They say a stitch in time saves nine
But who knows that we are broken
When our smiles catch the light and we mesmerise with our stories of hope
And our lives unfold like a picture book
Full of Princes, Princesses and perfection
No poverty here, no lack of good cheer- no sleep deprived hell
Or whispers of madness.
They say a stitch in time saves nine
But who knows we are broken
When we give with compassion
And our public persona is playfully convivial,
Full of charismatic colourful conversation disguising the trivial.
No hidden hopelessness here, no silent solitude, no depth of despair
Or signals of worthlessness wounding within.
We march on.
We playfully tease.
We make small talk
With skillful ease.
We wish you had seen our innermost thoughts.
We wish you had been a true friend of sorts.
We wish you had held out your hand to take ours.
We wish you had noticed that whilst we spoke through flowers
We were broken, bereft, beyond all life’s care.
All we wanted was you to be there, to lift up our spirits
Make the sun shine,
And be the stitch in time that saves nine.
©Alison Jean Hankinson
I wrote this for a prompt earlier in the week at d”verse but missed the widget, so here it is for open link night. Love to you all. XXXXX Love for the lost. XXXX
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Hues of Hankinson 
How do we know when we’re broken? … that is always the question… yet if we find it in time, we should mend it..
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Yes we all are broken, each in our own ways. Beautifully captured and the repetition works so well.
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Thank you and much love. XXX
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Hugs to you. 💜
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Nice phrase: “All we wanted was you to be there”
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Sometimes we know we are broken as we struggle through life .. its many phases.. bit by bit while mending the pieces 💜
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Yes sometimes the mending takes time. XXX
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Hi Alison, enjoyed this and the form you used which you bring to a conclusion so neatly too… Great!
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Hopefully someone is listening and opening their hands and hearts to our cry for help ~ Hope you have the sun shining in your part of the world ~
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It was very very windy yesterday and my poor mint and tomato plants look wrecked, I am trying to salvage them.
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Very timely post. This is one of the most difficult things about depression. For many it is easy to cover up the feelings and hide them down deep where no one sees or suspect. Get past the I’m fine and find out how others really are beyond the superficial greeting.
dwight
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This was so amazing! We are all broken dealing with our struggles in life, but somehow we manage to get ourselves back up and move forward. I am so excited to read more of your fantastic posts!! I hope that if you have the time, you will check out my blog and find it a good read. I aim to encourage and inspire others through my words and life experiences. I hope you have a nice evening and a great Friday!!
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Love to you. XXXXX
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Thank you!!
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Beautiful words to describe our need for others despite the strength we display through trials.
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You’ve hit the nail on the head with this one, Alison: who knows that we are broken? So many people smile through their pain and nobody knows what is underneath. We’ve been taught to be brave. Poetry is the best place to unravel the pain and turn it into something else.
I love the final lines.
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Love to you. XXXX
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