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Category Archives: poetry

Treasures and A Poem

We are gradually getting our utility room, aka Sun Room with its wide new window, back in order and have put some of the things back on the walls. One of these is an old print tray that I have used for special treasures, every one of which has a story.

Tomorrow, all the family will arrive for a five day celebration of my birthday! This morning I read the following poem which reminded me of a fascinating fact I learned many years ago. Baby girls are born with all the eggs they will ever have, meaning a female foetus develops these future eggs while still in her mother’s womb, creating a fascinating biological link where a grandmother carried her future granddaughter as an immature egg inside her yet-to-be-born daughter. So, tomorrow with two daughters arriving with their daughters, this poem reminds us of our very special connection.

6 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 29, 2025 in art, family, paper, poetry, Postaday2025

Tags: Eilise Powers

Three Gifts – A Snowflake, Cookies and A Poem

19 Dec

A snowflake arrived in today’s post, beautifully crocheted and a gift from a follower. It has gone straight onto our tree.

Thank you very much Judith

Another gift came today, one we were instructed not to keep until Christmas but to consume soon. So this evening we have each had a delicious Raspberry and White Choc Chip Cookie for dessert.

Thank you S and E, absolutely gorgeous!

A fellow Humanist has written the following poem which touched me and she kindly gave me permission to share it with you.

‘

It’s Our Christmas Too’ by Mary Fletcher

Christmas comes just at the darkest time of year

flashing lights

a twinkling tree

some time for lovely food

for friends and family

for children to be given too much stuff

for those of us with no children

to realise what we lack.

We look forward to the New Year

warm sunshine and green shoots will come back.

Those of us that do not believe in god

and worship no one

but put our faith in hope,

In folk to do their best,

we do not go to church.

we do not believe we’ll live after we die,

But we can light a candle,

share in singing,

pass some treats around.

Its our Christmas too,

Our Solstice,

Our Midwinter,

Our humanist joy,

That celebrates and treasures

Every baby girl and boy.

Thank you, Mary.

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 19, 2025 in baking, Christmas, Christmas decorations, crochet, friendship, Happiness, Humanism, Kindness, poetry, Postaday2025

Screenshot, More Singing and A Poem

07 Dec

My Dear Sister in Hawai’i watched the livestream as did family in Atlanta and blogging friend Nancy. My lovely sister took some screen shots and sent them through to me. Here’s one of both choirs, The Ingleheart Singers and The Suitcase Singers and Claire, our lovely leader. Sharing the concert was a very special way to feel connected with my sister when we live so very far apart..

The Inglehearts sang again this afternoon at the Eco Park’s Christmas fair with a delightful audience.

I’ve shared poems by Billy Collins before but not this one I think..Here are the first few verses which truly ring a bell with me. I hope this one appeals to you too – then you can look it up and get the last three verses.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 7, 2025 in community, Cornwall, friendship, Happiness, poetry, Postaday2025

Scarf, Gloves and A Poem

23 Nov

I’ve made myself a beautiful scarf and matching fingerless gloves for singing at outdoor gigs over the winter months.

Fingerless so I can still turn pages if I need to.

I can’t remember where I found this poem but saved it to share sometime so here is is now. I especially love the last three lines.

11 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 23, 2025 in craft, knitting, poetry, Postaday2025, Uncategorized

Tags: Gary Snyder, Stylecraft, Stylecraft Elf, the craft collective

Blue Sky and A Poem

18 Nov

We’ve had an unusually warm start to November, blue skies and bright sun, but tonight’s weather forecast for the next few days includes a warning for snow and ice even here in Cornwall.

This poem by Theodore Roethke seemed a good choice for tonight.

The Coming of The Cold – Theodore Roethke

The ribs of leaves lie in the dust,
The beak of frost has pecked the bough,
The briar bears its thorn, and drought
Has left its ravage on the field.
The season’s wreckage lies about,
Late autumn fruit is rotted now.
All shade is lean, the antic branch
Jerks skyward at the touch of wind,
Dense trees no longer hold the light,
The hedge and orchard grove are thinned.
The dank bark dries beneath the sun,
The last of harvesting is done.

All things are brought to barn and fold.
The oak leaves strain to be unbound,
The sky turns dark, the year grows old,
The buds draw in before the cold.

The small brook dies within its bed;
The stem that holds the bee is prone;
Old hedgerows keep the leaves; the phlox,
That late autumnal bloom, is dead.

All summer green is now undone:
The hills are grey, the trees are bare,
The mould upon the branch is dry,
The fields are harsh and bare, the rocks
Gleam sharply on the narrow sight.
The land is desolate, the sun
No longer gilds the scene at noon;
Winds gather in the north and blow
Bleak clouds across the heavy sky,
And frost is marrow-cold, and soon
Winds bring a fine and bitter snow.

No Roots for me today, still under par, but I did send along the lemon cake I made last week which has been in the freezer waiting. A lovely volunteer kindly came to collect the cake this morning on his way to Community Roots. Thanks, M.

6 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 18, 2025 in friendship, Kindness, poetry, Postaday2025

Tags: Theodore Roethke

Returning

12 Nov

Mary Oliver always has the words one needs.

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 12, 2025 in antiques, poetry, Postaday2025, Uncategorized

Tags: Mary Oliver

Quiet Day, A Poem and Almanac Entry

10 Nov

A sore throat kept me away from singing this afternoon, not wishing to share any germs, but I did make a lemon cake for tomorrow’s volunteers.

John Dryden has the right idea here, live each day for itself. It’s a skill I am trying hard to master.

I like checking Sandi Toskvig’s Almanac from time to time. Here is today’s entry and a link to the music Sandi suggests. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1OJvqKNGg4

5 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 10, 2025 in baking, poetry, Postaday2025, Uncategorized, Words

Tags: Harry Belafonte, John Dryden, Miriam Makeba

Remembrance Day, Peace and A Poem

09 Nov

Our very talented, local knitter has been busy again and made a wonderful topper for today.

We wear white poppies in remembrance of all victims of war – the wars happening now, the civilians and the refugees and as a commitment to peace. The white poppy is also worn to challenge militarism and any attempt to glorify or celebrate war. I was pleased to see a white poppy included in the topper.

I found a poem about Peace for today and first found this one attributed to Mary Oliver. Here it says that was wrong, it is a poem by Judyth Hill. Thank you for this.

Wage Peace

By Judyth Hill*

Wage peace with your breath.
Breathe in firemen and rubble,
breathe out whole buildings
and flocks of redwing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists and breathe out sleeping children
and freshly mown fields.
Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.
Breathe in the fallen
and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.

Wage peace with your listening:
hearing sirens, pray loud.
Remember your tools:
flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.
Play music, learn the word for thank you in three languages.
Learn to knit, and make a hat.
Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,
imagine grief as the outbreath of beauty
or the gesture of fish.
Swim for the other side.
Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious.
have a cup of tea and rejoice.
Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.

* Sometimes mistakenly attributed to Mary Oliver