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Howdy everybody,
this week was full of lovely encounters with participants. I met a wonderful and humorous man who had suffered from many health drawbacks in his life and yet kept his hope and love for other people and life in general. As he suffered from cancer of the throat, in consequence he lost his vocal cords and became a neck breather. He can speak but just with an artificial voice (he told me to prefer communicating via email as on the phone I might think that ‘Martians had landed’). Due to his difficulties with communication, Len went back to University to enhance his computer writing skills and also completed a creative writing course, and now writes for various journals and even send me some lovely poems. Here is my favourite:
A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
By Len A.Hynds
Don’t put off until tomorrow,
things that should be done today.
Cos’ cruel fate could step right in,
and steal your chance away.
Don’t put off until, some other time,
the things you need to say.
You never know if there will be,
the chance of another day.
Don’t wait to say, “ I love you,”
till your voice may not be heard.
or whispered into frail ears,
who cannot understand your words.
So cradle one anothers hearts,
don’t let the feeling slip.
Through good and bad times, cling on,
don’t lose the loving grip.
Look warmly in each others eyes,
whilst still the chance is there.
Be thankful for each other,
and the pleasures that you share.
When you go to Len’s webpage (http://www.thespeechlesspoet.co.uk/index.php) you can read all sorts of magnificent and astonishing things. Leaving school aged 12 during the war, he then fought in various other wars in Egypt, Sudan and Palestine, worked at Scotland Yard, even delivered two babies, and finally graduated at the age of 77 in Creative Writing, Writing For Stage And Screen and Poetry.
Len’s life story has truly touched me and it is encounters like this one that enrich your life. They make you stop for a second to think about what really matters to you in life, and for this I am very thankful.
Anna B.