I always thought that new beginnings

meant tearing pages out of a notebook,

a fresh start in a place where no one knows you,

a new outfit you’ve never worn before.

I’m learning that life is a constant emerging;

it takes courage to stay in the tension

of who we were and who we’re becoming,

humility to acknowledge we never start from zero.

What if the new beginning we are seeking

is available to us every moment of every day?

What if the freedom we desire can be found here?

Life is a process; I am always becoming.

You don’t have to run away or burn it all down

to be made new.

Sophie Caldecott is a freelance writer and content manager who lives with her family in a cottage by the moors (in the UK) and spends her summers in Paris. Over the years she's written for many publications, including Harper's Bazaar, Wired, House & Garden, and Career Contessa, and worked as a content strategist for places like Verily Magazine and Marie Forleo.

Image: tobetold

Styling: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter

Hair & make-up: Kerstin Wolf, Die Wölfin

Model: Fati wearing pieces by Armed Angels via Sestra Store

You would like more inspiration on how to start something new? Then order our “New Beginnings” issue today. Both the print and digital version are available here.

Emily Dickinson wrote;

“We grow accustomed to the Dark-

When Light is put away-”

This year the dark stayed so long

We had to.

Our eyes adjusted until we

could make out

Shadows and shapes.

Until we could wind our way through the months

with some semblance of normality

Although we know it isn’t.

The world feels lonely in the dark

We fear if this continues

we may forget daylight

And hope.

We need reminding this will not always be.

One day we will eat a picnic

In the breeze of a warm day

Talking with friends

While our children play nearby.

We will stroll down busy streets.

We will stand in a crowd and not fear it.

We will see friends who feel a million miles away,

Or maybe who are.

We will embrace and laugh and kiss and sing

We will be together and it will be good.

The dawn will come.

This poem by Elli Johnson is about the difficulty of trying to support her children through the pandemic. She has three kids, aged 16, 14 and 11.

Elli Johnson is a poet and writer, working from her draughty Victorian house in Liverpool, with the river Mersey at the bottom of the road. Her work sits at the intersection of mental health, spirituality, and creativity. Her first book, How Not To Be Good, the A to Z of Anxiety can be purchased from her website here: https://www.ellijohnson.com/how-not-to-be-good-by-elli-johnson/

Elli is currently working on her second book. You can follow her on Instagram @ellijohnsonuk

Poetry: New Beginnings

Poetry: When light is put away.