Hope – willowdot21

What do you see # 237- May 6, 2024 Angel in Pain.

Sadje at Keep it alive said: “Welcome back to another WDYS prompt“

Rules;

You can write a post on your blog and create a pingback to link to the original post.
Write an original story, poem or a caption.
There is no limit to words or format but keep it family-friendly.
If you post a response before next Sunday, I will be able to add it to my roundup post.
I will do a round-up next Sunday before the next Prompt is posted.
It is always helpful if you can give your post/story/poem a title.
There are issues with pingbacks in WordPress these days. So please paste a link of your post in the comments section so that I don’t miss anyone in the roundup post.

Please tag your responses with

#Whatdoyousee

Or

#WDYS

Does this picture inspire you to write something?

***Image credit; Marianna Smiley*** @ ***Unsplash “Thrive” by Danial Pooper a sculpture in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.***

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows a giant female figure who is opening her chest to show the greenery inside. There are cracks on the visage and torso of this sculpture.

Angel in Pain

I saw the Angel at the grave weeping tears.
The weight grief she carried, through the years

It hurt to see the angel so, such a burden she had to carry.
The hate and betrayal all around I wondered why she’d tarry.

Her tears were real I touched I know.
I wondered what on earth had made this lacrimo flow.

She told me all that she had seen and places she had been.
The trenches of Ypres, concentration camps and bloody fields at Waterloo. She’d held dying men and abused women and children too.

The world is not improving even after all that she has tried .
To help us toward peace and love is always pushed aside.

She asked me for my help, I was indeed surprised.
I a mere mortal who has sinned and lost all pride.
Reaching out a hand to me , she touched my chilled skin.
To my great surprise she was warm that set me wondering.

How could marble feel like flesh, my heart began to pound
I looked into her blue eyes another wonder there I found.
As well as tears I saw great knowledge gained from living life too long.

She offered me a bag of seeds the like I had never seen
She begged plant them where I stood among this grass so green.
I asked her what the seeds were and why upon this slope.
She looked at me with pleading eyes and whispered “These are the seeds of hope!”

I was holding in my hands the hope for all the world,
It was a terrifying thought. To keep them safe, my fingers gently curled .

Plant them please, plant them now and make a vow.
Tend these most important seeds, watch them as they grow.
I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders as those tiny seeds I then did sow.I saw the Angel at the grave she was weeping tears. The weight of all the grief she had seen, years of pain and fears.

It hurt me to see the angel so, such a burden she had to carry. The hate and betrayal all around I wondered why she should tarry.

Her tears were real I touched them so I know. I wondered what on earth had made this lacrimo flow.

She told me all that she had seen and places she had been. The trenches of Ypres, concentration camps and bloody fields at Waterloo she had held dying men and abused women and children too.

The world is not improving even after all that she had tried .To guide and help and educate us toward peace and love . It was always pushed aside.

She asked me for my help, I was indeed surprised. I am a mere mortal who has sinned and lost all pride. Reaching out a hand to me , she touched my chilled skin. To my great surprise she was warm that set me wondering.

How could marble feel like flesh, my heart began to pound I looked into her blue eyes another wonder there I found. As well as tears I saw great great knowledge gained from living life too long, not the type we learn from college.

She offered me a bag of seeds the like I had never seen she begged plant them where I stood among this grass so green. I asked her what the seeds were that she asked I plant upon this slope. She looked at me with pleading eyes and whispered they are the seeds of hope!

I was holding in my hands the hope for all the world, it was a terrifying thought so around them, to keep them safe, my fingers gently curled .

Plant them please, plant them now and make to me one vow. Tend these most important seeds, watch them as they grow. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders as those seeds I began to sow.

The angel sighed so gently I nearly didn’t hear.
She touched my face and told me not to fear.
She looked so very tired, she looked so very old.
Then suddenly with no fuss she once again was made of marble cold.

Ovi Poetry Challenge 41: HOPE is your inspiration.

Running for the train, don’t give up
Coffee needed, grab that last cup
Life’s a shambles such a mashup
She always smiled her name was hope.

Always light on the horizon
Dawn magic to keep your eyes on
It will be right it won’t be wrong
Please always see the positives

PART OF RONOVANWRITE’S OVI POETRY CHALLENGE

Good Friday .

Today is Good Friday , the day that Jesus was crucified. Below is part of my story “SOFIA, HOW IT BEGAN” . Sofia is a fallen angel who fell to earth during the first battle between good and evil. She lost her wings and is condemned to an eternal existence as she tries to redeem her soul and rightful place under God’s gaze. If you’d like to read more of how her story began you can read here. It’s a rough outline of a work in progress.

The Crucifixion

Image from Pixabay

The sky had gone unexpectedly black and there was thunder and lightning ! The woman and the child stood at the foot of the young man’s cross the child shaking with fear the woman talking, beseeching as if there was someone else there. One of the Roman soldiers spat and said to no one in particular ” Who is that, she has dragged that child here, two steps behind this ‘King of the Jews ‘ since he left Pilots house.”

Sofia was unaware of the weather and her surroundings she was there to support the man, the boy , the babe she had followed every step of his life. Except for his mother she was, of his followers, the closest to him ….. *The pain that had wrecked her body since that day in the market she now was sharing with the man.

She kept reaching out to touch his foot but each time she did Gabriel or one of his brothers stepped forward to stab at her hand. She was bleeding from both hands and her shoulder where the angry angels had struck her. She spoke softly to the man asking for his forgiveness and offering to take on all his pain. The man looked like he had weakened once or twice but each time he went to speak to her Gabriel would lash out at her causing more blood to flow.

Suddenly as if awakening from a dream she knelt down to comfort the child. “Don’t worry Nadia , remember he has taught us all that he is going to his father’s house and we too shall join him there.” The child looked into Sofia’s eyes and asked “why are you in so much pain? I don’t understand I am frightened!” Sobbing Nadia buried her head in Sofia’s cloak “why does he not listen to you, why do the others hurt you” Who” asked Sofia shocked “what others” Wiping her eyes Nadia shouted angrily. “Those men in white with swords of fire and white wings and faces of stone when they look at you”

“It is a long story I shall tell you all” replied Sofia but not here.

It was early afternoon in reality but it was still as black as night up on the hill at Calgary. Sofia and Nadia still held their vigil the child crying for the man she had come to love who she and Sofia had shadowed faithfully over the last two years since her mother had died and she had found Sofia. Sofia her body, shuddering in pain, cried too for the world.

Later

A group of women approached, among them Mary the man’s mother and Mary Magdeline a well known whore who had given up all her hard earned wealth and her work to follow the man. He had that effect on lots of people and not only women, just look at his close twelve known as the Apostles. All of them fishermen from Galilee they had just up and left all to follow the young man.

As the group arrived they embraced Sofia and Nadia. Mary thanked them for staying with her son. “He is still suffering ” said Sofia . As she spoke Mary ( the mother) looking at her had a strange feeling of recollection just out of reach. Then as Sofia bent forward to kiss her on the cheek recollections flooded into her head. “Sofia” she cried “it’s you, where have you been” Taking her hand Sofia replied “I have been either at your side or one step behind you, I never left , you just did not see me. “The angels moved to separate the two women but the man on the cross silently stopped them.

Sofia told them that she must take the child away to rest , Mary held on to her hand “please do not leave me again Sofia I need you” Sofia saw Gabriel over Mary’s shoulder his look was like stone but Sofia took her gaze from him and looking into Mary’s face she promised she would stay this time and she meant it!

Leading Nadia away Sofia made her way down the hill, as she passed the lead Centurion he whispered in his ear “Give the order to stab the “King of the Jews in the side”. As they climbed down to the road Sofia heard the voice of the centurion barking out the order……

Ovi Poetry Challenge 41: HOPE is your inspiration.

They prayed, yet they were unheeded
Bombs fell they prayed, more was needed.
The strong thrived, the weak were weeded
Light brought hope on the white doves wings.

THIS IS PART OF RONOVANWRITE’S OVI POETRY CHALLENGE.

M.M.M.M. on Tuesday !

Good morning everyone…I am a day late with this post but as they say better late than never. Now this week our hosts at MMMM decree it’s a choose your own week. Well I have a few issues weighing on my mind so I am going for the songs and parts of my life that lift my soul.

Below in no particular order some of the things that lift me up.

Firstly Take That with Greatest Day from 2008 it’s such an uplifting song and the video at sunrise just gives me hope.

Secondly this song is for my family, our sons, partners, grandchildren and wonderful hubby it’s You raise me up by Josh Groban from 2004.

Those two above always raise me up 💜

Lastly if I could just escape the now, ( just for a little while I really do) I would go to Narnia . But for now the best I can do is listen to Imogen Heap and her theme for The Chronicles of Narnia from 2005.

I have just looked at the songs I have picked today and it looks like I am stuck in the early 2000s! ..Hey ho where my lippy and my smile on with the day. I hope everyone out there is well and happy 💜💜💜💜

Here is a bonus track that’s uplifting by the Lighthouse Family Lifted. From the year 1995.

This is part of Monday Music Moves Me 🎶🎶

Monday’s Music Moves Me is sponsored by Marie, Cathy, Alana, and Stacy, so be sure and visit them, where you can also find the Linky for the other participants.

One-Liner Wednesday .

“The presence of Darkness does not Dimminish the Light. ” Sam Ryder.

Sam said this in May 2023. He was possibly talking about his song Mountain which he sang at the Eurovision Song Contest or the state of the world. ….Either way he has a point! The phrase really rings true to me I shall leave it with you.

International Woman’s Day.

Today 8th May is international women’s day.

International Women’s Day

We may not be together, we may be far apart.

But my sisters you are never far from my heart.

We may stand on different shores separated by the sea and county

But we’re never so far that words cannot reach you from me.

I write this to tell you I pray that you are free

We need to stand together to mend this world you see.

The way may be uncertain. We’re not sure of the road.

But knowing we’re united, helps this heavy load.

So Sisters near and far let’s all look up to our nearest star.

Reach out my sisters let’s join hands.

Together we we can lay our plans.

To build a kinder better place and put a smile of every woman’s face.

Here are some famous women.

Rosa Parks – In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on the bus she was travelling on. This helped initiate the civil rights movement in the United States. The leaders of the local black community organized a bus boycott that began the day Parks was convicted of violating the segregation laws. She became a nationally recognized symbol of dignity and strength in the struggle to end entrenched racial segregation.

Naomi Wadler – 11 year old, Naomi Wadler stood in front of thousands of people and gave a courageous speech at the March For Our Lives. She spoke for black women, who are disproportionately represented among the victims of gun violence. ‘I am here today to acknowledge and represent the African American girls whose stories don’t make the front page of every national newspaper, whose stories don’t lead on the evening news.’

Florence Nightingale – Knowing as “the lady with the lamp”, Florence Nightingale nursed injured soldiers during the Crimean war. Her passion and dedication changed the public’s perception about this profession. Her insistence on improving sanitary conditions for the patients is believed to have saved many lives.
Mother Tereasa – Mother Tereasa, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1979, aimed at looking after those who had nobody to look after them through her own order “The Missionaries of Charity”. She worked tirelessly towards her goal until her ill-health that included two heart attacks, pneumonia and malaria, which forced her to step down in March 1997.
Maya Angelou – Maya wrote seven autobiographical books and will be forever beloved for her powerful poems. Maya was an active voice in the civil rights movement. In addition to gaining national recognition for her writing, she made many people rethink their ideas about sex workers by writing about her own experience as a sex worker.
Marie Curie – Curie was a Polish-French physicist and chemist. She was the first person to have received two Nobel Prizes. She was also the first female professor at the University of Paris and the first lady to be enshrined in France’s national mausoleum, the Paris Panthéon.
Frida Kahlo – Frida had many traumas throughout her life. This includes a bus accident which left her unable to conceive. These disasters helped her paint her inner truth and her put pain on to paper. Frida’s paintings are fearless because they show the conflicting duality of female experience.
Helen Keller – Helen lost her sight and hearing at a young age yet she defied expectations to achieve a bachelor’s degree and inspired generations as an activist for disability rights.
Here are many more you can read about.