We are the World Blogfest # 33: The Poetry Pharmacy …

Heart, Mind and Soul … ‘prescription poems’ for the underside of life … when anyone is feeling down for whatever the reason …

 … poems to be read by oneself … to give a sense of meaning to ‘the underbelly of life’ we maybe feeling at this time; or to read to others …

<<< for us all – to everyone in need >>>

<<< we probably know someone we can help – thoughts / poems / prose to read >>>

I heard William Sieghart talk about this book on the BBC's World Service – remembered enough to make me want to check it out … and once that was done, instantly buy the book, which I did …

… seriously such a good book to own, to peruse … there’s even a note on how to read a poem … one tip is ‘read it almost like a prayer’ …

Photo of the book:
The Poetry Pharmacy

The main headings are: Mental and Emotional Wellbeing; Motivations; Self-Image and Self-Acceptance; The World and Other People; Love and Loss …

Some of the poets (attributions) quoted: Rumi; John Donne; Seamus Heaney; Tolkien …

A few of the sub-headings within the main ones: Anxiety; Glumness; Feelings of Unreality; Loss of Zest for Life; Self-Recrimination; Fear of the Unknown; Unkindness; Infatuation …

# We Are the World
In Darkness, Be Light

I’m going to give you other aspects addressed:  Index of first lines; Index of Conditions;  then also very worthwhile  reading: the Introduction;  The History of the Poetry Pharmacy;  and ‘How to Read a Poem’ …

This little book is for all of us – to use, to give away, to share … please look to buy or ask your library to purchase: so well worth it …

This month … my prescription for …

We are the World Blogfest

“In Darkness, Be Light …”

… is to check out this book to help ourselves, or offer to others – you won’t regret it.

 

We are the World Blogfest

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Reflections Post .. A – Z (Aspects of British Cookery) 2013 ...

To be a part of the group of Bloggers who participate in the A-Z Challenge has once again been a huge pleasure ...

First – Arlee Bird of Tossing It Out had the bright idea in the first place, all of four years ago ... participating in a group of 100 would have been wonderful, but life wasn’t with me then and I opted not to participate.  

Now with 1700 of us for the last 2 years ... it is an amazing achievement.  This is the link to Lee's Relfections Post ... 

Second – for others to have jumped on the bandwagon as Helpers and Organisers through co-hosting is wonderful for us bloggers, who just participate. 

Lots of ‘stuff’ is sorted out by these willing volunteers – and they deserve all the credit we can give them.

There’s been a few extra minions in the background and I certainly hope we helped clarify things – but then someone has to do the work we forward on ... co-hosts and Lee once again.

What year this refers to - I've no idea!!

Third – us lot: the participating bloggers – congratulations to all who finished and especially to all newcomers this year.

Fourth – to comprehend what is going on in the background defies me and I’m aware that I’m in no position to grump or groan or criticise (sorry I noted someone who wasn't being very positive about it all) – as I don’t fully understand how Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad, et al work and then the Browsers, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox to name a few ... and then how we set them up to work either ...

Five – we come from all around the world with many of you speaking English as your second language – I applaud you ... then many of us with differing educations and outlooks on life ... these we need to remember and consider.

I decided that I could not get round to everyone – but I have the rest of the year ... some bloggers were brilliant and gave us recommendations of bloggers who needed extra help or who fitted the letter of the day ... Arlee Bird and Amanda Trought being two I can think of ...

 

Amanda at the Art4Therapy Street Gallery in
University College Hospital, London

I’m lucky I develop a wonderful rapport with many bloggers and have had some fun email conversations ... this year C.Lee McKenzie even going so far as to make my Pond Pudding in my "P" post and posting about it ...

... then she mentions that in the summer she and a friend are having a Pond Pudding Competition ... to see how high they can go and which height makes the best pudding?!  Health and Safety beware!!!!

 

Amanda and I meeting
up at the participative
event of Art4Therapy

I’ve met some brilliant new bloggers to whom I relate to enormously ... the thing I love about the Challenge – those relationships stick ... some haven’t participated this year ... but they’re there.

So often people need our support and having been through my own recent turmoils of the last 7 or 8 years I’ve learnt much, and endeavour to appreciate everyone where they’re at if they’re having problems.

I’ve learnt understanding and thus try and look at things from others perspectives ... ie their set up, their state of mind, their desires and dreams ... some I relate to more easily – as we all do.

One of Amanda's beautiful paintings ... 

The categorising of the blogs this year certainly helped ... but we never know ... there may be hidden talents in another direction - so don't discard anyone!

I’ve had trouble with/I’ve noted:

• Disqus comment facility being put on Blogger blogs – I am unable to comment as the facility doesn’t appear .... I gather it does on other browsers

• Google+ - I sometimes can’t get access (I don’t participate in it)

• The GUI version of Blogger – especially where the gearwheels pop up as the blog is opened up ... I often can’t comment

• Some of us live in the ark, some are advanced and technically astute – but melding and being able to get on to some blogs can be troublesome ... I endeavour to work a way round ... if not ‘tough’ and I just get on.

• It’s the way of the world – enjoy what you can do ... meet like-minded bloggers – by luck as they drop in on you (that happened to me a few times this year), and by commenting as we go through the list ...

• Be positive – take the best outlook ... with 1700 individuals, ten or more genres ... it’s not going to satisfy everyone ... but you joined and if you let it, the experience will be truly gratifying and truly mind opening ...

• ... this is a learning experience par excellence and we are so lucky to have the wonderful people we have organising it for us – so enjoy the people you meet .... it’s a fun fun world!

I doubt there's another group as willing, as supportive as the people we find here putting this show on for us ... I am so thankful!

Cheers!!

Amanda Trought - R for Relationships ... Amanda and I meeting ...

Amanda Trought - U for Update ... her brother has cancer, while her mother is suffering from Dementia ... we appreciated each other's situation, though my life is now my own after my mother's long life ... 

... she asked me how I coped, and what I feel now ... questions we perhaps don't get to ask of others ... I expect we'll meet again to continue these thoughts - but she has other priorities right now.

... I could empathise with the amount Amanda has on her plate with her own family, her art therapy and two of her immediate relations needing a great deal of her time.  Admiration is a word I'd apply here .... she deserves much.

The A - Z is one brilliant challenge ... but so many others in the world have much more pressing challenges affecting their day to day lives ... 

and a PS - 

a couple of things I forgot ... one is I wish people had their email on their sites, so we can make a personal contact, if necessary.   I resisted this for the first year .. but once I'd made lots of friends .. the whole thing became ridiculous and I put up my email - I'm very grateful for the connections I make.

Re commenting .. I too wish people would leave just a little relevant note re the post .. it doesn't take much more effort (if any) - than say the generic "great post" - each time my blog and others are visited ... personalising things helps the connection ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Palm Sunday, Strokes, Reminiscences

Dear Mr Postman .. again you come on a Sunday - thank you so much .. my mother will enjoy these snippets - especially as it is Palm Sunday ..

Palms survive in all sorts of warmer climates .. and surprisingly are to be found as far north as Cornwall, eg in Morrab Gardens, in Penzance - which has a sub-tropical climate regulated by the Gulf Stream (now at the forefront of the global warming debate) - and is where my mother comes from.

Today is a special day for my mother .. as it is now her 3rd Palm Sunday in a hospital; three years ago she was in the Acute Brain Injury Unit in London, where the nurses very kindly made sure she could get down stairs to the Chapel within Queen Charlotte's Hospital (the original name of the old building) to attend the service. In fact the Chaplains were wonderful - as my mother was so late .. as she needed a lot of attention to be put into her wheelchair .. that they actually started the service again - making it shorter.

They also gave her a Palm Cross .. which I kept and mounted on black paper -so that when she came down to Eastbourne, I was able to put it in her eyeline on the wall at the end of her bed.

At present she is in the local hospital and I sincerely hope they sort her treatment out a.s.a.p. so we can get back to the Nursing Centre, where I can visit whenever I want, rather than at the hospital from 2.00 pm onwards. I just like to keep an eye on her and know what she wants and needs - and know she feels reassured when I'm around - in the morning as well as the afternoon.

It's been an interesting experience down at the hospital .. there's always something to learn .. even if the outcome is so unsettled. The other patients seem to have taken to her ... and have realised from the conversations she has - often with herself!!!! - that she's going through her life .. somethings (across her 88 years of time frame) being weaved together - but that it is still pretty intelligible.

It's been quite interesting explaining to people that strokes can affect patients in so many different ways .. but I think my mother must be almost unique .. she can span all of her life - yes, she now forgets somethings, but if I prompt her - she'll remember. I posted two other snippets back in January on "She's gone Cuckoo" and "Emanuensis", which emphasises how well her brain is working .. yesterday when I was with her .. she suddenly came up with two words 'delinquent' and 'decadence' .. so I asked why! "I was thinking of words beginning with 'D' ".. so I said 'delicate' ... no - "too easy" says my Ma!!?? Well - you please tell me what's wrong here? .. her left side may be stroked .. but not her brain.

These positive letters, Hilary's snippets or tales are stories she would like to hear and she said to me "you're having fun doing these?" - yes I am!! It's a difficult time .. but my mother has been an exemplar as a patient .. and quite extraordinary in her mental capacity to overcome the tribulations she has faced - with acceptance, working out for herself the best way to deal with things and hardly ever worrying me - and positive letters are a release for me ... and generate lots of response from family and friends, and now from you too kind readers.

We wish you a blessed Easter week 2009.

Thank you Mr Postman for reminding me of our times together .. and I know you'll have more interesting tales for us tomorrow ..

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters

Introduction: the beginning of Positive Letters & stories

Positive Letters with stories – these have proved to be so useful to me and also to our friends and family as I am able to let them know my mother’s mental health and wellbeing after her 3 major strokes in February 2007.

My mother was in London celebrating my brothers’ birthdays when the strokes started to occur; initially we hoped she’d be well enough to go home to Penzance in Cornwall after due rehabilitation.

She first went to University College Hospital, before being transferred for rehabilitation to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square (just round the corner from Great Ormond Street Hospital for children) – but in transit she suffered further strokes and ended up in the Acute Brain Injury unit of the NHNN.

We were exceedingly lucky in any number of ways – and looking back I have to count our blessings ... see my next post.