Donna Ashworth

I first came across Scottish poet Donna Ashworth via her Instagram account and had been really enjoying her excerpts from this, her latest poetry book, so I picked it up not long after it was published.

It's a really beautifully written book, full of powerful words and thoughts to lift up the soul. Whilst I don't think you need to be experiencing dark days to get something out of this collection, it so happened that a dear friend was nearing her end as I read this and many of the poems really resonated and were just what I needed to read.

Here are a couple of favourites from the book (non-sad ones):

YOU
If every single person who has liked you in your
lifetime were to light up on a map, it would create the
most glitteringly beautiful network you could imagine.
Throw in the strangers you've been kind to, the people
you've made laugh, or inspired along the way, and that
star-bright web of you would be an impressive sight to
behold. You're so much more than you think you are.
You have done so much more than you realise.
You're trailing a bright pathway that you don't even
know about. What a thing. What a thing indeed.

LIGHTHOUSES AND ROCKS

Some people are lighthouses
they can't help it
they just have so much light within them
that they must use it selflessly
throwing their beams out into the night
with their call of safety and rescue

some people are rocks
they can't help it
they have hardened over the years
grown sharp and edgy
crushing hearts on their craggy points
without even seeing the wreckage
or the survivors drowning before them

some people are lighthouses
and some people are rocks
and you must learn to recognise them
equally
because they are both
as important as the other

one to aim for
one to avoid

keep your heart on the lighthouses
and your beady eye on the rocks

you're not going there again

4.5 stars - really enjoyed this collection (so much so that I promised to lend it to someone, but think I'll have to buy her a copy instead as I don't want to let it go).… (mais)