Wild Hope is Donna Ashworth’s powerful new collection of wisdom to help us find hope, peace, self-acceptance and inspiration on the days we feel worn down, helpless or sad.

Poems taken from Wild Hope: Healing Words to Find Hope in Dark Days
By Donna Ashworth
Published by Black and White Publishing

WINTERING

You may think yourself lazy, or flawed. Yet your body
is made of almost exactly the same elements as the stars.
Your bone composition matches perfectly the coral
in the seas, and you, my friend, are ruled by the moon
and the sun, the tides and the planets. Whether you
like it or not. So, no, you are not lazy, you are not late.
Nature is simply pulling you to slow, like the life, flora
and fauna around you. It is not your moment to rise.
Look around you. It is winter. You are wintering.
And you are right on time.

CHILDREN IN HEAVEN

I spoke to a robin
who visits my tree
I told him I thought
you were waiting for me

he shook his soft head
and much disagreed
the children in heaven
are happy, you see

they know of no fear
they feel no regret
they spend the days wrapped
in a blissful forget

they’re loved very much
by your ancestors all
and they run around playing
with sticks and a ball

and the only time
children in heaven seem sad
is when they look down
on the life that they had

and the people they love
feel no longer alive
even though it’s not their time
to travel this side

so chin up, said Robin
let no more tears fall
your child is quite free
with their sticks and a ball

and they’re in no great rush
to see you just yet
you’ve life still to live
and more memories to get

and time may pass slowly
here on the ground
but in heaven it’s moments
and will quickly come round

so let the world turn
and let everything be
the children in heaven
are happy, you see.

ROPE LADDER

I have seen a poem save a life

I have seen a handful of words
grow legs and arms
run into a burning building
and drag the lifeless out

you may see lines
but I see a rope ladder of letters
leading up from rock bottom
to a brighter day

I see a lighthouse
a lifeboat
a helicopter
that roams the mountainside
looking for the lost

I see a message from ancestors
a sign from above
I see hope, the thing with wings

you may not consider poetry important
but if you had seen
a poem breathe life
into empty lungs
like I have

you would look anew.

REST HERE AWHILE

Rest here awhile
you have walked a rough road
and you scarce held
a comforting hand

you’ve known so much dark
and you wrestled that load
drop it here
because I understand

rest here awhile
you’re no longer alone
and there’s much pain
for you to unpack

you’ve faced stormy nights
and you’ve more up ahead
but I’m here now
I’ll stand at your back

rest here awhile
there’s no pressure to be
just a place where your heart
can crack open

let your scars be on show
I have scars of my own
we need not be ashamed
of our broken

rest here my friend
you are safe now at last
release all the fear
from your heart

breathe out all the way
let light warm your face
it is time for your healing
to start

Wild Hope: Healing Words to Find Hope in Dark Days by Donna Ashworth is published by Black and White Publishing, priced £12.99.