Words by A Wensley

 Summits I was always described as a shy child at school, Never look you in the eye  Cry at the mere hint of conflict, Or praise. I grew up 'deficient'; misinterpreted, wronged. I felt a fire in me, Gathering fuel from the incidents That shaped me, Lighting a beacon for my self-esteem To warm my walked-over feet on dark nights. So, I set myself a goal To be able to talk,  Particularly in difficult situations;  To be heard  Without breaking down. I climbed that mountain, Up the path called assertiveness, Around the summit of self-expectation And do you know what I found? There's an echo. Because in finding my voice I cupped my hands and shouted to the world "This is me now!" But all that came back to me from others Was the echo of my former self. So I tried again To make my Self heard, Directing rather than shouting my voice  Down the valley of self confidence. And now I grow in the forest of self-reassurance. Oxygen-clear in tone, Whole-hearted in approach;...

 Sunrise over the compost loos Awakening, full-bladdered, I unzip my sleeping bag And the doorway to my tent, Trying to keep all sound To a minimum, As my children lie sleeping Beside me, Conscious but dormant. Unzipping the tent-door  The sunrise greets me, aflame; An orange ball rising Over the compost loos. I rise, slumbering no more, awestruck, Walk towards them And deliver my contribution To a greener world. Deed done I turn skywards to admire your beauty, But you are shrouded in cloud, Your colour muted. There will be no photographs To prove we all did our bit, No badges of honour Or clapping of hands. And as I enter the tent once more Your youthful cheeks lie palid Below the eyelids of your hopelessness, I see your innocence in it all play out. Sleep on dear children, Dream of brighter days, While we piss in buckets And call it sustainability. A Wensley  20.08.2024

  Tide times Sifting shifting shells and sands Flow through toes and coupled hands Kissed lips glisten sea-salt-sprayed Hips writhe pounded wave 'pon wave Like the tide we rise and fall Pure-love-sure, fantasized all.                     A Wensley 6.8.2024 Inspired by a visit to Nanjizal, Cornwall

 Death of a moth  You came from the heavens Through my open door last night, Carefree, to show me how to smile. You came from hell Through cat-paws, as soft as your wings Defying all challenges, to show me resilience. You came with life, To dance around and around our lightbulb Transfixed with an inevitability, to show me death. You came You smiled You died. Everything in-between was life. Your life brought light, to me; I live to fly another day, My wings singed by sadness. A Wensley 10.08.2024 For Michael Higgs RIP

Strand lines on the sand Triggered tides of loss and fear Wash in, out and over me,  The strand lines on the sand Evidence the debris You created back then, When, I fought the shockwaves And lost my sense of self.  I was driftwood  Floating on a sea of uncertainty,  The only certainty are the memories, flashbacks,  Etched fossil-like on my mind,  Embedded rock hard, never to be eroded.  And yet time has softened  My heightened senses, sharp edges; DBT and Mindfulness have brought clarity  To my cloudy waters of doubt,  And each triggered tide Brings forth less debris  To my mind's strand line. When I watch the tide of emotions Coming into shore now,  I'm able to ride them,  Surf them even,  Because I accept my triggers,  They are part of my journey And there is so much more sea Left to explore  Than the shore I found myself on,  Back then.  Where there are triggers There will always be strand,...

Read aloud with your hand on your heart (if you'd like to): Affirmation Poem Self belief is an empowering force,  no-one can take this away from me,  it is mine to grow and mine to feel. Self awareness is too,  it's within my control, to determine my goals, it's not a limiting factor. If I can say that I know who I am and I'm proud of how far I've come,  know this as my journey,  no-one else's to compare. My confidence comes from being able to be my authentic self.  Being my authentic self brings peace to my life And life to my days. So... I am me, unashamedly, Radiating love, unreservedly, Living life, wholeheartedly. Peace, be with me. A Wensley 3.07.2024 #Strivingnotjustsurviving 

 The May Queen and her Jack in the Green Blessed union; Oh May Queen and your Jack in the Green, Come with colour, paint the scene; Leaves unfurl and blossom bloom Life spring forth o' Earth Mother's' womb. Oh fertile be the lands of Summer Levels flood but riseth never To the top o' Glastonbury Tor. For Avalon, a portal-door To all the lands ancient holds fast,  Greens the Men, breathes song, spells cast: "Air my breath & fire my spirit Earth my body, water my blood"* Traditions here be grown on trees Then danced around by maidens, freed, Of modern ways, Oh May Queen days!  Maypole ribbons intertwine, Drum beats, hearts beat, Yours and mine. A Wensley 3.05.2024 *the song of the green men as they carry the pole...credit to the songwriter https://youtu.be/Gpdn13HL9vI?si=1vsBFISlrziXjvVn