As dark days of Winter
begin to fade,
and the face of hope
is not far away,
first signs of spring 
begin to show
small white heads 
above the snow.
Reminding the heart
that dark times fade
and sadness for laughter
we can trade,
as nature performs
her wonderful thing,
the changing of seasons
from Winter to Spring.



By Alison Fielding.

‘What are we human beings without hope’?    (The Moon Sister by Lucinda Reilly)

I have always loved this poem by Emily Dickinson.  I don’t know when I first read it but it comes into my mind so often at times of difficulty, and I know it inspired me when writing my own ‘hopeful poetry’.  I keep asking Santa or the birthday fairy for a book of her poems, as yet it’s not arrived, but I will keep ‘Hoping’!

My week seems to have been full of reminders of hope.  I was walking Jess around the park the other day, there was a cold bite to the air and the sun was shimmering and dancing through the trees, it was a perfect English winter morning,  bright, fresh and crisp.  The weather on its own would have been enough to lift my spirits had they needed lifting, but what was unexpected…