Loss.

Cry me all the rain clouds dry.

Cry me all the moisture in the sky.

Cry me the oceans, rivers and lakes.

Cry me this pain out, for God's sakes.

Cry me till no tears are left to cry.

Cry me death as I watch her die.

Cry me this image, imprisoned within.

Cry me, for I am next, yes next of kin.

Mum....

To live in hearts we leave,

Is not to die.

Thomas Campbell.

The lasting gift that any loved one gives us is their presence in our hearts. The memories and the very spirit of the person live on in us, and in the things we cherish and do, long after the person is no longer physically here. That is something no one can ever take away from us.

This presence can be a source of comfort or sustenance, of strength or beauty. It is up to us to dedicate ourselves to intergrating that loving spirit into our ongoing lives.

Taken from A Time to Grieve by Carol Staudacher.

Beaky...The Great Kiskadee.

                                       
 The Meeting.
It was a beautiful morning when he appeared.
A baby bird who could not yet fly.
His beak was so big, his chirp so strong,
That I imagined him to be a baby hawk.
Still surprised by this unexpected meeting,
I watched as he jumped from side to side,
And slowly I approached him.
Suddenly he stopped moving and froze,
Just eyeing me.....
With the intention of catching him, I got even closer. He did n’t try to escape as I thought he would. No, he let me pick him up and hold him in my hands.
I recognised him as a baby “ Bem-te-vi”,*and there and then christened him Beaky.
Intrigued by there being yet another bird in the story of my life, I also named him Messenger and waited for the message to be revealed.
A few days passed and accidently Haleluia! I discovered the message...
Because of it’s song the “Bem-te-vi”, in some countries in Latin America, is also referred to as “Christ- was”.
Hopefully the next time you hear the “Bem-te-vi’s” song you will remember this story and, like me, feel His presence in your life.
Today, I call Beaky “The Messenger of Light”.
And you?
How would you call him?  

*"Bem-te-vi"-  The Great Kiskadee is a large bird member of the fly catcher family. He can be found from extreme southern Texas all the way south to Argentina. He is named for his exuberant “Bee – tee – wee” call.

   This Story was written by Jorge Studart.

* The Christ referred to is Jesus Christ..."Christ was"...who was he?...He was Christ!

Hugh Michael Jackman.

He’s gorgeous...yes he is,

Inside and out he’s a whiz!

Love him to bits,

The way he talks, moves and sits!

He’s a multi-talented wonder,

Let no other man tear this fan and actor asunder!

A celebrity who lives a normal life,

The full package; pets, kids and wife.

A great example to look up to,

Nowadays it’s something accomplished by few.

Must be hard to be daily scrutinized,

Having the public and press constantly praise or criticize.

As much as his private life is an open book,

I’m sure there are times he’d like to be off the hook!

Such is the price one pays for great talent,

But hey,…even under pressure he’s still gallant.

Can’t wait to see what he’ll come up with next?

Some action film with a terrific text!

So Jackman…whatever you do, where ever you go,

Just know that THIS fan wishes you well and loves you so!

P.S. Wow! Re-reading this brings a tear to the eye,

“Corny” is the word I can’t lie!

Still it’s only in this simplest of ways,

That I can express what I feel and sing his praise.

So forgive me if I have offended the written word,

And I know that this sounds absurd.

But “Corny” can be good,

Because I feel that by now, you’ve all understood,

That I am a huge, huge fan,

And one day will be deeply honoured to meet the man.

Until then pray, Hugh keep us entertained,

If this ever gets to you then, I will have gained,

An amazingly talented friend.

So Debs please forgive me …if a kiss I send.

Bless your family and you dear,

Have a safe and fulfilling rest of year.

* I admit that my total admiration for Hugh is very much on the adolescent side, but hey....I'm not just a fan of the hunk...I am very much a fan of the way he conducts his life. I think he is a tremendous example of how such a well-known and popular person should behave. Together with his wife, they make an effort to try living the most normal way they can!...If that is in anyway possible with the press always breathing down your neck! There is also the fact that they've adopted 2 kids which in itself is absolutely awesome!... And what the hell I don't need to justify why I dig the man!!!!

Vespers.

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,

Droops on the little hands little gold head.

Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!

Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

God bless Mummy. I know that's right.

Was n't it fun in the bath tonight?

The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot.

Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot.

If I open my fingers a little bit more,

I can see Nanny's dressing-gown on the door.

It's a beautiful blue, but it has n't a hood.

Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good.

Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed,

And pull the hood right over my head,

And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small,

And nobody knows that I'm there at all.

Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely day.

And what was the other I had to say?

I said "Bless Daddy," so what can it be?

Oh! Now I remember it. God bless Me.

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed,

Droops on the little hands little gold head.

Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!

Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

* Here's another of my favourites!...The genius of  A.A.Milne...You can literally feel all the love in this father, surrounding this simple, but magic moment...

Family relationships.

Delicate.

A delicate relationship that’s what this poem is about,

Between mothers and daughters – there’s no doubt!

Each generation increases problematic demands,

Despite Women’s Liberation and new social commands.

This knot between unconditional love and hate,

Goes on and on through the years until it’s too late.

The physicological games that are played and won,

Are full of emotional blackmail,guilt - and never fun!

The mother tries holding fast to her false sense of control,

While the daughter pretends submission, which costs her, her very soul.

I ask myself why the ties are normally so different between mother and son?

They seem to have very few difficulties – practically none!

Of course, not every mother/daughter relationship has this fate,

Especially when either mother or daughter are in a spiritual state.

I do love my mother, but it’s hard at times,

to overlook the human fragility and our existential crimes.

Remembering that the future look to us to break the chain,

Daughters of the world – PATIENCE – let’s try to not let love wane.

I realize that this poem is a very personal point of view. The most difficult realtionships are normally with those whom we love most. I am still learning how to become a better daughter, both in relation to my mother and to myself. I know that my destiny and biggest challenge in life, is to learn to love and accept my own mother just as she is, without expecting anything back in return. Easier said than done, because deep down we all have a necessity to loved by the one who gave us life!