Gill Atkinson Civil Celebrant

31/10/2024

I hope death is like
being carried to your bedroom
when you were a child
and fell asleep on the couch
during a family party.
I hope you can hear the laughter
from the next room.
~ Lilies Abounded

~ Art by Shawna Erback

25/10/2024

and when you miss me most, remember that i have only built a house next door. a single breath away. we can whisper through the walls. and send love notes in the shape of stars and sunsets and the way that the light glistens on the water just so. and although things are hard for you now, i am not far away. i am absent only in flesh but my spirit is dancing with the heavenly ones. we will reach each other once again. i promise. just not yet. find laughter again, okay? find music and purpose and ways to feel alive. we are only separated by a glimmer of time. an interval. take comfort. i have only built a house next door.

~ 'next door' by ullie-kaye, Ullie Kaye Poetry

~ Art by Jungsuk Lee

20/10/2024

Forever in the music ✨

For all those that loved Liam for his family friends, his little boy. For all the fans. It is hard to comprehend how many lives he reached. The story of his life forever held in the music. That’s the beautiful thing about art, it lives forever more.

I just want you to know your feelings are valid. Look after yourselves and hug your loved ones close. We never know what eachother is going through, the storms we are battling. I think the greatest thing we can do is be kind, always.

20/10/2024

The stars have called you home, love.
Up high, so far away.
I think they missed your brilliance,
they just couldn’t let you stay.

You’ve shone that light of yours, love.
on all the lives you touched.
We’ve known your joy for years and years,
I guess they thought ‘enough’.

They need your light up there now.
This world grows ever dark.
Your passion will rain down like love,
dripped into every heart.

The stars have called you home, now
we’ll miss you, every day.
And every night we’ll scour the skies,
to watch you, where you lay.

And when dark clouds are gathering,
and air’s too cold to breathe.
The life you lived will warm our bones,
and your star will help us see.

~ 'The Stars Have Called You Home' by Donna Ashworth from 'Growing Brave' Donna Ashworth

~ Art by Jungsuk Lee

18/10/2024

I am pleased to repost such beautiful words from Becky Hemsley....one of my favourites x

It’s almost just a whisper
You can barely hear it there
Like tiny strands of stardust
That are floating on the air

Blink and you will miss it
Like a ghost before your eyes
Sheer and so transparent
It will likely pass you by

Reach out with your fingers
And you’ll hardly feel a thing
As if you’re trying to touch the clouds
And gather them all in

But listen and reach out again,
Take time to look around
And you will see and feel it
And you’ll hear the way it sounds

It echoes in the footsteps
That continue pushing on
It lingers with your words of faith
Long after they are gone

It’s felt in all the strength you have
That helps you hold on tight
To all those threads of courage
That you cling to every night

It’s seen in every rainbow
And in how the day appears
To throw a spear of sunlight
Through your deepest, darkest fears

It’s hiding in plain sight
Though you don’t recognise its face
But you can feel its presence
As it offers you embrace

So let it wrap around you
Like an almost weightless cloak
And you’ll feel a little lighter
Now you’ve dressed yourself in hope

******

Becky Hemsley 2022
Beautiful artwork by the very talented June Leeloo

‘The Cloak’ is from my second book:
https://a.co/d/drVfOuR

16/10/2024

WAVE OF LIGHT
Words for baby, infant and child loss

*****

We thought that knowing you was just the beginning.
The first chapter in a book of many that we couldn’t wait to read.

We thought we had time.

Time to hear your first words,
learn your favourite colour,
watch you run and dance and sing.

We thought we had forever.
But the beginning was too quickly followed by the end.
The chapters became empty; the pages blank.

There is no more time to watch you walk.
To see you fall and help you get back on your feet.
And there is no more time to hear you talk.
To let you tell us jokes or how your day at school has been.

We will never know your favourite colour,
or your favourite song, or your favourite food.

But there is one thing we've realised; we do have forever.
It's not the same, but it's still forever.

Because we have never stopped loving you, and we never will.
There is no more time to hold you in our arms, but we have eternity to hold you in our hearts,

The book may not tell a long story, but the story it does tell is our most treasured. And on those blank pages, we will write to you, about you, for you.
Forever.

Yes, we have forever to love you.
And we will spend every single moment of it doing just that.

*****

Becky Hemsley 2023
Artwork by lucyclaireillustration

Sending my love to those lighting a candle tonight for the ones they'll love forever

16/10/2024

I caught a falling star last week,
It landed in my net
Its glow was slowly fading
So I nursed it back to strength

I fed it all the memories
Of laughter that we shared
I held it in these arms
That kept you safe when you were scared

I read it all the epic tales
Of storms we had to weather
And wrapped it in the layers of love
That hold my heart together

But then I slowly realised
It belonged up in the sky -
That sometimes when you love something
You have to let it fly

So I’m loading up my quiver
And I’m stretching out my bow
I’m practising my starry aim
Before I let it go

And it might be tomorrow
It could even be tonight
It could be weeks or months from now
Before the time is right

But I will choose my moment –
When your heart most needs a sign
And I’ll take my aim and launch
My shooting star across the sky

******

Becky Hemsley 2023
Beautiful artwork by Long_sketchdule

From the book When I Am Gone: https://a.co/d/3Gr3Zds

07/10/2024

There's a robin on my fence today,
A feather by my feet
A heart-shaped leaf that blows along
Beside me down the street

Your song played on the radio
This morning in the car
And just last night I could've sworn
I saw a shooting star

The sun and rain are dancing
Making rainbows in the sky
And on the slightest breeze I watch
A butterfly go by

And people might say these are not
The signs I know they are
That it is just coincidence
Your song played in the car

That it is just the sky
And it is just the birds and breeze
A little windy weather
And the nature of the trees

But there is nothing little
About the way they make me feel
The sense of peace they carry
Is both comforting and real

Because it's just one song
And just one butterfly and bird
Just one star and just one leaf
In one enormous world

And so the probability
Of noticing it all
Is close to nearly nothing;
Almost infinitely small

And that is how I know
That when that leaf floats into view
It isn't a coincidence,
But a sign of love from you

So keep on shooting stars to me,
Keep playing me your song
Whilst you dance atop the rainbows
And blow heart-shaped leaves along

Yes, keep on sending signs my love
I'll always look around
For your butterflies on breezes
And your feathers on the ground

~ Becky Hemsley Poetry

~ Image by Gianella Photography

07/10/2024

The long road.
I walked along the long road.
I met people along the way.
Sometimes I stopped to talk.
Sometimes I said "good day."

I never saw the ending,
but I often looked behind.
Sometimes I saw the shadows
of the villains in my mind.

There were times I found I ran,
wanting my journeys end.
There were times I'd sit alone
praying for a friend.

I tried hard to keep on walking.
To always look ahead.
To not think about the negative
but the positive instead.

As I walked along the long road
I met the ones I'd love.
I felt that these were gifts
sent down from up above.

They helped me with my journey.
I stopped looking at how long.
I longed for every footstep
and for my journey to go on.

I stopped off at a house one day.
I wrote 'home' above the door.
The long road still awaited
but I found I wanted more.

I made a little garden,
planted flowers of pink and blue.
I stopped looking at the road behind me.
I stopped looking at that view.

I started skipping on the long road.
Making memories along the way,
for those that I'd leave behind
as I knew I would one day.

I saw the end of the long road
so when I knew my time was near.
I whispered to the clouds,
to watch over those that I hold dear.

The clouds gathered around me,
the long road was no longer there.
I had made it to the end,
leaving footprints everywhere.

Joanne Boyle ~ heartfelt

05/10/2024

Before you go, Mamma,
and leave this world behind,
take with you our memories,
there are lots for you to find.

Before you go, Mamma,
let me hold you once more,
I don't want you to forget
when you walk through heaven's door.

Before you go, Mamma,
smell the scent I wear.
Take a piece of me with you,
so you know that I am there.

Before you go, Mamma,
let me put a tissue in your pocket,
to remind you of my tears
and the hair in your locket.

Before you go, Mamma,
will you look into my eyes ?
So you won't forget the colour,
the same as the skies.

Before you go, Mamma,
will you promise me this,
that you will return every night
to place a little kiss?

Before you go, Mamma
let me wrap you in my love.
Keep it with you always
as you move to the world above.

Goodbye Mamma
until we meet again.
Now go toward the light
and free yourself from pain.

Joanne Boyle ~ Heartfelt
My photograph

28/09/2024

Save me a seat for when I get there.
I'll try to make it soon.
Wait for me at starlight
on a swing underneath the moon.

Save me a seat for when it's my time,
I shall wear my best attire.
Wait for me at the daylight,
underneath a sunshine fire.

Save me a seat beside you,
so I can touch you once again.
Wait for me to get there,
my cloud shall be my train.

Save me a seat in heaven.
I shall meet you at the gate.
Wait for me my darling.
I promise I won't be late.

Author ~ Joanne Boyle ~ Heartfelt

28/09/2024

No words...

Loss is an inevitable part of life. And with it of course, comes grief.

Grief can feel like a deep, dark hole that we will never climb out of, but when it all feels hopeless,
I like to remember that it works just like love.

Because, when we first fall in love, it is intense.
It is overwhelming and consuming and loud. We cannot think of anything else, and we constantly crave the one we love.

After a while it becomes less intense, but it grows.
It grows deeper, more comfortable. It settles down and settles in for the long haul, knowing that it is not fleeting or superficial. It is less consuming. Quieter. An undercurrent of our every day without overwhelming our every thought.

Sometimes something will happen to bring that overwhelming love back to the surface; moments of pride or surprise or nostalgia that remind us just how much we love someone. Moments where our love is once again intense and loud.

And then it settles back into our heart where it knows it will stay.

Grief is the same.

At first it is loud and consuming, intense and overwhelming.
We constantly crave the one we grieve.

Then it becomes less intense, less consuming. An undercurrent of our every day without overwhelming our every thought.

And sometimes something will happen to bring our grief bubbling right back to the surface. Moments where our grief is once again intense and loud.

And then it settles back into our heart where it knows it will stay.
Because great grief is born of great love.

So where grief remains, where grief rests,
it often helps to remember that love is there too.

Sitting with her arm around grief
and holding it tight.

*****

Becky Hemsley 2023
Gorgeous artwork by the talented Tawab Safi Art

'Holding on' is from Letters from Life https://a.co/d/9ULJjlF

14/09/2024

The harder we love
Means the harder we grieve
The harder it is
To go on when they leave

The harder to sleep
And the harder to wake
To know they’re not here
With each breath that we take

It’s hard to look forward
And hard to look back
Stuck in the middle,
Imprisoned and trapped

Where the harder the darkness
The harsher the light,
The harsher this world
That keeps spinning with life

But when that world’s feeling
So painful and hard
And you can’t imagine
Escaping the dark

It might help a little
To know it’s because
The harder we grieve
Means the harder we loved

****

Becky Hemsley 2023

14/09/2024

He Came Without Warning

He came without warning, like dawn's early light,
A whisper in shadows, a love burning bright.
He filled up my world, made each moment alive,
Then left without goodbye, like stars leave the sky.

He visits my dreams, where the silence still speaks,
A voice in the night, a soft brush of cheeks.
Through memories we wander, through lessons he gives,
In each tender moment, he shows me he lives.

My one true love, my constant, my guide,
In the darkest of hours, he's still by my side.
Though his body is gone, his spirit remains,
In whispers of wind, in the soft summer rains.

He came without warning, he left without sound,
Yet in every heartbeat, his love is still found.

Ann Marie

14/09/2024

I have reposted this amazing poem from Becky once again, beautiful words for those who need to gear them. X

“Trade me a memory,” the butterfly said
“A memory that’s heavy and harsh,
And I’ll sit and I’ll listen and try my sweet best
To lighten the load on your heart”

So he told her of struggles, of heartache and pain
And he cried as he spoke them aloud
For it wasn’t one memory but lots of the same
That were, all of them, weighing him down

He spoke of a place filled with darkness and fear,
A tunnel devoid of all hope
And the spots on her wings deftly captured his tears
Then softly and gently she spoke

“Thanks for the memories,” the butterfly said
Then she gave him a butterfly kiss
And she took a deep breath as she wistfully sighed
And then traded her memory for his

“I’ve always been me but not always like this
There was once when I thought I had died
I was shrouded in darkness ‘til I grew my wings
See,

I needed that darkness to fly”

********

Becky Hemsley 2021
Gorgeous artwork by Anna Fila

'The Butterfly' is from my first collection https://a.co/d/cixPqfW

09/09/2024

I sent you a present last night you know
Though it didn’t address you by name
It was all of those meteors showering, dancing
And falling to earth like the rain

I wrote you a letter last week you know
But it won’t have arrived in the post
I wrote on the bright coloured curves of a rainbow
The reasons I missed you the most

I sent you a message just yesterday
But it wasn’t a message in words
For I spoke to the wind and I taught her our song
And I asked her to make sure you heard

I drew you a picture last Tuesday
But you may not have noticed it there
For I drew round the clouds with the rays of the sun
So they glowed as they hung in the air

No, you may not get gifts like you used to
Or get messages stored on your phone
But I’ll make sure I’m sending something each day
So you know that you’re never alone

And tomorrow I’ll paint something wonderful
I don’t know quite yet what it will be
But I promise you’ll know when you see it
That it’s sent just to you

Love from me

###

******

Becky Hemsley 2023
Stunning artwork by Anna Fila

'Presents' is the last poem in the book When I Am Gone: https://a.co/d/3Gr3Zds (so that the book ends 'Love from me xx')

06/09/2024

I'll meet you in a moment,
every time you close your eyes.
We can travel anywhere,
underneath the bluest skies.

I'll meet you under the sun.
We can dance within its glow.
I'll meet you in the wind
to catch the kisses that you blow.

I'll meet you in the shops,
or at a picnic at the park.
I'll meet you early morning,
or even after dark.

I'll meet you at the gatherings.
Just pull me up a chair.
I'll be right beside you.
Please know that I am there.

I will meet you in your tears.
I'll help to ease your pain.
I'll keep visiting the moments,
and meeting you again.

Just close your eyes my love
and I will meet you there.
Living in your memories.
The ones we got to share.

Author Joanne Boyle ~ Heartfelt

05/09/2024

A lovely reminder to be kind to yourself 💕

04/09/2024

I had a date with music
but memories came along.
They never had an invite
but joined in every song.

My tears met my face.
They were here to stay.
So many memories
I had locked away.

They sat down beside me.
They looked me in the eyes.
As I relived the moments.
Laughter drowned my cries.

I had a date with music
but memories came along.
They never had an invite
but we danced to every song.

Joanne Boyle Heartfelt
Art: Steffi Krenzek

03/09/2024

Simply beautiful...

01/09/2024

Just this...

She’d built herself a dam
So she could hold her tears at bay
A wall of stubborn barricade
To keep the pain away

Her barriers were busyness
Distraction and denial
And ignoring and avoiding’s
How she coped for quite a while

But the trouble was, her dam
Left nowhere for her pain to go
So it sat behind her wall
With nothing left to do but grow

The tightening in her chest
Began constricting every breath
And to battle every painful thought
Took every ounce of strength

The lump inside her throat
Got slightly bigger every day
And before too long she found
She couldn’t blink her tears away

So the pressure kept on building
And the dam began to crack
And it soon became impossible
To hold the water back

So she let the dam burst open
And as she felt the water flow
She realised sometimes all we need
Is just to let it go

*******

Becky Hemsley 2020
Stunning artwork by the super talented Lindsay Rapp Gallery

'The Dam' is from Talking to the Wild
https://a.co/d/imitWfM

03/11/2023

"Poppies are special." said Bear. "They only grow where other flowers will not."
"Why?" asked Rabbit.
"They remember." said Bear. "Lest we forget."

©Tara Shannon, 2020
The Royal Canadian Legion - National Headquarters

https://legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy-campaign

31/10/2023

Just beautiful...

“I Sat With You Today”
Author-Paula O’Brien
💚

29/10/2023

Just this...

I stood by your bed last night; I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying; you found it hard to sleep.
I spoke to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."
I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many things and memories of me.
I was with you at the shops today; your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.
I was with you at my grave today; you tend it with such care.
I want to re-assure you, that I'm not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my hand on you; I smiled and said, "it's me."
You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
It's possible for me, to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew...
in the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.
The day is over... I smile and watch you yawning
and say "good-night, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.
Be patient, live your journey out...then come home to me.

•

So beautiful 🤩
Author Colleen Fitzsimmons
Beautiful drawing by . ❤️

28/10/2023

She smiled gently.
"Ah, but that's the thing in life,
Just because you can't see or hear something,
that doesn't mean it's not there.
Look up at the night sky,
Just because the stars are invisible by day
That doesn't mean they aren't there,
And likewise, when I go,
just because you cannot see me,
or I may seem at a distance,
That doesn't mean I am never here."

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Posted by: ~Beautiful Ramblings