optimism – Page 4 – Hues of Hankinson

Give with a glad heart…

I watched a film this weekend that has left an indelible imprint on my mind. I wept in places as I watched and the story made my heart and soul bleed, partly because of the kindness demonstrated by the one character for the other but also partly for the complete lack of humanity and kindness shown by others in the same instance. The film was called I Daniel Blake.

I cried because of the injustice, I cried because I had felt those things this year too, I cried for the mother’s love of her children and for how she had gone without to ensure her children were well. I cried for the kindness of the old man for helping the family despite his own hardship and loss. I cried mostly for a society that seems to have forgotten how important kindness is. I cried because in my desperate hours of need I have been given kindess. I cried because even in my own desperate hours of need, my needs will have been far less significant than the needs of many others who probably also needed kindness.

Give with a glad heart.

Expect nothing in return

Kindness warms, ice melts.

©Alison Jean Hankinson

This is for d’Verse Haibun monday. The birds are just because….I feed the birds…all birds…big ones, little ones, brown ones, white ones….The seagull on the roof has a gammy leg…he still survives…

The Journey Home.

The Sea washes over me

I am lost in yearning

For a time, tide and place

A space of belonging

That once I called home.

Far away dreams

Distant foreshores

Mellow memories of love

As the spirits guide me

On my long journey home.

This is for the Tuesday platform at imaginary garden with real toads.

Pioneering hands.

These fragile hands

They carved our lives

Toiled and tilled the land

Weathered storms to thrive

Ensured we survived.

In dreams we built in stone

Sodhouses we were to call home

These weathered palms

Supported and grew

Maintained our farm

Brought strength anew

Enabled hope to shine through.

Prairie-land homesteaders

Mid-west pioneers.

©Alison Jean Hankinson

Image from Wikimedia- creative commons labelled for reuse.

For d’Verse.

A fridge too far….

Lashings of blueberry conserve

Rain lashing on the window pane.

Luscious sumptuous late summer fruits

Raspberries fresh from the cane.

Limes lingering for mocktails

Sauvignon blanc chilling on ice.

Swede broccoli and carrot

For roast lamb supper tonight.

Leftovers for lunchtime tomorrow

No fresh salad but mushrooms galore,

As the weather signals the move to autumn

It is Hot Chocolate with whipped cream we adore.

©Alison Jean Hankinson.

This is for d’Verse poetics where we were encouraged to consider the contents of our fridge….it took a while and was almost a fridge too far….hence the title….

The rain did lash the window panes today, the River Lune was very fast flowing with what looked like whole trees heading out to sea….crumpet weather…I did stop and have a Hot Chocolate on the way home from the University.

Hope is all there is……

Hope- a fountain

In the desert of despair.

Hope- a shooting star

In a sky of troubles.

Hope- a safe harbour

In a tempestuous storm.

Hope- a heartbeat missed

When you realise you are home

When everything is broken,

Hope is all there is.

©Alison Jean Hankinson.

For d’verse quadrille.

The anchor is to represent hope. The flowers and other images are where I find glimpses of hope.

Things have felt quite broken recently and it is hope that keeps us walking forward through turbulent times. “Walk on with hope in your heart and you will never walk alone.”

Gerry and the Pacemakers- Walk on

Harvest moon

Oh, heavenly night

Silver star-spun light

Shimmers across the sea.

The moon lingers low

My heart is aglow

Oh, heavenly night.

The air crisp and cold

Chills of autumn nights unfold

Shimmers across the sea.

Shooting stars above

Fill my heart with love

Oh, heavenly night.

As my worries and fears take flight

Cascades of phosphorescent light

Shimmer across the sea.

Free my spirit soars

Harvest moon adored.

Oh, heavenly night

Shimmers across the sea.

©Alison Jean Hankinson.

Hope and Anchor.

Robin singing in the hawthorn tree

A timely reminder for me.

That this day is full of hope.

©Alison Jean Hankinson

It was a difficult week this week, and for a while there I was at a bit of a low ebb. Funny what can and does knock us of our course and it is hope that pulls me through.

A few years ago when we were having some colossal woes at a school I was working in, a senior leader proposed that hope was what would steer us forward. Someone questioned this was a valid foundation for any future to be built on and I felt like saying loudly with all my head and heart that sometimes hope is all we have.

The Hope and Anchor is the pub in the village where Dad lives, and it was where we had our wedding reception, and I think that hope was one of the things that my parents taught me to value. Faith Hope and Love.

The images were taken today in Port Carlisle, where Dad lives.

Depression-never give up hope.

Destructive tendencies overshadow joy

Empty heart and emotionless void

Piercing silence and perpetual loneliness

Replaces peace and solitude.

Even in our darkest hours we seek the light.

Sustain our strength with firm resolve

Support each other with promises new

In higher spirits soar above the stigma and the shame

Overcome the numbness.

Never give up on tomorrow

At d’Verse Frank challenged us to create an acrostic, and this is tonight’s offering, I might have another later, because he introduced me to some other styles and I might have a go at one of them.

I took the photos tonight down on the beach, it was a beautiful late summer dusk, I wanted to catch the seagull soaring to represent the spirit and hope at the end of the acrostic, they soar too fast and my hands are not steady enough…but I was happy with the two I managed to capture for here. This is what I do to uplift my spirit.

Autumn’s playground.

Bright blue wellington boots

Splashing through the stream

Autumn leaves surrender

Children’s faces gleam.

Splishing through the water

Matching coats and hats

Sunday forest fun-day,

Walking wet and muddy tracks.

Collecting up prickly conkers

Sycamore whizzers and pine cones

Autumn’s children’s playground

Before winter chills their bones.

This is for d’Verse where we were asked to think about shoes. Mine became wellington boots.

Image labelled for reuse-

Every autumn in the UK the fruit of the horse chestnut is gathered by children in order to play the age old game of “conkers”. (U.S. Air Force photo/Judith Wakelam)