poems – Page 10 – Hues of Hankinson

Te Matau ā Pohe

It was a crisp clear winter’s morn

The town was still waking

The bridge was awash in early morning glory

Breathtaking beauty in a moment

Of luxury and peaceful contemplation

These moments are cherished

The moments where our existence

However minuscule is in perfect harmony

With the world around us.

Alison Jean Hankinson

Te Matau ā Pohe is the name of the bridge in Whangarei, it was opened on Saturday 27 July 2013. The bridge spans the Hatea River from Pohe Island to Port Road. Its name means the fish-hook of Pohe.

The symbolism of the fish-hook, it represents strength, good luck and safe travel across water.

This was written in response to d”Verse poetics. Link here:

d’Verse poetics abridged

I took the photos on the morning described, I had taken Ellen to work very early one winter’s morning and just had to pull over and take in the beauty of the moment.

#d’Verse

Queen Victoria’s wedding dress

Honiton ruffles crafted on Devon bobbins

Royal Couple

Honiton ruffles
Crafted on Devon bobbins
In a back-street living room
Spitalfield silk sewn
With simplicity of soul
captured her gracious beauty
White Lace for lovers
Flowing soft against her thigh
Shared dreams of royals at dusk
Lascivious lust in mind.

Alison Jean Hankinson

This was a response to d’Verse Meeting the Bar; the Choka

Anyway this was my second ever attempt at a Choka..I tried to understand the form. Queen Victoria did love Albert and married very young at the age of eighteen, she had nine children during her life-time, and was grandmother to 42 grand-children.

d’Verse Meeting the bar

Image: By Engraved by S Reynolds after F Lock [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Remembering Wormwood

Chernobyl’s children still suffer the sentence of their parents malefaction

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Chernobyl’s children
Still suffer the sentence of
Their parents malefaction,

The ruins remain ruins
Decay covers more decay
Destruction and despair draped

in pure white blanket
The crystal cloak of winters’
season salves not purifies.
As Earth still revolves
And snows of winter still fall
Burnt out remains lie buried
Will never be forgotten.

Alison Jean Hankinson

Image: By Clay Gilliland from Chandler, U.S.A. (Wormwood Star Memorial) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

This was a response to d’Verse Meeting the Bar; the Choka

I have never attempted this form/format before and found it quite a challenge. Anyway this was my first ever attempt at a Choka..I tried to understand the form.

d’Verse Meeting the bar

For Ellen

michaela-sagatova-new-beginning-at-the-ends-of-the-earth

Pre-empted vision

And what stands between us

Is only time and space.

Meaningless when you consider the vacuum

That we have already crossed.

Alison Jean Hankinson

We were asked to use visual prompts to be inspired- the idea of new beginnings, this particular image spoke volumes to me- as we are just about to embark on a new journey and leave behind our precious daughter Ellen. We will be worlds apart but I believe that love, all love-especially a mother’s love can span the abyss of any darkness, cross any void and penetrates the cavern of eternity. ( The same Ellen as in Ellen has a fever., but she was only 18 months old then and now she is 17…)

Image-New beginnings at the ends of the earth- by- Michaela Sagatova, see web link below:

Visual prompt

This is for “beginnings” at d’Verse Poetics, hosted by Mish

Beginnings d’Verse

Ellen has a fever

It was the coldest night of winter,

snow on the footpaths and icicles

hanging from the window ledges.

Every window open to biting frost as Ellen had a fever

Cradled in the crook of my arm her chubby hot hand curled around my fingers.

Alison Jean Hankinson

For Quadrille#23 Curl at d’Verse.

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Juanita the human barometer.

hands-854593_1280

Juanita could tell when there was a wild storm approach

Rheumatoid arthritis made her a human barometer

As the wind and rain would vent and hurl

her tiny hands would begin to curl

And she would feel intense pain from her neck to toes.

Alison Jean Hankinson.

for Qaudrille #23 at d’Verse

It wasn’t possible to outdo the prompt verse…. it is at is…I tried to keep this in the same lighthearted style….

Thought I had better say that I am not being mean….I have RA and this does happen.

Footprints in the snow.

footprints_in_the_snow_in_minnesota Christmas lights glitter and glow as the festive season is in full flow

An unexpected and unwelcome visitor steals through the shadows

Puts prime of life on ice and she is gone too soon.

Shattered souls weep amidst the shards of broken glass.

Alison Jean Hankinson

image: By Gina Paulucci (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

World gone mad.

colorful-572279_1280 Inside my head

Spinning around

Dreams and aspirations gone awry

Future peace mocked by the war-torn pieces

Of a world gone mad.

Alison Jean Hankinson 20/12/2016

Benevolence. All that is good

It is the time of year where we put aside differences

Share olive branches and give forgiveness

As we recognise that human spirit is often all we have left to celebrate

In a world which sometimes seems to breed hate.

Bjorn asked us to reflect on a complex year where many have been stretched and shattered, and the pieces of peace seem broken beyond repair and then there is the despair as the void fills with the thoughts and prophecies of the great hereafter.

The paradox- we don’t know what we don’t know and yet this might just be as good as it gets.

I learned late in life that my time is the one thing that I can give that can be of use and beneficial. It is something that is extremely precious and therefore I try to choose to use it wisely, and be it for netball coaching or having tea and conversation with good friends it can and does truly make a difference. It isn’t about the quantity or the number of moments but about their meaningfulness.

When we give our time with love to another to focus on their story and their need we truly honour their spirit. It is irrelevant if their journey has been more complex or blessed or held more tragedy or good fortune. What is relevant is the state of their suffering or well-being at that one moment in time and what you did to honour it.

In my life I am blessed I have family and friends to share my journey, food in my cupboard and enough to nourish anyone who needed to knock on my door and ask for sustenance. I have the ability to work for a living, have made the most of my opportunities to be educated and empowered and hope that I have the wisdom to know that if this moment is the point in my life where “this is as good as it gets,” that I savoured it for what it was and accepted the joys and sadness for the experiences that they were.

If you ever get an opportunity to help heal the soul of another take it with both hands and know that somewhere there is someone who would do the same for you. With love at Christmas-time.

d’VerseOpen link night#186

http://dversepoets.com/?tag=dverse-open-link-night