Posts Tagged "Christine Miller"

And she brought me Snowdrops

And she brought me Snowdrops …

And she brought me snowdrops Christine Miller

And she brought me Snowdrops…

Sharp strands slicing,
Stinging swallows:
Tiny throat cut,
No mercy.

Crisp cold whiteness
Thin flat sheets
Hard steel
Metal, framed.

Voice silenced;
No sound emits.
No signal –
No response.

The vast space
Echoes briskly
Attendants bustle
No relief.

Trickle of tears,
Lonely tracks
Tracing patterns,
Still, alone.

Plucked from home,
Separated,
Before three springs,
Untimely rift.

Sudden sense,
Familiar tone,
Eternal smile,
Soft arms enfold.

And She, salvation,
Maternal, golden,
Of radiant warmth,
Brought me Snowdrops.

© Christine Miller

 

This poem arose from seeing a film on the BBC’s ‘The Great British Year’ of a February woodland garden in Gloucestershire, filled with snowdrops in bloom, their delicacy and beauty carpeting the ground with that fabulous first sign of winter’s end approaching.

Tears sprang to my eyes as I recalled with great clarity the time when I was about two and a half years old when I had my tonsils out. I still have strong memories of this. I can see clearly the area pre-theatre where gas cylinders and bottles of blood were stored, I feel the cold crisp linen of the hospital bed and the hard metal bars that kept me imprisoned there. I recall not being able to call out to the nurses for help. I remember the pain of my raw throat, and, acutely, the loneliness.

My beautiful Mother, Jane

In those distant days when I was little, parents weren’t allowed into hospital with their children, and visiting hours were very strictly enforced. I was desolate, in pain,  and afraid, and when my mother did arrive with a beautiful bunch of snowdrops, and a pretty little silver hair slide, which I treasured for years, I was filled with joy and relief. Thank goodness things have changed now and children are not separated from their parents in this way – we have learned a lot about that need for love, connection and contact.

The image of those snowdrops is still fresh in my mind, all these years later, and as I watched the scene in the film, these words, ‘And she brought me snowdrops’, erupted superbly into my consciousness and demanded to be expanded, expressed and offered as a token of gratitude and Love to my dearly departed mother, whose healing, radiant presence is still with me every day.

I dedicate this to all poets, everyone, everywhere, may your creativity flow with abundance.

 

© Christine Miller – first published for National Poet’s Day 2013

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Masques & Roles

Masques & Roles

By Popular Demand:

Flourish Through Challenging Times

Christine Miller’s Celebrated

‘Masques & Roles’ Workshop

masks11

Are you Living Your Own Life?

Or Following a Life You Inherited?

In these troubled times, as much of what has traditionally been upheld as important starts to fall away, many of us are questioning ourselves about what is really important in life.

There can be no question that knowing ourselves and recognising our strengths is crucial to our progress.
Until we look within, and find the means to self-leadership and awareness, we cannot deal honestly and with integrity with the outer world.

In this workshop, you will experience recognising, acknowledging, and then peeling off your masks, shedding your assumptions and opening your eyes to the treasure within you.
You will emerge stronger, clearer and with a greater understanding of who you truly are.

Then you can live a fulfilled life, regardless of the outside influences you encounter, because your joy will emanate from your inner strengths, your sense of self will be unassailable, and you will experience whole-hearted happiness and love.

Enjoy a day of nourishment for your spirit, rekindle your joy,
Experience inner calm and peace, and refresh all your senses.

Dates:

TBA
Location: London UK, Bergerac, SW France
Time: 10.00 – 16.00
Cost: £199.00

CONTACT: christine@christinemiller.co


ABOUT CHRISTINE

Christine is dedicated to helping others uncover and fulfil their true potential. She holds a Masters Degree in Psychology and is a poet, author, consultant and speaker at many conferences.
As the Visionary Founder editor of ReSource magazine, she enjoys many opportunities to share thoughts and ideas with world spiritual and personal growth leaders.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

“Christine has a graceful presence, a calmness and a warmth which combined with her in-depth knowledge of her subject, and her dedication to her students’ learning, makes her a compelling and inspirational trainer.”
Alison Paterson, Kaizen Training

“People can feel your commanding energy presence as you walk on stage and they can feel your energy and passion, and know with certainty that you totally believe in what you’re delivering.”
Steve Ross, MD, Ross Associates, Bristol

“I have had the privilege of knowing Christine for some time, and I have been very blessed to hear her speak, to share her warm and heartfelt, powerful poetry, and to read her marvellous words in her world-class professional magazine. Not only well connected but someone who leads with her heart and soul first.
The word inspirational is over-used, but is entirely apposite here.
Thank you for being a friend.

aloha nui loa (as they say in Hawaii)”
Gary Plunkett, Business Coach

“Christine Miller’s workshop was inventive, creative, fun, intimate, validating and insightful. The notion of masks were all useful reminders, to me, of how much we (I) can choose to stay hidden behind any of a number of facades and, worse, convince myself that it is neither my choice nor my responsibility i.e. if I’m hiding my light it’s because other people aren’t seeing my light!  Yeah. Right!  Thank you Christine.”
Michael Mallows; author, trainer, coach

“Christine Miller’s workshop was truly excellent.”
Hugh L’Estrange, Director, SEAL (Society for Effective Affective Learning)

“Christine is a wonderful and inspiring spirit, her natural gift to heal with her words and with her hands is tangible as you stand within her presence.
I am delighted to know Christine and have safely shared my personal story with her.
I highly recommend that you experience Christine’s beautiful and calming energy to create harmony in your life.”
Pauline Crawford, Founder, Corporate Heart

“Christine has not only quality in her work but every ounce of her being is designed to make human potential increase. Very few people have this gift.  One in a million.”
Nigel Risner, CEO, Nigel Risner

“I spent an inspiring afternoon with Christine recently, and her magic for me is that her guidance appears effortless – to the point I felt that I was coming up with all these wonderful visions on my own. In fact, it was Christine’s caring and intuitive guidance gently taking me to a place I would never have reached without her. Those who know Christine already will understand me when I say that with Christine’s help I have seen a realistic vision of my own future. Thanks Christine – and I look forward to working with you for a long time to come.
Richard Flewitt, Business Video Producer, New Edge

Make sure you reserve your place
for this life-changing experience

Contact Christine NOW

christine@christinemiller.co  

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London Snow

Inspired by the blanket of snow covering London today (and most of the UK and Europe), the silence was what impressed on me most as I opened the door to my garden early this morning, and enjoyed the cold, crisp air and the whiteness.  It is magical, transformed into a slightly eerie, subdued space. This poem  is what emerged.

London Snow

Silence is not glistening gold,
Nor even densely black.
Silence is white powder
A softly muffled lack.
No cars, no trucks, no buses,
Disturb the cold quiet air.
The cold crisp crust unpierced,
No telltale track is there.
No birds, nor other creatures
Emerge to feed or play.
Leaves and branches bow down low,
Enrobed in flakes of pristine snow,
In homage to the crystal cloak
Of this whitely blanketed day.

©Christine Miller

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Vines

Vines

I wrote this piece in South Western France, in the Aquitaine region near Bordeaux, in the heart of wine country, where we had a holiday home which was a wonderful converted mill, surrounded by vines and open farmland, and where the panoramic views over the countryside were spectacular.

La Belle France is always a source of great inspiration for me, and I love spending time there.

From: Secret Garden of the Soul 2006 

vinesVines

Row upon row
Of vines.
Perfectly planted
Meticulously tended
Vines.

Which
At first glance
Appear
As if marching
In unison
Across the landscape.

A procession
Of unerring precision
Determined
To carry their crop,
Opaque green jewels,
To ripe readiness
For their succulent,
Plump
Purple picking:
Then
Total transformation
Into rich
Ruby red wine
For
Our lips,
Dipping
And
Sipping.

Christine Miller 

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Robert Burns Night

Burns Night

Before I dash off to dish up the cockaleekie soup, and the haggis ceremony gets underway, neeps and tatties at the ready…Let me share one of those serendipitous moments of delight.

I was strolling through the Memorial Gardens by London’s Victoria Embankment today, en route for a meeting at The Savoy (deliciously restored, more for another post…) and encountered a couple of photographers arranging Scotch, potatoes and tartan around the plinth of a statue. I had not realised before (or noticed!) that there is a very handsome monument to Robert Burns in prime position overlooking the River Thames.

To celebrate Burns night tonight January 25th, here’s the photo I took:

and a close up of the Plinth:

which is not very clear so here are the words which were originally written in a letter to ‘The Noblemen & Gentlemen of the Caledonian Hunt’:

“The Poetic Genius of my country found me at the plough and threw her inspiring mantle over me. She bade me sing the loves, the joys, the rural scenes and rural pleasures of my native soil, in my native tongue. I tuned my wild, artless notes as she inspired.”

And here’s a poem/song called ‘Westlin’ Winds’….

LYRICS:

Now westlin’ winds and slaught’ring guns
Bring autumn’s pleasant weather
The gorcock springs on whirring wings
Amang the blooming heather
Now waving grain, wide o’er the plain
Delights the weary farmer
The moon shines bright, as I rove by night
To muse upon my charmer

The paitrick lo’es the fruitfu’ fells
The plover lo’es the mountains
The woodcock haunts the lonely dells
The soaring hern the fountains
Through lofty groves the cushat roves
The path o’ man to shun it
The hazel bush o’erhangs the thrush
The spreading thorn the linnet

Thus every kind their pleasure find
The savage and the tender
Some social join, and leagues combine
Some solitary wander
Avaunt, away, the cruel sway
Tyrannic man’s dominion!
The sportsman’s joy, the murdering cry
The fluttering gory pinion!

But, Peggy dear, the evening’s clear
Thick flies the skimming swallow
The sky is blue, the fields in view
All fading green and yellow
Come let us stray our gladsome way
And view the joys of nature
The rustling corn, the fruited thorn
And ilka happy creature

We’ll gently walk, and sweetly talk
While the silent moon shines clearly
I’ll clasp thy waist, and, fondly prest
Swear how I love thee dearly
Not vernal show’rs to budding flow’rs
Not autumn to the farmer
So dear can be as thou to me
My fair my lovely charmer.

Robert Burns

If you want to have a Burns Supper and dance a few reels you can find out more here: Burns Night

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