By Editor Wicher Bos
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 9th of June 2023

An accidental find, that’s usually how my photography and my editorial work happens. Suddenly I notice something or encounter someone and it sparks an idea. This time too… I was really struggling to find a subject for an article and last week as a flash … there it was… another poem of Emily Dickinson.

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (1830–1886) was an American poet sadly, little-known during her life. Dickinson lived alone for most of her life while taking care of her parents. Her poetry tells of complex ideas such as power and life/death. She wrote thousands of poems, although many were not published until after her death in 1886.

Here is the one I found so moving:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain;

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

The words hit me… and therefore I want to share it, and find some images that would support these words… not exactly line by line but as a trigger to illustrate its message, intention and thought. 

'Kindness in Birds'  by pphgallery

‘According to Dickinson, if one can stop only one individual teeming on the verge of mental collapse or assist one hurt bird lying somewhere unnoticed, they shall not live in vain.’

In my words… … what makes life useful… is caring and kindness…. To me, the bird feeding and raising a cuckoo symbolizes this act of self-sacrifice…

'Helping hand' by Pedro Jarque Krebs

'Helping Hands' by António Marciano

'Bucket list' by Gilbert Claes

'Cooling Down' by Leonard Cocks

'Peaceful' by Fahmi Bhs

'Love' by Anze Malovrh

'share sorrow' by Gilcan Mete

'Love'  by Pablo Martinez 

"On a walk to the centre of Cali, Colombia I see a homeless woman who takes care of the pigeons then I approached her and talk to her, she told me she is responsible for feeding the pigeons on their behalf. I will take some photos of her relationship with birds."

Healing

'Girl treats horse' by Sebastian Graf

'The Healer' by Sebastian Graf

'Healing' by Craig Martin

Caring

'Caring Arms' by Andre du Plessis FRPS

'Love inside' by Andrey Nastasenko

'The little Prince' by Thierry Boitelle

'Help' by Phillip Chang

'white age. lovers' by Nicoleta Gabor

'reaching over to the other side' by Mette Caroline Strøksnes

she writes…

“My dear friend at the hospital dying, accepting the situation and ready to go. He never asked for much in life and he was so grateful for the nurses around him who made his last days good, the white angels. Now his kind heart has stopped forever. It is hard to watch loved ones go and to miss them always. It is no cure for that too."

Let’s end with a thought: helping is not about you… it’s about the other…

'a little help from my friend' by Humusak

Hope you enjoyed my selection of photos and I probably missed a few too, so, feel free to add your own that would fit in your opinion this wonderful message...

Wicher