A Sweet Sentimental Verse

Count your garden by the flowers
Never by the leaves that fall
Count your days by golden hours
Don't remember clouds at all
Count your nights by stars not shadows
Count your life with smiles not tears
And with joy through all your journeys
Count your age by friends not years ❤

I’ve been reading all sorts of different bits and pieces of random stuff at my parents’ house over the last few weeks. Apparently this little verse was remembered from an old calendar by one of the contributors to a little pamphlet titled ‘Evergreen Memories’ about elderly resident’s memories of living in the old fishing village of Ardersier on the North East coast of Scotland (where I brought my kids up). The sweet sentiment of the verse caught my attention and I copied it down to keep, so have decided to share it for Chris and Cee’s Pick Me Up for today 🙂

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Porridge

Dad has porridge for breakfast each day
Made with meal, the traditional way
Boil with water and salt
Stirring smoothly, don't halt
Till it thickens to soft glossy grey... 🙂 

Dottled and Thrawn…

Dottled and Thrawn...

A million loving moments fill my head 
Remembering my dad from childhood years, 
 But facing new realities instead  
His failing fragile mind prompts blurring tears.  

As vascular dementia takes its toll  
Forgetful blank confusion plays cruel tricks,  
Bewildered absence taunts his stubborn soul  
And thrawn and dottled's not an easy mix! 

 Each tiny blockage works to undermine  
The crumbling bedrock of his memory,   
His world's diminished, harder to define 
 Frustrating future beckons senselessly... 

 And once the day has come when no "Dad"s left 
 We'll simply go on loving, quite bereft... 

PS For the non-Scots speakers of you out there, “Dottled” means in a state of dotage and “Thrawn” means stubborn… 🙂

My Yoga Journey: Poetic Update

My stiff yoga moves fail to impress

And frustration leaves me in distress

Screaming hamstrings so tight

Stubborn hip-flexors fight

Till I blink back hot tears – what a mess… 😦

Soliloquy…

Soliloquy…

Within my screaming mind I hear such noise

Cacophonies reverberate immense

Tempestuous and lacking shape or poise

Staccato sounds unformed make no real sense

My mental maelstrom silences my voice

Prevents my thoughts form clearly in my head

Like tongue-tied mute I struggle, stripped of choice

My larynx flayed, I cry a storm instead…

But in a while my wild brain calms once more

Such quietude replaces strident shout

And settling, soft words soon come to the fore

Caress my tongue and dance so sweetly out

Soliloquies flow gently with such ease

Like ribbons streaming freely in the breeze…

Word of the Day Challenge: Soliloquy

Weekly Smile: 15 Oct 2018

Just Smile…

If I could smile at everyone I see

And try to make the world a better place

I’d do it in a heartbeat, just to be

A nicer member of the human race

To smile is such a simple thing to do

A universal sign of friendliness

And hopefully a smile returns to you

Connection made, anxiety feels less

But modern life’s not always very kind

As cultures clash, suspicion grows to fear

Some only see what they expect to find

And listen to what they’re prepared to hear

So try to be more thoughtful and embrace

The power of a smile upon your face…

My poetic contribution to ‘The Weekly Smile‘ on Trent’s Blog 🙂

I really love the idea of finding things weekly to smile about, so hopefully will be joining in with Trent on a regular basis 🙂

Contradictions…

Contradictions…

I wonder sometimes who is really me

Opposing facets help me face the world

Each element a part identity

Each fold of me so easily unfurled

I feel compelled to fill my active brain

Expand intelligence with vim and verve

Whilst too much stimulation causes pain

And mindful solitude soothes fraying nerves

My wanderlust creates such restless glee

Engaging mind in forward thinking gear

Yet though my heart may long to wander free

It also yearns for home and those held dear

In spite of much confusion in my soul

My many contradictions keep me whole…