THE CORNER 4 WOMEN

Monday 17 June 2024

A NEW DAY HAS JUST BEGUN by Joanne Boyle

"A NEW DAY HAS JUST BEGUN"
by Joanne Boyle

A new day had just begun.

I put yesterday away.

I tucked it in my heart.

A place for it to stay.

There will come a time,

I shall maybe take it out.

A piece of it I'll need,

maybe to talk about.

Every day is knowledge.

I learn from good and bad.

I take peace from the goodness

and wisdom from the sad.

Some days I bury deeper,

in corners hard to reach.

Some days I use as lessons

that will help me to teach.

A new day has just begun

and with each one that I face.

I leave footprints in the moments

and the moments I embrace.

*******

Author Joanne Boyle Heartfelt

art by Steffi Krenzek

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THE POWER OF ONE by Becky Hemsley

"THE POWER OF ONE"
by Becky Hemsley

One leaf can disrupt a whole army of ants

And can leave them all scared and confused

And it takes just one word, even one from a stranger

To render our self-esteem bruised

It takes just one flick of a switch in a light room

To promptly turn everything black

And it only takes one hand to push us too far

Just one straw to break our camel’s back

It takes just a moment when all is aligned

For the sunshine to blot out the moon

And it takes just one foot to kick us whilst we’re down

Just one sprinkle of salt in the wound

And yet when we think of ourselves as the one

Then we think we’ve no power at all

That we won’t make a difference when this world’s so big

And we feel so incredibly small

But it takes just one leaf to announce spring is coming

One seed for a flower to grow

And it takes just one hand to stop someone from falling

Which might mean far more than you know

It takes just a word to make somebody’s day

Just one switch to turn dark into light

And it takes just one foot to stand up for someone,

Just one sunrise to soften the night

So harness the power of one for yourself

It’s a power you’ve held all along

Yes, I know that you think you can’t change the whole world

But you can change the world for someone

******

Becky Hemsley 2022

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Gorgeous artwork by Magdalena Korzeniewska

'The Power of One' is from the book What the Wild Replied

https://a.co/d/dyQRzqb

DEFINE YOURSELF by Tahlia Hunter

"DEFINE YOURSELF"
by Tahlia Hunter

"You need not wait

an entire year

to celebrate your existence:

you may choose to celebrate it today.

For in truth,

every day is your birthday,

as with each day that passes,

you are born again,

and a new self emerges

to honour and embrace.

And you need not define yourself

by who you were born as

or who you once were

but may instead define yourself

by the self that has been birthed today."

********

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

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Beautiful artwork by Amanda Clark

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

Sunday 16 June 2024

YELLOW by Becky Hemsley

"YELLOW"
by Becky Hemsley

I looked up the word ‘yellow’ the other day.

I found so many shades of yellow that they had been distinguished by words like

gold

honey

daffodil.

I found words like fire and sand and champagne and lemon and sunbeam and I even found a song.

Now imagine someone telling yellow that it’s ‘just yellow’.

When yellow is a sunbeam and a daffodil and fire.

When yellow is a song.

Without yellow, we couldn’t make orange and we couldn’t create green and our world would be far less colourful because of it.

Yellow’s true colours are not limited to one thing.

And neither are yours.

Some days you are dark and fiery and intense.

Some days you are rich and bright and vibrant.

Some days you are buttercups and dandelions and some days you are champagne and a song.

And without you, someone’s life would be far less bright and far less beautiful.

You are you as

yellow is yellow.

And the world needs you.

Because, no matter what you think, you are not ‘just you’.

You are so much more.

********

Becky Hemsley 2023

https://www.facebook.com/talkingtothewild

Beautiful artwork by Elisa Roelofszen

'True Colours' is from from my fourth collection ‘Letters from Life' and is also on my website as a free downloadable print.

YOU FEAR by Tahlia Hunter

"YOU FEAR"
by Tahlia Hunter

like a ballerina within a box

that if you were to open the box,

people who see you

might not like your dance,

and might ridicule you,

and so, you tell yourself,

it is safer for the box to remain closed.

But you must trust

that the love you hold within for yourself

will be far more powerful

than any fear you feel within,

or judgment you may receive from the outside world,

and the world is in need of the beautiful gift

that only you can share

in your own unique way.

For though it is not meant for everyone,

the ones who are meant to appreciate it,

will find you,

and the ones who are not

will be swiftly removed from your path.

And their opinions

do not determine your worth or potential,

and you should not take their behaviour personally,

for the only people

who truly critique others

from a place of judgment rather than love

are those too afraid to dance themselves.

And while there will be times

when you feel like hiding away from the world,

you may trust yourself to share your gift,

for it is something that could never be taken from you,

as it is encoded in your soul.

And once you begin dancing,

you will discover

that the joy of dancing

is so great,

that it doesn’t matter

who appreciates it or approves of it,

because of the fulfilment that it brings to you.

And though your dance

will not be perfect,

it will still be beautiful,

and will continue to be refined over time.

And though it is natural to feel nervous

the first time you perform onstage,

and every time thereafter,

when you feel afraid,

you must remind yourself

that the purpose of fear

is not to keep you hidden

but to inspire you to take action.

for it is merely energy within you,

that is waiting to be released.

And you can trust yourself enough

when you stumble and fall

to pick yourself up,

hold your head high,

and continue the dance,

for the world is in desperate need

of the beauty and magic

that only you may bring.

********

Words by Tahlia Hunter

https://www.facebook.com/TahliaHunterBlog

Artwork by Annie Hamman Art

DEAR DAD by Joanne Boyle

"DEAR DAD" by Joanne Boyle

Another year has passed

and here we are again.

Me writing you a card

and trying to explain.

A fathers role is to protect

and teach us right from wrong.

To offer their support

and show us how to be strong.

You did all of that for me

and I just wanted you to know.

You are always with me

wherever I may go.

Fathers day isn't easy.

I'm sorry it is this way.

I wish that I could hug you,

on your special day.

Instead I'll write some memories.

I'll put the letter in the card.

I'll meet you in the moments.

The ones that I find hard.

I remember when I was little.

I am sure you remember too.

When I couldn't ride a bike

Until you showed me what to do.

Can you remember that time

when we hid away from mum.

How she jumped a mile

because she didn't see us come.

Oh we laughed so much that day.

In fact we laughed a lot.

I'm glad of all those photographs

that mum made sure she got.

I think ill take them out today

and remember the way we were.

Me and mum will sit together

and pull you up a chair.

I'll put this card with all your others,

and I'll sign it off with love.

I'll put it in our pillar box

and address them to above.

********

Happy Fathers Day in heaven."

Author Joanne Boyle Heartfelt

art by Steffi Krenzek