasn’t much else! He had a few left over biscuits and some sweet milk! Wasn’t much but he knew he should be thankful he had that!

He heard footsteps on the porch and then a knock on the door! Come in he said, the old door creaked open and in stepped the little neighbour's boy! “Mr. Bill it’s cold out! Can I sit by the fire and warm up? Sure son, come on round! The little boy was called Slim. He could see why. He was tall and skinny! He asked, Slim what you doing out on a cold day like this? Slim replied, Mr. Bill, Momma sent me over here. She wanted me to ask you if you had any sweet taters? She’s cooking them for thanksgiving and she couldn’t find none! She sure would appreciate it and said to invite you to eat Thanksgiving Supper with us! He said Yes son, go down in the cellar and bring a bucket full up here. I’ll get you a poke to tote em in.

Slim ran outside to the cellar and come back with a small bucket about half full. He said, Mr. Bill them is some big pretty taters. Ours is done gone! They was little ones! Bill said, let’s rinch the dirt off of em, make em lighter to tote. He got most of the dirt off of em an sacked em for the boy! Slim said, I better get going! Mommas gotta cook them! You coming to eat ain’t you? Bill said, What time? Slim said, About dark ought to be fine! And oh yeah momma said don’t dress up cause we ain’t!

Bill had to laugh as Slim hurried out the door. He couldn’t have dressed up if he’d wanted to! He sat down back by the fire and was thinking again. What was he gonna do for food the rest of the winter? He had a little bit of canned food, taters and a patch of greens and onions and a few carrots! Then he felt ashamed for thinking that way! He had been taught better! And his wife would have not been happy with him for thinking that way! He watched the old mantle clock and heard the hour chime 4 o’clock as he was finishing up getting ready! He had shaved and put on a good white shirt and his best denim jumper. He looks in the old mirror and thought he looked pretty good for an old man!

It was still pretty light as he walked through the woods to the neighbours house. He still had a lot on his mind. His food situation was his biggest concern but he was smiling to think of a good meal that he didn’t have to cook! The neighbours dogs announced his arrival and he was welcomed inside to a warm house! The food smelled great! He hung his old coat by the door and little Billy ushered him to his chair! The table was covered with little bowls! It brought back memories of his wife and his eyes teared up!

Slims dad asked did he want to bless the food? He was caught off guard! He couldn’t form the words! He hadn’t felt blessed since his wife died! Slims dad caught on and said, No problem, I will. He bowed his head and said the prettiest blessings for the food! He enjoyed that beautiful meal! The family atmosphere was a great change for him! The lady could cook! After the meal they sat around the table and talked! Bill laughed more than he had in years! The lady fixed him a plate to take home! Before he left Slims dad said, We got something we want to give you! Bill said, What for? He said, Bill you remember helping Slim load wood last fall? Remember I was sick for a spell and couldn’t get out? We needed that wood! Yes, he remembered but didn’t think nothing of it! He said, I got six or seven big hens I want to give you! We ain’t got feed to feed all of em! Bill said, Well I appreciate it but you don’t have to! Slim ran out and gathered the hens and put em in a toe sack!

As he said his goodbyes on the porch, he had the hens over his shoulder and a big poke of food in the crook of his arm. The moon was bright and he had no problem seeing walking through the woods! He kept remembering the blessing from the meal. He knew that the good Lord provides for those that love him! And that good friends and neighbours were a blessing! He felt ashamed that he wasn’t able to say a blessing like that! But he knew now in his heart that was true! How just because he had helped someone in their time of need, he had been blessed with a bunch of chickens that would go a long way to making it thru a long winter! He could trade eggs in town for what he couldn’t pay for! His trusty old rifle would help him stay stocked with fresh game! He was feeling a lot better about things as he got in sight of his little cabin! He stood in the yard and looked up at that beautiful moon! He couldn’t help but cry! The moon looked blurry because tears filled his eyes as he said, God I’m sorry! You had plans to take care of me and I forget that! I want to say forgive me for falling short! And thank you for all my blessing, even the ones I didn’t see coming! I’m gonna try and do better with that! Thankful on this Thanksgiving day!

******** image by DALL-E 3 (AI)

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

FOR ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS by Joanne Boyle 2024

"FOR ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS" by Joanne Boyle 2024

Hello everybody. I thought I would introduce myself and tell you a little about how I finally got to do my dream book.

First of all my real name is Joanne Boyle.

I don't recall a time in my life that I wasn't writing, even if it was in diary's as a child.

I used to write stories well before poems and I have no idea where the first poem came from, though I do recall what it was.

I always wanted a book. All my life it had been the one consistency I had for myself as I can move on from an idea quite easy.

I made (well my husband made) my heartfelt page for me. I can feel and I can write but the technical stuff, then no.

Anyway, I could write all day but I am here to tell you about how I got my books.

The Heartfelt book was a dream for me that I just did not know how to make happen. I would take photographs of my grandchildren, as we do, and then just look and create a poem to fit the photograph. I dreamt of having those in some kind of book but honestly did not know how.

Then, Our beautiful Queen passed away.

I was known for posting poems when someone passed away. I would mainly post to my own personal page in my name and I did with the Queen poem too.

Oh I should have said, before the Queen poem went viral I had another named seated, that had too, and had had write ups around the world.

So when I sent Queen to my socials and I saw 246 shares in 5 minutes, I never thought much about it. In fact it was not until I was at work the next day that I knew, from friends, about all the attention my poem was getting.

My poem had gone viral and was read in the house of commons. Tiktoks were made in schools and all over the world. It got taught as a part of English in foreign classrooms.

My proudest moments though were when I received a phone call inviting me to the houses of Parliament. This was because at the time the poem was read, i was not named as so many others were claiming it to be theirs, they even sent a fake profile to parliament claiming I'd admitted it was not mine.

I really was so naive to think people like this existed. Then I had to deal with the grammar police. I was just a lady who typed a poem on her phone with her fat fingers and posted it. haha.

I also received a call from boodles in bond Street, the Royal jewellers to let me know they had it framed and in their window. I was so proud of this too.

From all of this though, I was put in contact with a lady who helped me with my heartfelt book.

First of all I sat and researched the Queen and I decided to put a book together with Celia's help. We done that before heartfelt.

If there was only one heartfelt book made then no amount of money could buy it from me.

I now have 4 books and I owe everything to the Queen poem and all of you out there who shared it.

Here are some of the pictures from my proudest moments.

Thank you for reading

Joanne.

Heartfelt https://www.facebook.com/poeminabottlle

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

DEATH CALLED ME TODAY by Gina Puorro

"DEATH CALLED ME TODAY"
by Gina Puorro

Death asked me to join him for dinner

so I slipped into my favourite black dress

that I had been saving for a special occasion

and let him walk me to our candlelit tryst.

He ordered a ribeye, extra rare

I ordered two desserts and red wine

and then I sipped

and wondered

why he looked so familiar

and smelled like earth and memory.

He felt like a place both faraway

and deep within my body

A place that whispers to me

on the crisp autumn breeze

along the liminal edges of dusk and dawn

somewhere between dancing

and stillness.

He looked at me

with the endless night sky in his eyes

and asked

‘Did you live your life, my love?’

As I swirled my wine in its glass

I wondered If I understood the thread I wove into the greater fabric

If I loved in a way that was deep and freeing

If I let pain and grief carve me into something more grateful

If I made enough space to be in awe that flowers exist

and take the time to watch the honeybees

drink their sweet nectar

I wondered what the riddles of regret and longing

had taught me

and if I realized just how

beautiful and insignificant and monstrous and small we are

for the brief moment that we are here

before we all melt back down

into ancestors of the land.

Death watched me lick buttercream from my fingers

As he leaned in close and said

‘My darling, it’s time.’

So I slipped my hand into his

as he slowly walked me home.

I took a deep breath as he leaned in close

for the long kiss goodnight

and I felt a soft laugh leave my lips

as his mouth met mine

because I never could resist a man

with the lust for my soul in his eyes

and a kiss that makes my heart stop.

********

author Gina Puorro: www.ginapuorro.com

Author's note: A playful love poem to Death, because I want to remember to relate to it as a part of life, and in ways that exist outside of violence and brutality.

[Photo: Kurt Markus for Vogue]

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