Astell Collins Poems

Let not his passing steal the many memories that his life has afforded you. He has returned to his original form and is awaiting yours. He is now everywhere. He may be as far as beyond the distant stars or as close as the caressing wind. He will speak to you through the channels of nature. You have to listen, you have to look.

Free yourself from the idea that everything has to begin and thus end, that we must be born and thus die. Let us remember that he was a spirit being having a human experience, like we all are. We are not what we notice but rather the observer of what we notice. It’s a liberating affirmation and a powerful reminder that we don’t have to be confirmed to all the boundaries and limitations of our humanity. The only way to escape grief is to allow ourselves a moment to grieve. So I implore you, grieve, and free your soul from the burden of lost. Cry, I beseech you and experience the essence of this our human existence. Just explore the beauty in our ability to express our emotional dialogue.
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Like the birthing of a baby so is death in the eyes of the divine. It is simply a point of transition and not termination. For the Bible states that to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord, and blessed are the saints who die in Christ. My beloved granny Doreen was nothing short of a saint, furthermore, she was my angel who loved me in spite of me. I have conceded and embraced the transformation of my granny-my foundation into my granny-my inspiration. Moreover, with unimaginable grief and inconceivable pain, I submit to the process of life itself. In the spirit realm my spirit bears witness that my granny Doreen who has become synonymous with peace and love is in the presence of love.

Despite the fact that her endless journey has just begun, she will forever remain my precious one. I know for sure that her heart was pure, but now with her soul freed, she has started to live the story untold. Although the moon continues to rise as the sun sets, the grace that possessed her I could never forget. She maybe only a breath away, but her love will live on night and day. What a delight that granny has escaped this world, on the softest cloud drifting upwards, pulled by heavens love. She was escorted by the whitest doves and has entered into a world governed by love. So it is beyond the confines of time, where there is no more pain, and sorrows could never touch her again. Her gentle joy, her contentment and utter purity of love was far too beautiful for this world.
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You’ve pardoned me from countless sins
And loved me in spite of my many shortcomings
Everyday I am guaranteed new mercy
And with your loving kindness judgment flees
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Though we are on one continent
Our cultures differ in content
We are as diverse as the beasts of the fields
And as unique as the fishes of the seas
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Lord without you what would my life be
And without your mercy what would become of me
Suppose there were no grace
In your kingdom, for me will there be a place?
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I sought God and found myself
For I am in Him as He is in me
This is neither religion nor theology
But the essence of spirituality
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Poverty has robbed me of my history
As it tries to assault me
Forever looking for a job, something to do
Protecting my future from what I’ve been through
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We are all fibres making up the fabric of humanity
And only in our unity can we see the garment of destiny
We must remember that we are all inextricably connected
An issue affecting one affects us all unrelated
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Barbara Waldron-our strength and love
(A tribute to a mother of all times)

You are a mother comparable to none
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He called me
In the valleys of my sins
And when I felt like giving in
He called me
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