This acrostic came about from a conversation with a good friend. I went to visit her and upon arriving on her doorstep she suggested we drive to the seaside. I admired her spontaneity, and she responded that she could only be spontaneous with a lot of thought and planning 🙂
Sorry about the blurry focus on the youtube clip! I don’t know what happened, at least I didn’t break the camera.
My mum was diagnosed with cancer in March 2005. The seasonal flower around Easter is the daffodil, consequently in the hospital she received a lot of beautiful vibrant daffodils. Also very significant as it is the symbol for Marie Curie cancer care.
I wrote this poem a few weeks later whilst she was in the hospice.
It is true – if you put a vase of tightly closed daffodils on a warm and sunny window ledge, you can hear them creak and crinkle as they open 🙂 I noticed this whilst she was sleeping and I was sat by her side.
Today’s poem was part of the Sheffield Poem-a-thon that took place yesterday. 50 poets read in succession from 10am to 6pm. We were all sponsored and in total managed to raise £12,000 for Assist Sheffield, a charity who help destitute refugees and asylum in Sheffield. It was an uplifting and successful event with standing room only. A big thank you to all my sponsors who raised £162 – yay! Also a big thank you to my husband who kindly filmed me 🙂
Hello! Firstly I would like to say – Good luck to all poets taking up the NaPoWriMo challenge. I will do my best to keep up!
You may have noticed that I have been quiet for some time, I have been ill for a few months now – thankfully I am on the mend and hope to be a little more present. Some of the poems to be featured in napowrimo16 are vintage. I have not been writing as much due to my illness. Hopefully napowrimo will inspire me into action!
Below is my first one for the event, it is an oldie but it hasn’t been blogged before 🙂 In the upcoming days, hopefully I will be able to upload some clips of me reading at the Sheffield poem-a-thon event 🙂 Happy writing and reading!  Alex x
This Saturday, 2nd of April, I will be one of the fifty poets taking part in a day of poetry readings. Fifty poets will read throughout the day to raise money for a worthy charity Assist. Assist help destitute refugees and asylum seekers. (There is full information on the link below.)
I know for some, this is an emotive subject at the moment. I am delighted and thrilled to have exceeded my target and have so far raised £145 for the charity. Overall the team has raised in the region of £9000 to help some of the most vulnerable people in Sheffield.
Regardless of who we are, I think we all want to love and be loved, and to feel safe. There are no boundaries in unconditional love.
Now – time for me to start choosing which poems to read on the day. If you are in the vicinity you are welcome to drop in and watch. We start at 10am and finish at 6pm. My slot is 11.10am. It promises to be a day of excellent live poetry, refreshments and the opportunity to purchase poetry books.
If you would like to sponsor me, or want more details click the link below. Thank you 🙂
Today is an auspicious day indeed; my blog is 4 years old 🙂
I have just signed up to the Sheffield Poem-a-thon which is taking place in Sheffield on 2nd April. Local poets are reading in relay, each taking 8 minute time slots, to read poems of their choice. The money raised will go towards Assist Sheffield, a fabulous charity working with refugees and asylum seekers in Sheffield.
ASSIST who support refused asylum seekers here in the city of Sheffield. These asylum seekers are not allowed to work, to register themselves as homeless or to be placed in local authority night shelters. Many become destitute, struggling daily for food, accommodation and clothing. ASSIST says that:
£5 could cover expenses for a weekend’s hospitality for an asylum seeker in need of somewhere to sleep
£17 could cover travel expenses to enable an asylum seeker to get to medical and legal appointments
£20 could give a vulnerable asylum seeker a week’s ASSISTgrant to enable them to buy some food
If you feel you could help by making a donation, please click the link below to take you to my, Just Giving Page, to see further details or to make a donation. Thank you 🙂
It has been an intense start to 2016 with the loss of many fine people. I wrote this poem for the 30th anniversary of the death of Phil Lynott. This poem is not only for the celebrities, let us not forget that everyday people are losing loved ones.
Picture Credit : This picture is by one of my favourite artistsJanice Foley (click on her name to visit her page). She also has a facebook page The Roseberry Hare – (click on the link to visit the page where you can buy her beautiful artwork).
Black and White Barb is about my mum and dedicated to my mum on what would have been her birthday today. Always in our hearts.
This is available in my latest anthology – Counting Magpies. There are a few copies of the limited edition anthology left at £10 plus postage. The limited edition has three bonus poems, is signed by my own fair hand, and will also include a handwritten poem 🙂 Please contact me if you would like a copy.
Worldly Winds 