On Wednesday, around 10.15am, I was sat in my pyjamas and dressing gown, text messaging with a friend about how I was struggling with returning to the Visual Narratives workshop. At the same time I was playing with canal photos in Snapseed.
Nothing wrong with that you might say. And rightly so. Except that at 10.25 (still in PJs & dressing gown) I realised I was supposed to be in a Write Poetry workshop on Zoom which started at 10am!
I zoomed in with camera switched off and whilst people were writing their first poem, I nipped off and put a top on and combed my hair! Phew!
Camera on I entered the fray!
Sara-Jane talks about a poem and then sets an exercise to write our own. I missed the first exercise as I said. It was based on the poem: The Laughing Receptionist in the GP's Surgery by Paul Durcan
The second poem was Up-Hill by Christina Rossetti. We were asked to write a poem where we were trying to work out a conundrum or problem, using two voices. I was so not in the zone due to my late arrival and bothered about not being dressed properly etc. I had no idea what to write. However I did write this:
A Poetic Conundrum
What shall I write?
I don’t want to appear a fool.
Just start. Do not fight
The pen is just a tool.
A pencil is much better
I can erase the ill-place word.
The words are only letters
Keep going, undeterred.
What shall I write?
I cannot think of words to bring.
Lead your thoughts to the light
And let your words take wing.
The next poem was The Laugh by Michael Laskey. For this we were asked to write about a human expression or reaction including something unexpected. Here's mine:
Tears
A kind word,
a word of encouragement,
well-meant and well received,
provoked a depth of feeling,
an unthought-of release
of past hurts and criticism.
Not harsh words,
but words full of kindness,
that destroyed the chains
that bound the hurts
of the past and released
unexpected tears.
Thanks for joining me today
Bernice
