Audrey’s Blog on living well with disability and breast cancer

                               Compassion is the radicalism of our time. Dalia Lama I've written many blogs in my head of late but the truth is i haven't written them down. They're hard to find the words for , the feelings too complex or too deeply personal to share. There is no doubt grieving for my Mum has had different shapes and impacts and I’m doing my best to accept that. There's a visceral quality to loss that's beyond words. What I also recognise is that there is part of me grieving for more settled and gentler times in our world and nation too. It feels for the last year that we've been in different, less tolerant times.  I suspect  it's a time in history I'm struggling with. Maybe it is the dying throws of a society that cares more for money or things than people, and that the dark underbelly of global capitalism is exposed at last? What could be more emblematic of the failures of neoliberal philosophy than the Grenfell Tower fire and th

She was the Queen of;  the cashmere cardi, the crossword puzzle, the weekly quiz, the one liner She'd forgotten to eat But knew us still and knew the staff, knew her new friends She looked out for them She'd forgotten the prime minster, where had been home, if she was married, what day it was But she knew what mattered What mattered to her was; not going to hospital, staying in her home, being with her carers, being with her family What mattered to her carers, was seeing her happy, it was sharing a joke, or a tale of children, it was to feel like family She'd saved for that rainy day and paid dearly for the care  that created the rainbow of kindness, fun, friendship  and love In turn she loved them back and they grieved,  shed tears as we did when she finally gave up her fragile grasp on life So minimum wages and no sick pay doesn't express the gratitude we felt Carers with zero hou

I had a new prime minister I'd gone out  just for the morning And heard it on the news Is this  taking back control? Be glad its a woman- Remember Thatcher? I need to know  what she'll do not her gender She wants to unite her country this disunited kingdom Poverty and place Power and privilege  Are the hard borders of division  A referendum I didn't vote for A result I didn't vote for A prime minster I didn't vote for I have a new prime minister Who will make me less European  Powerless in my capital city where 75% of us voted  to stay in the heart of Europe Since June 24 I've grieved I've puzzled I've tried to understand I've looked everywhere  for silver linings She's spoken of  governing for all not just the privileged So I'm clinging to some wreckage of my hope    for signs that my fear is unfounded And now ten months on there's an angst that is