Daily Affirmations ©Carolyn

25/06/2020

1. I am enough. ❤👩‍🦰❌🤗🌈

2. I create my own space in which to live and work. ✍🏻📖📚🤗❤🐈🐈❤

3. I deserve people in my life who will uplift and validate me. ❤👩‍🦰❌🌈🤗😷

• Haiga🖼️ No. 18209/05/2026

  #haiga #poetry #japanese

  if love is the
  answer – what was
  the question?
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• ✈️💙Free Verse 90 – Bone Weary💙✈️ 💙✈️08/05/2026

  #freeverse #poetry

  Bone weary, pain intrudes
  into my brainwaves, a daily
  disruption despite the meds;
  it sets my teeth on edge.
  
  Getting out of bed feeling as
  exhausted as when I crawled
  into it; feeding the cats the
  only motivation to get up.
  
  Every simple chore requires
  a great deal of effort just to
  get it done; always followed
  by rest, and pain alleviation.
  
  A gadget to massage my neck
  pain and a chair massage for
  my whole body; nothing works
  for long before the pain returns.
  
  The miaisma of total exhaustion,
  is dragging me down into despair.
  Depression waits on the edge, its
  icy fingers of dread just waiting.
  
  My quality of life is shrinking
  to the four walls of my home.
  Walking is painful on arthritic feet.
  Things slip through my fingers;
  
  As I lose my grip on jars and cups.
  Sleep is achieved with a CPAP 
  machine, but it is disturbed as
  pain wakes me so frequently. 
  
  Inherited high blood pressure,
  cholesterol and diabetes type
  two all controlled by meds;
  I am struggling to just function. 
  
  I have got an appointment with
  my GP next week – I live in hope
  they can help me; meanwhile,
  I drag myself through the days.
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• 💛✨️5-7-5 Haiku/Senryu✨️💙No 123💛✨️08/05/2026

  #575 #Haiku #senryu #TheDailyHaiku

  afternoon coffee
  as the world goes about its
  business – zen moment
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• 📚Book Review📚 – The Alchemist’s Secret by Clare Marchant08/05/2026

  #book #review

  With Woodlam Hall at the heart of this time slip story, we move from present day back to 1672 to solve a mass murder.
  
  In the present day, Paige has fled back to her childhood home of Woodlam Hall to be with her Dad following the disastrous breakup with Tyler.
  
  Here, she delves into the mystery of the mass murder depicted in a strange family portrait from 1672.
  
  Clare Marchant moved us from one century to another, ramping up the clues as Paige discovers the historical mystery of her two ancestors, Marie and Jeanne.
  
  It shows how little power women had against tyrant husbands. Yet, these two sisters managed to do what they had to do to survive. 
  
  ☆☆☆☆☆Highly recommended reading. 
  
  ©✍️CarolynCrossley
  
  https://amzn.eu/d/085xg5E6
  
  Available free if you have Prime Reading.

  

• 🍇💚💙Random… Haiku/Senryu Theme – 🍇💚💙No.544🍇💚💙07/05/2026

  #randomtheme #haiku #senryu #poetry #TheDailyHaiku

  trees in their
  Robin Hood greenery
  wind makes the leaves dance
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• 🌿🌻Triolet for Thursday 23 – When All Is Said And Done🌻🌿07/05/2026

  #triolet #poetry #French

  When all is said and done, 
  We live the best we can.
  We want to live in that sun,
  When all is said and done.
  But life can be hard won,
  Sometimes not in the plan.
  When all is said and done, 
  We live the best we can.
  
  The slings and arrows hurt,
  We learn who we can trust.
  Life takes so much effort,
  The slings and arrows hurt.
  We learn to stay so alert,
  And do the things we must.
  The slings and arrows hurt,
  We learn who we can trust.
  
  We find our inner strength, 
  Dredged up through the fear.
  Balance discovered at length,
  We find our inner strength.
  Tuned into our own wavelength,
  We keep our loved ones near.
  We find our inner strength, 
  Dredged up through the fear.
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• 📚🤸‍♂️Slow Renga (141) Wednesday 🤸‍♂️📚07/05/2026

  #slow #renga #poetry #Japanese

  Handwritten/the long way round
  
  No. 1
  
  handwritten bundles
  of love letters consigned to
  a long ago past
  
  No. 2
  
  the long way round takes
  you on an interesting,
  eventful journey
  
  No. 3
  
  handwritten in scars
  the pain and suffering;
  lessons learnt
  
  No. 4
  
  the long way round like
  the path least taken allow
  us to take our time
  
  No. 5
  
  handwritten in ink
  all those words, faded and gone
  now we type on screens
  
  No. 6
  
  the long way round
  gets us there in the end,
  all that matters
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• Fibonacci Poetry🪴No. 28🪻- Voting Day06/05/2026

  #fibonacci #Poetry #112358

  Still
  cold,
  voting day
  means a trip
  out to cast my vote
  for candidates I don't believe.
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• 📚Book Review📚 – The Three Witches by Elena Collins06/05/2026

  #book #review

  This time slip tale weaves the eleventh century story of the three witches of the title with the modern-day story of actors in the 'Scottish Play' of Macbeth and the three unnamed witches.
  
  It glides from the eleventh century
  to the present day with ease. It has 
  ghostly sightings and tells each story well. It interweaves the two stories seamlessly.
  
  ☆☆☆☆☆ Highly recommended read.
  
  ©✍️CarolynCrossley 
  
  *If you have an Amazon Prime subscription you can read this book free on that platform.*

  

• 🐈‍⬛🐈💜CAT’S WORLD 238💜🐈🐈‍⬛05/05/2026

  #catsworld

  

• 🤣Sense of Humour 🤣🤣💙366💙05/05/2026

  #senseofhumour

  

• 🐲💚Tanka 317🐲05/05/2026

  #Tanka #poetry #TheDailyHaiku

  the tree pollen gets
  up my nose and makes me sneeze;
  I must break out the
  antihistamine and the
  eye drops – it's that time of year!
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• Just Saying…😎 (28) – As Rare As Hen’s Teeth05/05/2026

  #justsaying

  Some weekends contain small, irritating incidents that annoy and sometimes hurt me.
  
  They seem to come in threes! The first was receiving conflicting information from the Oldham Council Elections Office and then being told I would have to vote in person on the day! I am disabled with mobility issues which is why I need a postal vote. This office's total lack of disability awareness is staggering! I have made a complaint which I feel sure won't be resolved to my satisfaction.
  
  Number two: my on-going problems with delivery drivers. This time with Relay. The driver delivered a small package to a totally different building to the one I live in! I live up one flight of stairs, all he needed to do was walk up  and post it through my letterbox. Instead I had to go looking for it at my neighbours building across the street.
  
  Number three:
  Following my poem 'Disappeared,' in which I bemoan our ageist society, it was brought home very forcibly when I was with a group of neighbours and I was chatting to one and in mid sentence she turned her back on me and moved to talk to someone else!!! No, "I'm sorry, but I really need to talk to ____ as a matter of urgency."  Cut me off in mid sentence! Just total rudeness and indifference to my feelings.
  
  Is it any wonder I feel increasingly 'disappeared' and invisible in today's society? 
  
  Common sense, good practice and good manners are as rare as hen's teeth! 
  Unless you have stories that would restore my faith in human nature? Please comment below if you have. I need cheering up.😎 
  
  ©✍️CarolynCrossley 

  

• 🐲💚Tanka 316💚🐲 – For Tanka Tuesday05/05/2026

  #Tanka #Tuesday #poetry #TheDailyHaiku

  barefooted on the 
  floor, the cellist smiles and plays
  us divine music ; 
  his joy in his playing is 
  infectious – I'm smiling too!
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• 🩵💛🎉Tritina No 4 – Are We Alone?🎉💛🩵04/05/2026

  #Tritina #poetry #abc #cab #bca #lastline

  Are we alone in the universe?
  If we are, why would that be?
  Why isn't there other intelligent life?
  
  Finding microbes is the start of life.
  With billions of stars in the universe,
  Is it too much to find beings to be?
  
  I think many long to find creatures to be
  As intelligent as we are, living a life,
  Not too dissimilar to our own universe.
  
  However, there could be life out there in a universe which could be far more intelligent than us.
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• Weekend Renga🍹🍹01/05/26 – 04/05/26🍹🍹04/05/2026

  #weekend #renga #poetry #japanese

  No. 1
  Iris, bluebells, and
  those blue starred forget-me-nots,
  reflect the skies blues
  
  No. 2
  old blue eyes
  could really fly me to the
  moon and back
  
  No. 3
  Blesséd Beltane
  when we jump the broom
  before the Bel flame
  
  No. 4
  A full flower moon 
  rises into the night sky
  nature's glory
  
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• Acrostic Poems 💜🪴🌿🪻- Hope Springs Eternal🪴🌿🪻💜04/05/2026

  #acrostic #poetry

  Hope springs eternal within humans.
  Our cries to our various gods when
  Purpose defeats our human spirit,
  Even as we implore the dark unknown.
  
  Silver moonlight guides us home.
  Pearlescent full moon's gravity pulls a
  Richness of thoughts to reason a way
  Inside each man-made problem.
  No amount of war, death and chaos
  Grinds us down, we are human and
  So we hope, we pray, and we implore
  
  Every deity we can think of, including
  The ones gone before – our ancestors.
  Evergreen with whispered wisdom,
  Raising energy in memory and song.
  Nothing can compare to this tribal
  Assault on all of our senses, this
  Light that shines from beyond the grave.
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse,  2026

  

• 👨‍👩‍👧💜🌿6 Word Story No. 13🌿💜👨‍👩‍👧04/05/2026

  #6word #story #ErnestHemingway

  In the style of the  poignant six-word story attributed to the late, great Ernest Hemingway:
  
  For sale
  baby shoes
  never worn.
  
  💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜💚💜
  
  No.  13
  
  Our life
  is about
  our legacy.
  
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2026

  

• 🌍👀✈️You Are Never Too Old For Snoopy 🌍👀✈️04/05/2026

  #youarenevertoooldforsnoopy #senseofhumour

  

• 🐦‍🔥🤎GOOD VIBES 🤎🐦‍🔥- Raising Our Vibration🤎🐦‍🔥04/05/2026

  #goodvibes

  🧡🐦‍🔥Why should we try to raise our vibration? To manifest a better life for ourselves. The higher the vibration, the more positive our lives become.
  
  In this feature, I bring you quotations to do just that. These are positive or thought-provoking in order that you can choose to change your life for the better.
  
  The choice is yours. Choose to be positive!🐦‍🔥🧡
  
  ©✍️CarolynCrossley
  
  http://backfromdarknesstolight.com
  
  WHAT YOU THINK IS WHAT YOU CREATE

  🩵💜💚🩵QUOTATION🩵💚💜🩵

  

• 💖🪷CHALLENGING THE NARRATIVE🪷💖 – Positivity 🪷💖03/05/2026

  #positiveaffirmations

  • I am resilient.
  • I have inner strength.
  • I have love in my life.
  • I am still learning.
  • I choose to live positively.

  💖🪷What do we mean by 'challenging the narrative'? What are positive affirmations?
  
  Challenging the narrative is calling out the negative that our ego keeps telling us is going on. It is changing each negative thought into a positive one.
  
  When we look for positivity we will find it and stop that nagging ego's voice from catastrophising every thought until we are paralysed by anxiety.
  
  Write down five positive affirmations and then say them aloud to the mirror. Take control of what you are thinking. 
  
  Remember what we think, creates our reality, so let it be positive. Speaking words out loud gives them energy and power. Why not give it a try? 🪷💖
  
  ©✍️CarolynCrossley
  THE VIXEN OF VERSE

  IN THIS HOME WE BELIEVE IN MAGIC

  

• 💛🐝COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS💛🐝 – Gratitude💛🐝03/05/2026

  #gratitude #counting #yourblessings

  • I am grateful for choice.
  • I appreciate new opportunity.
  • I am thankful for waking up every day.
  • I am blessed by light.
  • I am grateful for inner strength.

  💛🐝What does "counting your blessings' mean? Why should we bother? 
  
  Counting your blessings is listing 5 things you are grateful for and writing them down daily.
  
  Being grateful for what we have and not constantly hankering for what we haven't got is a good habit to cultivate. 
  
  Having a grateful heart is positivity at work. You put out gratitude into the world and that is what you attract back. Like attracts like. 
  
  Write them in a nice journal or file online. Just write them down and read them aloud! Why not give it a try? It is said that you need to keep doing something for 21 days for it to become a good habit.🐝💛 
  
  ©✍️CarolynCrossley
  
  http://backfromdarknesstolight.com

  ALL IS WELL IN MY WORLD

  

• 💜💐Cherita Terbalik – 460💐💜03/05/2026

  #cherita #terbalik #poetry #Japanese #aili

  love lives in lonely places,
  it's roots grow in the fertile
  earth of true friendship,
  
  It is within and without
  families where we create
  
  new families of chosen friends
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse,  2026

  

• Cherita💜💐45903/05/2026

  #cherita #poetry #aili

  we twist and turn
  
  in the sectarianism 
  that is prevalent in
  
  the UK today, as our
  communities fracture
  in fear and suspicion 
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse,  2026

  

• 🩷🩵The Sunday Whirl – Wordle 755🩵🩷03/05/2026

  #TheSundayWhirl #wordle755

  Wordle 755 Words:
  
  Crush, crisp, creamy, script, brisk, dreams, dust, seeds, dim, night, whisper, shimmer.
  
   NEW SEEDS
  
  The creamy full moon will shimmer
  In the crisp cool night, as the dust
  settles upon old arguments, I sigh.
  I hear the whisper of a well worn
  script that I still give the power to
  crush my many unfulfilled dreams.
  I must be brisk or downright brusque
  with that dim but demanding ego's
  voice and silence it for good – while
  in this moment, I will plant new seeds.
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse,  2026

  

• 🍇💚💙Random… Haiku/Senryu Theme – 🍇💚💙No.543🍇💚💙03/05/2026

  #randomtheme #haiku #senryu #poetry #TheDailyHaiku

  a drop in the 
  ocean of friendship, is all
  that is needed
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse,  2026

  

• 🩷🍨💛SenHai Saturday #50 – Devised By Susi Bocks💛🍨🩷03/05/2026

  #SenHai #Saturday #50 #poetry

  Here is this week’s image to get your creative juices flowing! This picture’s dark scenery shows us dramatic mountains emerging from misty coastal black sand dunes at sunrise, with tufts of grass patches dotting the sand.
  
  Please create one senryu and one haiku to accompany this image prompt. Remember that traditional American haikus and senryus are three lines presented in a 5-7-5 syllabic pattern. The haiku describes nature or a season, and the senryu focuses on human nature and emotions.
  
  ©✍️SusiBocks
  
  Senryu #50
  
  the light meets darkness
  at sunrise when it conquers
  the night - births the day
  
  Haiku #50
  
  where the day meets night,
  from rocky mountains to black
  sand dunes – grass springs up
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse,  2026

  

• Haiga🖼️ No. 18102/05/2026

  #haiga #poetry #japanese

  

• 🐲💚Tanka 315🐲02/05/2026

  #Tanka #poetry #TheDailyHaiku

  stabbing and burning
  death and destruction are 
  the hallmarks of a
  society in the grips of 
  sectarianism
  
  ©🦊VixenOfVerse,  2026

  

• 🧙‍♀️🐈‍⬛Crone’s Corner (25)🐈‍⬛🧙‍♂️02/05/2026

  #crone #corner #eclectic #witchcraft

  BELTANE
  
  Overview
  
  Beltane is the ancient Gaelic festival marking the beginning of summer, traditionally celebrated on 1 May. It is one of the four great Celtic fire festivals, honouring fertility, protection, and the vibrant return of life.
  
  Origins & Meaning
  
  Observed in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.
  
  The name likely comes from Old Irish Beltene, meaning “bright fire.”
  
  Marks the midpoint between the spring equinox and summer solstice.
  
  A threshold moment when communities sought protection for people, animals, and crops.
  
  Traditional Practices
  
  Bonfires — Lit on hilltops; cattle were driven between two fires for protection.
  
  Extinguishing & relighting hearth fires — Homes were darkened, then rekindled from the Beltane flame.
  
  May flowers — Especially yellow blossoms symbolising sunlight and fire.
  
  May Bushes — Thorn branches decorated with ribbons, shells, and bright cloth.
  
  Holy wells — Visits for blessings, healing, and good fortune.
  
  Beltane dew — Collected at dawn for beauty and vitality.
  
  Feasting & offerings — Portions given to the aos sí (fair folk) for goodwill.
  
  Modern Pagan & Wiccan Beltane
  
  Celebrated as a festival of fertility, creativity, passion, and joyful union.
  
  Common elements include:
  
  Maypole dancing
  
  Handfastings (partnership ceremonies)
  
  Flower crowns & greenery
  
  Outdoor rituals honouring growth and connection
  
  A time to step into new beginnings, embrace vitality, and celebrate the natural world.
  
  Symbols of Beltane
  
  Fire — Purification, protection, life-force.
  
  Flowers & greenery — Growth, renewal, abundance.
  
  Maypole — Community, weaving of intentions.
  
  Dew & water — Blessing, beauty, healing.
  
  Themes
  
  Protection
  
  Fertility & creativity
  
  Renewal & vitality
  
  Community celebration
  
  Connection with nature
  
  Reflection Prompt
  
  What in your life is ready to blossom as you step into the light half of the year?
  
  ©✍️CarolynCrossley + CoPilotAI 
  
  Sources: The Pagan Grimoire, Wikipedia & Brittanica