Chapter: Chapter (books), main division of a piece of writing or document.

End of one part,
On to a new.
Different routine,
Changes anew.

Time to start school,
Now you’re four years old.
The next chapter for you,
New stories to unfold.

You’re ready and excited,
Brain absorbing many things.
Craving fresh challenges,
Soaking up all they bring.

Beginning a new journey,
An adventure will flow.
One that will shape you,
Change you as you grow.

I worry as mums do,
Of what your future holds,
But you have to experience it,
Not the same being told.

I wish you embrace it,
The good and the bad.
So it moulds you to being,
A confident, happy lad.

Be the best that you can be,
Enjoy as you learn.
You only get one go,
And now it’s your turn.

Forget the assessment,
Forget all they test.
For me if you’re happy,
Then my worries can rest.

I’ll be here beside you,
And love you each day,
So for as long as possible,
You can be a child, play.

School is a big step,
For you and for me.
What the next chapter holds,
Will be exciting to see.

Memories: The mental faculty of retaining and recalling past experience. The act or an instance of remembering; recollection: spent the afternoon lost in memory. All that a person can remember. Something remembered: pleasant childhood memories.

Lives together,
Yet often apart.
Separated all day,
Joined by five hearts.

Goodbye in the morning,
Gone all the day.
Home-time, bedtime,
Sometimes away.

Holiday different,
Together at last.
Memories building,
Like my childhood past.

Same beach as then,
Twenty-five years on.
Father not here,
Fourteen years gone.

Memories built then,
Still vivid and clear.
Just like it was yesterday,
And he somehow near.

A family then,
When I was the child.
As the parent now,
New memories are filed.

Time away important,
A chance to rest.
Recharging spent batteries,
Time out with the best.

Laughter and love,
Five of us as one.
Living and loving,
Memorable fun.

Different culture,
Wonderful sights.
Days on the beach,
Long, lazy nights.

Precious time together,
My family, my world.
Breathing in new memories,
My heart forever will hold.

Travel: Travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations, and can involve travel by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, airplane, or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip.

In the car,
A long way to go.
Are we nearly there yet?
For the millionth time ‘no!’

Turning left,
Then straight on.
Missed our turning,
Gone very wrong.

Children are bored,
Whinging and grumpy.
Bum is numb,
Road is bumpy.

Chocolate, treats,
Keep them happy.
Music on,
Oh no! Smelly nappy!

Play eye spy,
read or sleep.
Distracted for seconds,
Attention must keep.

Kilometres, miles,
Long way to go.
Sometimes drive fast,
Roadworks, drive slow.

Pins and needles,
Sat for too long.
Packed full of bags,
Room for us…none.

Destination, arrival!
French bread and wine!
Holiday begins now,
Stinky cheese is all mine. 😉

This poem was written with the help of my 12 year old daughter during our long journey to our gite in France!

Irritability: Irritability is an excessive response to stimuli. The term is used for both the physiological reaction to stimuli and for the pathological, abnormal or excessive sensitivity to stimuli; It is usually used to refer to anger or frustration.

Easily irritated,
Wound up, cross.
Can’t help this feeling,
Happiness lost.

Simple things,
Drive me insane.
Frustration bubbling,
Nothing’s the same.

Long days,
Longer nights.
Tiredness kicks in,
Reaching new heights.

Feelings fragile,
Tempers frayed.
Impatience begins,
Rationality swayed.

Fists clench,
Teeth grind.
Deep breathing helps,
To clear troubled mind.

Close the door,
Sink under bubbles.
A nice warm bath,
Soothes all my troubles.

Apologies needed,
Accepted, forgiven.
Positivity needed,
Optimism driven.

All forgotten,
Move on once more.
Irritations gone,
Anger no more.

I think this poem says it all…

Madness: The quality or condition of being insane. See Synonyms at insanity. Great folly: It was sheer madness to attempt the drive during a blizzard. Fury; rage. Enthusiasm; excitement.

The Madness Before School

Mum where’s this, mum where’s that?
Where’s my coat and where’s my hat?
Where are my shoes and where is my book?
Where’s my school bag I can’t find it? LOOK!

I can’t find my pencils, mum where are my pens?
I’m going to be late now, late for my friends!
Mum I need some food, mum I need a drink,
I can’t find my glasses now where are they? THINK!

My tie has gone missing, my key’s just not here,
I left it there I know I did, mum is it near?
I need my PE kit, mum where is my purse?
Why can’t I find them, have you moved them? SEARCH!

I’m off now mum I’ve found all my things,
When you pick me up can you my dance stuff bring?
I don’t know where my dance stuff could be,
Think it’s in my room, I’m not sure. SEE!

The door slams shut, the children are gone.
Enjoy the peace but not for long,
The husband appears, says where are my keys?
Where’s my laptop bag can you find them, PLEASE?

All of things things are here, use your eyes,
They’re under your feet, they’re on the sides,
Organise yourself the evening before
Then you’ll search and panic no more.

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Nearly One

You’re nearly one, a baby no more.
Crawling and cruising around the floor.
Trying new words, making new sounds,
Facial expressions from smiles to frowns.

You like to be cuddled, love to be kissed.
Looking at everything, nothing is missed.
Reading a book, chewing a toy.
You are an absolute total and wonderful joy.

This year has been tough, challenges faced.
Hardness and difficulties for which I wasn’t braced.
Sleepless nights and emotional weeks,
Both of us at times with tears down our cheeks.

But you made me stronger, you made me have hope.
I could be your mum, I could do it, cope.
We got through it together, a family as one.
And now those dark days and dark times are gone.

Your birthday on Monday, with family around.
Presents and cards and cake to be found.
Celebrate the wonder and joy that is you,
And marvel at all the amazing things that you do.

Cuddle you tight and hold you close.
Place kisses all over your cheeks and your nose.
Know I love you, more so every day,
You complete our family in every possible way.

Happy first birthday my beautiful boy xx

Above: a·bove, adv. On high; overhead: the clouds above. In heaven; heavenward. In or to a higher rank or position: the ranks of major and above. Superior to in rank, position, or number; greater than: put principles above expediency. Idiom: above all, over and above all other factors or considerations: Above all, tell the truth. (Free Dictionary)

Rise Above

I like to please.
Get knocked down easily.
Take thing personally.
Cry sometimes.

Always seeking approval.
Love,friendship.
Need to be needed,
Busy and useful.

Harsh words out of nowhere hurt me.
Make me doubt,
Question,
Mistrust myself.

Looking for reassurance.
Empathy and support.
But eyes roll and tongues wag,
Am an irritation.

Love to be liked.
Like to be loved.
Try my best, but,
Knocked down again.

Rise above, pain no more.
Move on.
Surround myself with loveliness,
kindness, honesty and openness.

Rise above it all.
And let it go.

I have now self-published this poem as a beautifully illustrated children’s book. You can purchase a copy at Lulu.com.

Thursdays are fast becoming one of my favourite days, not least because it means I get an opportunity to link up with VicWelton’s #Prose4T. I have always enjoyed writing poetry, but have not done so for many years. Recently I have found I can express so much in poetry, and often find it easier to write a poem than a blog post!

Today I am going to share something with you that I wrote a while ago and have tweaked many, many times! Finally I think it’s finished! It’s based on a poem I wrote when I first started blogging, and is a book aimed at children whose mums suffer from depression. I have often noticed in libraries and shops that there are a range of books written to help children cope with different situations; bereavement, the death of a pet, moving house, new babies and even potty training, but there was nothing which focused on depression or post natal depression. Ultimately I would love this poem to be published and money from it raised to help those with PND, but I know that could forever remain a dream, it is not easy to get published! I have read the book to my eldest two children and the reaction was instantaneous, my four year old now often asks for the monster story before bed, and my 11 year old understands a bit more about how I was feeling, it’s prompted some lovely, honest chats.

So, here is the story, please let me know what you think xx

A Monster Ate My Mum
By InstinctiveMum

A monster wandered far and wide,
No one walking by his side,
His mum seemed lost, not the mum he knew,
Would someone know just what to do?

She’d not been like herself at all,
Crying lots and feeling small,
Not wanting to go out, get dressed,
Feeling trapped and like a mess.

A monster must have gobbled her up,
Made her sad and feel unloved,
A monster must have eaten her joy,
“I’ll go and find it,” said the monster boy.

He found a monster big and tall,
A grumpy monster with no friends at all,
A monster that ate smiles and joy,
‘Did he eat my mum?’ thought this monster boy.

“Excuse me, but have you eaten my mum?
I want her back I want some fun,
I want to see her smile, my mum,
Is she in your big, round tum?”

“No she’s not here I just ate her smile,
I’ll give it back after a while,
I’m sorry I was hungry you see,
I don’t know where your mum could be.”

So the monster boy wandered on,
Knowing where his mum’s smile had gone,
He found another scary beast,
And wondered if he’d had a feast.

“Excuse me, but have you eaten my mum?
I want her back I want some fun,
I want to see her smile my mum,
Is she in your big, round tum?”

“No I just ate something that made her cry,
She won’t know how, she won’t know why,
I’m sorry I was hungry you see,
I don’t know where your mum could be.”

He wondered on and soon he knew,
That it wasn’t his fault, nothing he could do,
The monsters had eaten what made her happy,
It wasn’t him who made her snappy.

He carried on walking along the path,
Wondering who had eaten her laugh,
He saw a monster asleep on his tum,
Was he the one who had eaten his mum?

“Excuse me, but have you eaten my mum?
I want her back I want some fun,
I want to see her smile, my mum,
Is she in your big round tum?”

“No I just ate something that took her spark,
She can have it back, not feel in the dark,
I’m sorry I ate it, I was hungry you see,
I don’t know where your mum could be.”

All of these monsters had had their fill,
They had each been what had made his mum ill,
He wanted a cure to make her well,
He wanted to help her out of this spell.

He found a wise monster among the trees,
“Could you help me and my mum please?
She’s not been happy, she sleeps all day,
Can you help in any way?”

The monster turned and said to the boy,
“Those monsters will return her joy,
The monsters will return your mum,
She will be back you will have fun.”

“Time is what you need my friend,
Love and kisses and cuddles send.
It won’t be bad like this forever,
She can and will one day get better.”

So the monster boy walked home and knew,
He would be patient, see this through.
He’d rest his head upon her tum,
Hoped no more monsters would eat his mum.

My take on a Haiku today for #Prose4T. Sometimes the less you write, the more you say.

Instincts, trust yourself
Together as one you learn
Doubt and fear be gone