So here I am,
all wired up
and feeling weird,
but, it is not quite
as scary as I had feared.
I am just chilling out
here in my hospital bed,
with staff checking
periodically
that I'm not dead.

My gown has got gaps
where gaps shouldn't be,
revealing parts of my body
that folks shouldn't see!
The cardiac ward
is not my choice
of a holiday home
and not the vacation
that I wished to go on.

Yesterday afternoon
the consultant
did their walk,
visited and spoke
in medical talk,
but, I just nodded
and agreed, although
Myocardial Regurgitation
completely baffled me!

(Thank the lord for Google!)

Sadly I have
to pay to watch TV,
but hey,
at least the WiFi is free.
The nurses are awesome,
they check my stats
and bring cups of tea,
and someone else
is cooking my meals for me.

©️Lizzie Bevis

A single red rose
blooms into I love you,
as note paper confessions
fold into origami kisses.

Hearts melt like chocolate
on nervous tongues,
as the world holds its breath
when you blush and smile.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Your fingerprints linger
on my coffee cup,
while the swirling latte foam
soothes me with each sip,
reminding me how much
you hold my mornings
together.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Each moment carries hidden plans,
where potential lies beneath,
and courage finds uncharted lands,
with steady steps and cautious feet.

Shadows dwell where the light retreats,
and brave souls remain vigilant,
as destiny and fortune meet
while fate unwinds it's masterplan.

Through the passing of endless time,
navigating the winds of change,
fueling the inquisitive mind
as blood pumps tirelessly through veins.

The risks taken on this journey,
where mystery meets certainty's shore,
we find our paths by curious light,
as we find what we were searching for.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Throughout the noise of passing days,  
I seek the sacred silence  
where clarity lies in waiting.  
I listen amidst shouts and the din,  
patiently awaiting peace to drift in  
like a dandelion seed on the wind.  

Each person I encounter
is a part of this universe
especially, the quiet ones,
their stories shaped
by the flow of time,
and even I am a traveller
trying to embrace
my place among the stars.  

Still, life endures
like stubborn weeds  
sprouting up through concrete,  
defying the cracks of cynicism
that threaten to spread out of control.  
Despite my moments of doubt,  
Time is a wise scholar,  
teaching me to be kind and gentle
towards others and myself.

And right here, in the rhythm
of my steady heartbeat,  
I claim my peace;  
it is real and honest,
a welcoming,
comforting emptiness
that swallows the remnants
of my long lost dreams.
  
My life is magnificent,  
even if it feels untamed,
and requires nurturing
with a shower of tears.  
I am, just like you
another person
under this timeless sky,  
as I continue to be
wholly and fiercely alive.  

©️Lizzie Bevis

Mile after mile,
the roads unwind,
and I'm squashed in the back,
in between my siblings' behinds,
while Dad croons to oldies,
off-key and loud,
Mum traces the map,
with her head bowed.

I count the trees,
it is a quiet game,
while my brother sleeps,
my sister is tamed.
A petrol station stop
breaks the drive,
the numbers roll up,
as Dad's wallet
barely survives.

Dad fills the tank,
and Mum's stern glance falls
on the mounting cost
that widen her eyeballs.
Dad settles up
and quickly returns
with snacks that are shared,
with momentary peace,
which is soon impaired.

"Stop touching me!"
my sister cries,
as my brother grins
with mischievous eyes
and I, caught in the middle
attempt to mediate,
"Look, a cow!"
in a desperate escape.

Soon after trying
to tame the urge,
our bladders expand
fit to burst,
as bathroom plea's cry out
with a desperate will
our three voices rising
loud and shrill.

The Ross-on-Wye's sign
comes into view,
as my fingers twist
through my hair now askew.
We turn onto Junction 24,
and I look around everywhere,
my excitement building
beyond compare.

Aunty Bee's wedding day
waits ahead,
and I shamelessly have crumbs
all over my dress.
This is quickly followed
by Mum's horrified look,
as Dad pulls the car aside,
as we tumble out of the back
with smiles big and wide.

Mum brushes crumbs
from our smart attire,
and tames my hair
with her maternal fire.
My brother and Dad
turn as their eyes meet
and with perfect timing,
he asks "Are we there yet?"

Dad rolls his eyes and sighs
"Just 30 more minutes son."
I think our Dad will be glad
when this journey is done.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Share with me your hopes and dreams,
the greatest ones with wild schemes,
what lights that spark in your eyes and
what dims the glow when that spark dies?

Tell me what makes your heart ignite,
like a warming fire on dark cold nights,
what distant shores do you long to roam
and which path would lead you far from home?

What songs awaken your happy smile
and what keeps you busy for a while?
Tell me what triumphs fill your untold trials
and what you have witnessed over the miles.

Let me bask in your greatest joys,
and share in the moments life employs,
time moves fast as friendship grows
into something beautiful that only we know.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Grey clouds drift like rousing thoughts,
between winter's long exhale
and spring's first breath,
as frost melts in patches,
revealing a grass blanket beneath.

Robins flash their defiant redbreasts
against the monochrome mornings,
singing and brightening each day
with their jovial song;
While bare trees stretch
their waking branches
out towards the pewter skies.

The short month lingers
like a lover's daydream,
as each day becomes a slow dance between
the chills retreat and the sun's advance,
as the daylight stretches its golden rays
a little further into the evening.

©️Lizzie Bevis

I lie in bed, awake and watching  
the dark night sky stretched wide,  
as stars like diamonds catch my eye.  
The hours pass in a gentle drift  
until dawn begins its colourful shift,  
as sunlight breaches the eastern rim,
it's fiery orange rays reach out and skim
and the warmth bleeds out across the dark,  
as I watch the sunrise paint its arc.  
Then the morning mist creeps in all grey,  
and clouds roll in on winds of change,
cooling the sky and dulling the blaze,  
as daylight arrives in a steely blue haze.

©️Lizzie Bevis

I peep behind the horse chestnut tree
as you run far and wide,
and I begin to count to twenty-five.
1 banana, 2 banana, 3 banana...
Ready or not, here I come!

Are you hiding over there?
I begin to search high and low
wondering where did you go?
Then I hear your stiffled giggle
Ah, I found you and my smile is wide;
Now its my turn to run and hide.

We giggle and run down the garden
and you begin to count behind the tree
1 banana, 2 banana, 3...
I run towards the garden shed
to the side of the house,
as I attempt to be as quiet as a mouse.

I crawl behind the compost bin
and crouch behind the reeled up hose
but, then I hear your footsteps begining to get closer.
So, I hold my breath a little
and I try and keep myself steady...
Oh **** it, how did you find me already?!

©️Lizzie Bevis

Up through the ground,
kissed by the frost,
a tender bloom seeks
a light long lost,
with some gentle force
and quiet power,
hope emerges on the green
as a snowdrop flower.

But, if such a small
and fragile thing
can pierce the frost
to greet early spring,
then why can't we,
like a snowdrop stay,
to wake and rise
on a cold January day?

Our strength must lay
dormant within,
beneath the cold joints
that make us wince,
so, we must try to learn
to trust and be seen,
like the gentle snowdrops
growing on the green.

©️Lizzie Bevis

They did not know who I'd be,
I was a child back then, not yet set free.
Each wound they left became a door
Through which my naked pain would pour.

The child they knew has long since fled,
And as time passed my tears were shed.
They have my photograph old and worn,
While I became a woman scorned.

How great it is to know that they cannot see
The strength that has grown wild inside of me.
Their story is over, that page has turned,
Their privilege was lost and lessons were learned.

Let them keep their faded view
Of someone they once long ago knew,
As they hold firmly onto the past
While I am free to fly at last.

©️Lizzie Bevis

The ache of loving you remains
like a slow pulse dragging through my veins,
and each morning begins with a memory,
after dreaming of what could never be.
I've laid awake through the longest nights
hoping that wishing stars would make things right.

But, I now see with clearer eyes
that this love burns in an agonising sacrifice.
These hopes depart with my stinging tears,
that burn with hurt and then disappear,
and although a part of me will love you still,
I wanted to swallow this unhappy pill.
Just remember me as one who chose
to save herself by letting you go.

©️Lizzie Bevis

I wake up to the sound of cars
driving through puddles,
Splashing me awake;
Whilst moments ago,
I was dreaming
Of somewhere far away.

The rain should be soothing,
As plump drops beat down
Persistent in their rhythm,
Hammering on the glass
Whilst I hide under covers
And I  do not wish to rise.

©️Lizzie Bevis

The bottle, your loyal companion,
Numbing your pain and fuelling your vice,
Dragging you deeper into the abyss,
Evading the value of your precious life.

Each warm sip, a false promise of solace,
Betraying your heart and ravaging your mind,
Shackled by the chains of hard addiction,
You become a prisoner to demons unkind.

The cheer of old times fades to silence,
As the light in your eyes slowly dies,
Unsteady with no anchor to ground you,
Treading a sea of lonely, unsettled demise.

You tell me you want to break free,
To see the world through sober eyes,
But the waves keep pulling you under,
As you drown in whiskey's tragic goodbye.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Some doors are meant to stay unopened,
Some questions left silent in the air,
Some chapters end without conclusion,
Some paths often lead to nowhere.

Not every story needs an ending,
Not every wound needs words to heal,
Not every heart requires mending,
Not every truth needs a big reveal.

There's wisdom in quietly leaving,
There’s grace in letting mysteries be,
There’s peace in simply believing
That what must flow will find the sea.

So loosen your grip on expectations,
Release the need to understand,
Accept the silent explanations,
Because it is not a part of your plan.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Moonbeams dance from up high,
While stars their secrets keep,
And the heavens slumber in a velvet sky
As gentle dreams run deep.

Please close your eyes and drift away
On wings of peaceful rest,
Until the morning light breaks soft and new
And wakes you at your best.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Strong as steel, I stand alone,
I built my tower, I claimed my throne.
I am independent, fierce and free,
Complete within my own soul's sea.

Yet sweetness lies in a gentle space,
Nestled in someone's warm embrace.
Who wipes the tears I thought I could hide,
And listens to the storms inside.

This is not from need, but choice divine,
As our two paths chose to intertwine.
In strength we meet and in peace we stay,
Sharing our burdens throughout our days.

Although I am whole when on my own,
I find comfort when I'm not alone.
In having one who chooses to be
Both shelter and wonderful company.

©️Lizzie Bevis

As December's stars fade into the night,
The old year slips away, worn but wise,
Taking with it lessons held tight,
Each triumph, tear, and life's surprise.

We bid farewell with knowing grace
To the months that shaped us, day by day,
Taking strength from every trace
Of wisdom earned along the way.

Though defeats linger, we release
The weight of what we cannot change,
And turn, with hope's sweet increase,
Toward the New Year and a bright new age.

©️Lizzie Bevis

I feel these erratic rhythms
                                               beneath my ribs,
Each heartbeat becomes a
precarious
                 dance
          Between normality
and
      disarray
                    Until my
body surrenders,
and
it all
becomes
a
blur.

Time
stretches
in the QT interval,
                               Too long, too dangerous,
A simple electrical
glitch
          That turns
                            my pulse
into a sprinting
beat
       pounding
                       out
       warnings.

My ICD
becomes
my shield,
While
adrenaline
            lurks like an assassin
Waiting to
trigger the storm.
                    As stress and
excitement
                become
calculated risks,
                And life becomes
a minefield.

My ECG reveals all in peaks and valleys, each prolonged wave becomes a reminder that my heart keeps its own peculiar time.

This electrical maze requires vigilance
A constant awareness
of my heart's delayed signature,
Its prolonged encore
after each performance,
Laying bare my vulnerability
as I dice with death every time.

…And in all honesty
It scares me.

©️Lizzie Bevis

They mistake my softness for weakness,  
Like petals scattered in storms of hurt;  
Not seeing how deep my roots extend  
Through layers of wisdom and lessons learned.  

Each kind word I choose to speak  
Is backed by mountains moved in silence;  
Each tender touch I dare to give  
Springs from battles fought with resilience.  

I've learned that armour weighs down the spirit,
Thorns can wound the hand holding the stem;
While my quiet strength flows like morning light,  
Warming others without consuming them.  

So let them wonder at my gentleness,  
Let them question my peaceful stance;  
Because I have found that mighty rivers  
Flow with grace and not arrogance.  

In a world of sharpened daggers,  
I choose to be the sheltering tree,  
Not because I cannot withstand the storm,  
But because I’ve learned to just simply be.  

My strength lies in understanding  
That my heart does not need to prove,
The power that sustains its caring beat  
And the quiet force that dares to love.  

©️Lizzie Bevis

In the depth of midnight's embrace,
dreams cascade like love poems
each one speaking your name.

My pulse writes Morse code messages
you'll never decode, as hope
flutters like a moth against the darkness.

While Ink bleeds through pages,
My confessions staining paper
with the weight of unsaid things.

Our laughter echoes in memory's great hall,
but I dance alone with your ghost,
spinning through empty spaces.

These shadows hold secrets
That I dare not speak aloud,
while dawn mocks my silence.

I craft symphonies in your name,
melodies trapped behind my teeth,
As harmonies are swallowed whole.

This love burns quietly,
like stars too distant to touch,
yet still I reach out.

weaving dreams from wisps
of what could be,
if only you would notice.

©️Lizzie Bevis

In the emptiness of this moment,
I am witness to an avalanche.
My world, once solid
Is now water running through
My desperate fingers.

They say time stops in freefall,
but this isn't stopping;
This is stretching,
Like toffee pulled to its limits
Until the strands give and snap.

I stand so very still,
Like a statue carved
From all of this numbness,
Watching pieces of myself
Scatter like startled pigeons.

The sound.
Oh, the sound.
It is not in the breaking of,
But in its absence;
With so many conversations
That we'll never start or finish.

As empty rooms
Greet me with silence,
And dust motes float
Through spaces where
Our dreams once lived.

And all the while,
This acceptance
wraps around me like smoke,
And I know.
Oh, how I know,
That this is how change begins.

Not with wings,
But with the death
Of everything
That was once
So familiar.

©️Lizzie Bevis

Wisdom spills like morning light
From youthful lips untouched by spite,
Pure and simple, crystal clear,
With virtue adults long to hear.

Why is the sky grey and blue?
Why is there a shadow over the moon?
Questions that we've long forgotten,
Wrapped in wonder, freshly gotten.

They see the world with untrained eyes,
No filters yet to cloud their skies,
No prejudice to dim their sight,
Just raw perception and pure delight.

In their logic, direct and true,
Lives the insight we once knew,
Before the world grew complicated,
Before our minds were educated.

So when curious children do speak,
Their random thoughts, pure and unique,
For in their words, both odd and sage,
Lies innocence that vanishes as we age.

©️Lizzie Bevis