The Butterfly - Liz Woodington

Today's poem is a "Golden Oldie" and was originally published here in December 2012

Flying in the sky,
Fluttering her alluring wings,
Is a beautiful butterfly,
Totally free and alive,
Full of elegance and grace,
Displaying complete splendour.

Beneath the colourful wings
There is a story,
A life of hardship,
And of immense struggle.
To reach this place of glory
Shea has been on a journey,
A journey packed with difficulty
Which sometimes got extremely tough,
A journey of transformation
Changing her from insignificant
To someone of great value.

And if you were able to ask her
Was it all worth it?
Her answer
Most certainly would but
“Yes!”

Liz Woodington

The Butterfly - Liz Woodington

Flying in the sky,
Fluttering her alluring wings,
Is a beautiful butterfly,
Totally free and alive,
Full of elegance and grace,
Displaying complete splendour.

Beneath the colourful wings
There is a story,
A life of hardship,
And of immense struggle.
To reach this place of glory
Shea has been on a journey,
A journey packed with difficulty
Which sometimes got extremely tough,
A journey of transformation
Changing her from insignificant
To someone of great value.

And if you were able to ask her
Was it all worth it?
Her answer
Most certainly would but
“Yes!”

Liz Woodington

The Little Star - Liz Woodington

Little star shines so brightly
In the night’s sky,
Shining constantly,
Full of beauty and life……….
How pretty she looks,
At the start of her journey.

Little star flickers a bit,
Aware something is not right,
Losing vibrancy,
Not so sturdy now………….
Her brightness fading,
Seeming to have gone forever.

Little star shines no longer,
Her existence made extinct,
Simply forgotten,
Simply discarded from the sky………
The damage is done,
Can’t turn the clocks back now.

Little star sits in the sky,
Where no-one can see her,
Not worth anything,
Full of despair and rejection…………
But she knows she is there,
……….Don’t give up little star!!

Little star begins to be surrounded,
By a loving warmth,
Gradually getting brighter,
Starting to find herself again………
Once more she will reign,
In the night’s sky.

Little star shines so brightly,
In the night’s sky,
Radiant,
Free at last……….
Shining in all her glory,
For everyone to see.

Liz Woodington

Fog - Liz Woodington

Sat on a bench,
Gazing at God's creation,
The sun sparkled
Highlighting utter artistry.
Watched in awe,
Seeing the smiles on people's faces,
People relaxed,
Slowing down to take a moment,
To look and watch.
Peace was very evident.

The dense fog,
Appeared in an instant,
Obliterating the scene,
Cutting off vision
And forcing paralysis.
Lingering,
Not lifting,
Blinding the way forward.
The atmosphere completely different.
Sadness and fear were very evident.

In this moment,
It was very hard to remember,
The fantastic feelings of before,
The beauty had been annihilated.

But hold on a moment,
Looking up,
The sun seemed to try to shine,
Slight gaps in the fog appeared,
And it seemed to be retreating,
More and more of the view returning.
Bit by bit warmth invaded,
Filling me with happiness once more.

Isn't it a bit like life?
Things can be going so well
And then suddenly despair rears it's head.

But there's always hope,
Hope of the splendour reoccurring,
Memories to cling on to,
Glimpses of a way out,
Snippets of freedom coming.

Liz Woodington

The Feeling of Shame - Liz Woodington

A dagger piercing the heart,
Constantly ripping,
Shattering peace,
Causing my head to hang low.

No-one wants me,
No-one loves me,
Not worth anything,
The dagger delves deeper.

A black cloud lingering,
Getting denser and denser,
Loss of self-belief,
Fading away from existence.

Trying to get out,
Means taking risks,
Exposing the shame but.........
The dagger causes more hurt.

Liz Woodington

In The Corner - Liz Woodington

Little girl,
Sitting in a corner.
Rocking,
Crying,
Hugging her damaged self.
No-one comes
To her aid.

Little girl,
All alone.
Does anyone really care?
She lives,
Or so she says.
Outside she seems happy.
Inside she's dead.

Little girl,
Who's not so little.
Having to be
All grown up
Before the right time.
Play days are gone.
Suffering has come.

Little girl
You're an adult now.
Where did your childhood go?
Still sitting in a corner,
She cries,
And rocks.
Will her pain ever end?

Liz Woodington

In My Dreams - Liz Woodington

Pretty garden,
Full of flowers and trees.
Can hear the birds sing,
Hold on to nature,
Experience peace within.

Garden awash with colour
Fragranced with beauty.
Water trickling over rocks,
Sun shining above,
Casting shadows on the ground.

Stand in awe
Of this perfect place.
Catch a glimpse,
Before it disappears again.
It may be gone for some time.

Daybreak comes.
I stir from sleep,
And reality sets in.
It is all but a dream.
Back to the pain and hurt.

"Take me back," I say.

Liz Woodington