Kitabı oxu: «Shine On: Visions of Life»

Introduction

Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling.It takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

1770–1850

This evening I have been compelled to sit at the computer and relay the story behind the poems and lyrics that you will read and absorb into your hearts.

In the last 18 months of her life, Betty spent night and day writing about situations that had touched her heart and soul. She was so moved by all that she heard, saw and read that she was able to put all these emotions down on scraps of paper, backs of envelopes, notepads – the ideas came thick and fast, sometimes so fast that she could hardly get pen to paper in time. She would often relay messages from the spirit world in her writings, understanding all that they had to say and putting it down as it was spoken to her. Automatic writing often occurred at any time of day or night – when messages are passed through from spirit you have to act upon them, even if you are in the bath! This she did, never denying a channel of thought from spirit to herself.

She always wrote from her heart. The most overwhelming time was during the September 11th tragedy. Without Betty realising it, she foresaw this tragedy happening. She had channelled automatic writings, even drawings of planes colliding in mid-air, smoke, bodies, in fact all the images that you would have seen on the television screen. Betty would say, ‘These images I am getting are unbelievable.’ Though none of us knew what it meant, she actually saw it all before it happened! That is how utterly amazing she was as a clairvoyant.

I would arrive at Betty’s house in Sussex where she lived and worked, ready for my day’s work ahead. Even before I could get in the front door she would say, ‘Janet come into the living room – I’ve got another masterpiece to read to you. I wrote it last night.’ I would stand with bated breath as I knew how her heart and soul had gone into these poems. As she read each piece of work to me, the tears would often well up in my eyes as they were so beautiful, funny, sad or true to everyday life that we all experience. ‘What do you think?’ she would ask. ‘Fantastic,’ was always my reply, because they truly were. Her eyes would light up and we would then put all these writings into a special folder knowing that one day someone somewhere would read them. It was always her dream to have them published or the lyrics recorded, as she truly believed that, like all her books, these special writings would move the hearts and souls of her public. I believe they will too, and that is why I was determined to have them shown to the world as a very last tribute to Betty’s tremendous courage through a very difficult 18 months. These writings kept her determination and pure mental and physical strength going when all was against her, and without the hope of the afterlife Betty would have never coped with her physical ailments on earth. She fought to the bitter end and made me so proud of her.

I will never forget her grabbing my hand every day when I arrived for work, that warm, chunky, healing hand, so full of love and energy. She would not let go until she had told me all her news! Even now when I sit quietly I can feel that hand in mine. Betty was passionate about life on earth and life beyond, and I hope that by reading this book you will be able to share in the same passion that she had.

JANET SHINE

December 2002