The nature of the heart

The heart is a resilient thing.
It bends and weaves through life,
Taking each up and down in its stride.

There are times it feels like rice paper,
Delicate and fragile,
But give it time and it will fix.

Be careful though not to harden
Make sure you focus on feathers and down to protect it
Not bricks and mortar.

People walk into our lives and leave marks,
For better or worse they shape and mould us.

We should let them reside in the soft down blanket of our hearts
And if they abuse this hospitality,
Wish them well,
Send them on their journey
And love them.

been all quiet ont he writing front recently, so much work so little time to indulge! I am working on some short stories though that should be ready in the next few weeks, and some reflections on aspects of life too that have me musing at the moment.
in the mean time i leave you with this link to the sublime poetry of Keats being read by Benedict Cumberbatch, yum! enough to get the creative juices flowing and the passionate writer within stirr!
http://youtu.be/64eonMsecAA

and remember folks Procrastination may be the thief of time but it is the bedrock of any civilised society!

happy scribblings
xx

Advent for hope (working title)

There is a voice in the wilderness

A voice in the streets

A voice in the madness

A voice where we meet

Come see, come hear

Come listen to me

Taste the excitement

Come witness the three

Peace is in reach

Truth is up close

Our hope is approaching

With our Lord God of hosts

The voice in the wilderness

The cry in the streets

Is in danger of drowning

In the noise and the heat

A solitary voice

A singular song

Carries the joy

And the light through the throng

Come kneel in the crowd

Come wait in the town

Come pause for the child

Our Saviour to crown

bankside

Bankside

Sitting and watching

Standing and staring

Waiting not aching

Dreaming not caring.

Husbands, wives

Girlfriends, boyfriends

Lone friends and old friends

Walk on by.

Families full of laughter,

Couples happy ever after

Stroll on high.

Observer of days,

Watcher of ways

Upon life I ponder, wonder and gaze.

History meets modernity,

At its heart life’s full of absurdity

But that is its beauty

For oft its humanity

That wins out of chaos

And makes sense of such pathos.

5 things about me

5 things about me

1.       I love the gentle ‘sploosh’ the water makes when a stone is dropped from a great height into its murky depths. Disturbing the silten bottom and causing plumes of brown silken dross to cloud the clear and cool waters.

2.       When I see animals they are not static. My response is to give them voices and animate their stilted state. They have life and story and journey as we do hidden desires and complex in their being.

3.       I get lost sat in café’s on my own. I revel in nothing more than sitting back and staring at the world over the rim of my coffee cup. The gentle bubbling foam, aroma of roasted dreams and quiet chatter of life all around. You can tell so much about a person whilst observing them from your Costa sofa.

4.       All babies bring love. They melt even the hardest heart and I wish I was still one of them. Discovering the world for the first time. Intense fascination over a spoon and the bulbous distorted reflection it contains. My secret wish is to be 3 months old again.

5.       Ah the elusive fifth. My indecision causes me to falter here. I could talk of my soul’s deepest love. The desires of my heart, or I may choose the frivolous things that bring a wry smile to my lips.

But instead, I choose this. To me all life is a mystery. We are not doomed to a predictable life with mundane repetition; no these are just the literary tools designed by God to take us from chapter 1 to 5; the passage of time, the boring bits between Elizabeth meeting Darcy at the ball and her consequential encounter by the lake.

This adventure we embark upon before we are even born will never end. We simply move from one revelation to the next.

The dawn before the day

You come to me on the dawn,

Steadfast, with purpose,

You look into my very being,

I will rise, I will go to meet you.

On the dawn we shall meet,

Two lovers entwined in essence.

I hold out my hand to you,

Trembling and unsure.

Your embrace is that of fire.

On the dawn we fly

To the farthest ends of the earth.

To be as one,

In all eternity.

Autumns Delights

Shades of orange, gold and red,

Take the ash, oak beech and be fed.

On colours rich and honeyed hue

Natures canvas on sky so blue.

Fruits so ripe and scented flower,

Arching boughs that strain and tower.

Gather them up in apron and pocket,

Gather them up little lucy locket.

Apples, pears, plums and kob nuts

Priceless jewels to feast and fill us.

And when you’re done and had your fill,

The earth shall sleep in winters still.

Emma Constantine 2011

142:8

In the morning , let me know your love

When the sun is creeping round the curtain

Show me your mercy.

When I open my eyes and blink to stem the tide of blinding light

Fill my heart with your presence.

When I go about my day

Let me see your face

In the tasks of life

Give me your strength.

In the washing up

The cleaning and tending of the household

Show me your patience.

In the night

 let me find your tenderness

in the dark

give me your intimacy.

As the world turns and my days roll round

The light of life brings hope.

So that, my beloved,

In the morning

Let me know your love.

Emma Constantine 2011