A Christmas Poem.

Here is a Christmas poem, for you.

Christmas Box.

I fill a Christmas box
With things I want to share.
First in goes love,
Wrapped in an angels’ wing.
Then there is peace
Tied up with a ribbon of diplomacy.

Then I add prosperity
laid in a cup of common-sense
And medicine,
folded into a nurses uniform.
I put in compassion,
in pieces small enough

to place in your heart
And understanding sweetened
with sympathy so that
You may eat of it and
feel it from within.
Next comes empathy.

Enough to share with others.
Then joy to lighten the darkest day.
And hope in a dish
that never will be found empty,
Wrapped in a cloth of strength
to get you through the worst times.

There is magic too. Just a pinch.
To make one small thing happen-
By reading this,
you have opened the box
And all those things inside it
now belong to you.



Wishing you all the very best at Christmas and for the New Year.

Love and Peace to all
From Miki Byrne.

The Pneumonia Journal.

My time being ill with Phenomenon, plus the stay in hospital has resulted in 25 short poems that reflect how I felt. They are not depressing. I've tried to maintain good humour and a sense of optimism. Some are quite dark but I think that is to be expected. I also found drug induced feelings were quite interesting. A bit like being a Hippy again and on a quest for mind expansion. When I have edited the poems I shall put a few on here. In the meantime, to anyone reading this, Have a great Christmas and New Year. Love and peace to all. Miki.x

A confusing time.

I haven't written this blog since about the middle of November. I developed Pneumonia which has lasted till now and Is still making itself felt. My knee replacement operation was cancelled. Yesterday I saw my chest specialist at Cheltenham General. His opinion was that I still have a severe infection in my lungs and should be admitted to hospital for ten days to receive intra-venous antibiotics. I baulked at the ten day stay as it brings me right to Christmas and I have things to do, plus, I don't want to leave Harry for that length of time. It's possible that a shorter course might do the trick but I don't know till I start it. Since yesterday morning then , I have been waiting for a phone call that hasn't happened. I'm stuck to the house because of it and I can't pack half of the things I need because things like my drugs (many and varied) and my toiletries are needed every day anyway. Following after the confusing, inconvenient and discourteous way my knee op was cancelled I feel that this wait is too annoying for words. I can guarantee that when someone does call it will be couched in urgent terms and they will expect me to jump into action. Also, this is going to cost a fortune for Harry to visit me in Cheltenham and to park at the hospital. This is so stressful . On top of feeling ill in the first place. I do wish that the NHS was structured to include a little basic courtesy to patients. I am sick of medical appointments, brusque Doctors, lack of information and the whole dismissive-de-humanising ethos that is prevalent in the NHS today. Yes. It's a great institution. I appreciate that and all the the good people who do their best but right now I am seriously fed up with the whole thing. The only good thing to happen is that I have written a sequence of poems, about 16 in all, while I have been ill. When they are edited I shall put a few on this blog. I'm just contemplating phoning my chest specialists secretary to see if I can glean any information but I'm not holding my breath.

After Children In Need at Waterstones.

As I had hoped the fundraiser in Waterstones went off extremely well. I was so impressed by the way people got on board with the idea from the start. All the poets did really well. We had a delightful mix of words ranging from the thought provoking to some old favourites. Of course there was a lot of original poetry which is always wonderful. I admit to a little nervousness at the beginning when it seemed that only three poets were there but they all arrived in the end. The perils of public transport and parking in Cheltenham had simply delayed a few people for a while. The event went more quickly than I had planned but I think that's because I was whizzing about collecting money in between announcing poets and talking to people. The friends who came to help did a sterling job. Their fancy dress costumes were very well made and they brightened up The Promenade for many passers-by. Two of the partaking poets were very brave. both Gill Wyatt and Jay Brook had never read in public before. they both read well and provided some really good work. It's not easy to get up and speak your hearts work in front of strangers and I thank them doubly for shelving their nerves and doing it for the kids. So, after the event Harry and I took the money collected to the bank. H had to carry it as I couldn't. Have you any idea how heavy a bucket full of coins is? I then sent the required paperwork off to the BBC with the Bank's stamp on it. Then the total sum poster went off to Waterstones and the request for a Pudsey 'Thank You' certificate went to the Beeb as well. All done and dusted. All that remains it to watch the huge BBC Children In Need event on TV tonight. I've called us The Gloucestershire Poets.I wonder if they'll mention us on the banner that runs across the

screen?

busy, busy, busy.

Well, I have been busy with the forthcoming Children In Need fundraiser at Waterstones. I've found out my old copy of The Nations Favourite Poems just in case anyone needs to choose something from it. I have my collection buckets ready, complete with yellow Pudsey ribbons and stickers. The poets are working away on their words and I have just been interviewed for the Gloucester Echo. They should carry the feature on Tuesday. I hope it brings plenty of people into the book store. My own fundraising(sponsoring and donations) from neighbours etc. is going well. I feel a little momentum building now and it's great. I shall continue to email the world and its grandmother up until Friday night.It should be great fun. I hope to see you there folks. Please come along.

Update.

Well, the operation was cancelled at the last minute after a very frustrating and irritating few hours at the hospital. Not to mention starving myself and getting very little sleep the night before. I have though had more time to work on the children In Need event. It is proving a little frustrating. I have now got 12 very good poets to come along and read, plus a storyteller. However half of them won't tell me when they want to read and one hasn't contacted me since I first floated the idea weeks ago. I have tried to raise interest but my emails to the local papers radio and TV companies go unanswered. It's so annoying. I shall make another onslaught and hope for the best.

This weeks work.

it seems a long time since I last wrote yet it isn't actually too long. I have had many things to sort out prior to going into hospital for a knee replacement. I have no idea how well I shall be able to walk after the op. I assume walking with a stick will come first. It's a bit awkward trying to organise a fundraiser for Children In Need with the hospital visit falling right in the middle of me returning from holiday and the event itself. Still, I digress. I have had seven lovely kind poets offer their time and talent for the said afternoon and I shall read too, even if its from a wheelchair. I'm hoping it will be a good event. It's something I planned to do over the years but has always coincided with me being ill or having surgery. Maybe this will be the year! I have also tried to drum up some publicity and contacted newspapers, TV and Radio. No response yet though.

Besides all this I have brought back eight poems from my holiday in Wales and have been working on those. I have written a couple more chapters of my crime novel and entered a few competitions. This week I have four medical appointments so I'm fitting work in where I can. I was pleased to have a poem accepted last week but that was followed by two rejections. The balance is about right.
I have added the details of the Children In Need event below for those who might be interested