Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

blackout poem, compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, first time, found poem, gratitude, hero, heroism, humour, imagination, job, joy, mistakes, nature, poem, poetry, river, soul food, spring, story, TED talks, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome back after a brief break, to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

My recent trip to Scotland included several visits to my mother, who still has a couple of shelves of my ‘ unthrowable away stuff,’ some of which will eventually become ‘throwawayable’, when I have time to sort through it. Among all this I found some personal treasure – a collection of writing prompts and some responses from the very first creative writing sessions I held, five years ago, filed in a folder I’d made immediately after that first session, driven by the buzz of joy and playfulness I’d been left brimming with. I made it from a gift bag left over from my birthday.

This week I’d like to share a very simple prompt, which was part of that very first writing workshop I held – when I had just one participant. It’s super simple and has never failed to bring lots of playful laughter, and some rather random stories. I’ve used it several times since, especially when I’m writing with just one other person.

Each person writes the first sentence of a story, anything at all, and then passes it to the other person who then writes the second sentence and passes it back etc etc writing just one sentence at a time. The speed helps the imagination as does the cross pollination with someone else’s style and ideas. If you want to try this on your own…I guess you could write two stories at a time, alternating between them, and adding just one sentence at a time to each.

This is one of the stories my first ‘student’ and I co-wrote, five years ago. I think I originally set the task at 10 minutes, but we couldn’t stop so I think it ran longer! This particular story ended up in a style for children…I don’t know why, just because. If you look at the photo closely you can see the different styles of handwriting, and the blue VS black ink marking our different contributions. Completely spontaneous and unedited, written in about 10/15 minutes. Enjoy 🙂

Once upon a time there was a wizard living at the bottom of our garden. This wizard really wanted to build a fish pond so he could observe the fish swimming. Of course, with magic, it doesn’t take long, and with a wand he built the pond, filling it with beautiful fish. But then he thought of something else the pond needed, was it a bridge or a swing? He closed his eyes and asked the fish what they wanted, to make their pond even more beautiful and grand.

The fish were not aesthetic experts, but they knew an architect just down the road. The architect was a toad who went by the name of Mr Knowit. Mr Knowit was delighted to come over – he loved giving advice, especially to lowly fish. In his superior way he made his own slow hopping round of the pond and declared, ‘I know exactly what this pond needs!’

They all clamoured to hear this pronouncement, but first he said it needed a brass band as an introduction to his speech. Well, where would they find a brass band at such short notice they wondered, and asked Mr Knowit, ‘Would a chorus of birds do?’ 

Yes they would do, but only if they first had a practice. Could they sing God Save The Queen for example? Well of course, that was one of their favourites the head fish assured Mr Knowit, and with a loud splash he called the birds to the nearest tree.

But Mr Knowit suddenly had a moment of shyness; perhaps he didn’t really know what was best for the fish! There was a loud intake of breath – Mr Knowit DIDN’T know it, so NOW what were they going to do!? Perhaps they could have an attunement, but alas they had no hands to hold, only tails. So they all faced out and, like the most skilled synchronized divers, touched their tails together in the centre and closed their eyes.

A strange silence came over the group and the wizard appeared and said, ‘What did you get?’

There must be a bridge woven from reeds that all may come to seek the wisdom of the fish!

Mr Knowit knew some other toads and a neighbourly beaver who, when called upon, were more that happy to lend their skills to building the bridge.

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

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Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

blackout poem, compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, first time, found poem, gratitude, hero, heroism, humour, imagination, job, joy, mistakes, nature, poem, poetry, river, soul food, spring, story, TED talks, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (take about 15 mins in total) begins with completing the following sentence five times – ‘It was the first time…’

Now, for the next ten minutes or so choose one of those sentences, and expand on it… This is what I wrote:

May I introduce…the river Findhorn. I’m heading up to Scotland today – can’t wait!

 

It was the first time she’d spoken to the river. It didn’t feel like anything special. Actually it felt entirely natural, the most natural thing in the world. It didn’t occur to her until later that she may have been seen, overheard.

‘Help me,’ she’d begun. ‘Take this away.’

The immediate wordless response took her breath away. It was gone! She looked all around her. It must be a trick. Who? What? Nothing. But the sadness she’d arrived with really had disappeared. She began to giggle, and it felt like the rapids mimicked her joy as they rushed, white-tipped and wild, towards her. She began to sing, directing her song to the movement of the water, until her new lightness turned into a contented emptiness. She sat on a rock and watched; not anything in particular, just watched.

She began to play ‘what if’. What if I jumped in, where would it take me? What if I knew how to build a shelter and stayed for a night right here on the river bank? What if I could ask this rock to tell me all that it’s seen and heard? What if I were perched on the top of that tree, light as a bird – what would I see? What if being me weren’t so different from anybody else? What if I belonged? Fitted in…

The game stopped. She didn’t fit in, but just maybe that was a good thing. She stood, with new resolve, and bowed to the river. As she turned to walk uphill, back the way she’d come, it didn’t feel like she was climbing, for inside she was already ‘up’, and could see more clearly where she wanted to go.

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

blackout poem, compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, found poem, gratitude, hero, heroism, humour, imagination, job, joy, mistakes, nature, poem, poetry, soul food, spring, story, TED talks, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow around 15/20 mins total) is in two parts, and is on the topic of – heroes or heroism.

To begin, take no more than 10 minutes to just write whatever comes as you reflect on this topic. You might describe an individual whom you consider to be a hero, or you might explore the qualities or demands or what we term heroism. Just write.

Now, for the next ten minutes or so you’re going to read what you’ve just written and extract, carve out, discover…a blackout poem. This simply means you underline, or circle, or in some other way highlight words (or parts of words) from the text to make a poem. Ideally you won’t change the order or form of the words at all.

This is what I ended up with:

Unsung heroes

meet

daily living

with honest graft, heart

write them

sing them

the world wouldn’t turn

without them

mothers go without

so children thrive

bus driver leaves his seat

to help

never mind the timetable

everywhere heroes

keeping us human

hearts standing strong

hope alight

your stories all around me

make lots

of little differences

 

 

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, gratitude, humour, imagination, job, joy, mistakes, nature, soul food, spring, story, TED talks, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow around 5 mins) is to write briefly on the topic…but something else happened instead.

This prompt was inspired by this TED talk, which I watched recently. It gave me and my perfectionist tendencies plenty to think about. Check it out:

 

This is what I wrote:

Something else happened instead

They say God laughs when you plan because, so often, something else happens instead. That something is an invitation to trust I guess, though sometimes I don’t want to ‘invite’ or ‘welcome’ that something else at all! I want everything to go exactly as I’d hoped, wished, made for it to happen – but then I would’ve missed out on so many important moments – moments of joy, learning, surprise, the opportunity to grow and practice my resilience and responsiveness. 

I thought that poem would go down a storm. But something else happened instead. I was scared to send that email, expecting an angry response – but something else happened instead.

Life likes to keep me on my toes!

 

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

compost, creative writing, creativity, fable, gratitude, imagination, job, joy, nature, soul food, spring, story, well, well being, work, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow around 10-15 mins in total) is to write…A modern day fable

 

If you’re in a group, each person should write three job titles, one each on a three small pieces of paper. These then get folded up, and mixed up with everyone else’s, after which each person picks two. If you’re doing this by yourself, maybe write five jobs, each on a separate piece of paper, and then pick two.

 

I picked bank manager and newspaper delivery boy/girl. This is what I wrote:

 

“Morning!”

The boy was just about to put the newspaper through the letter box when Jeremy opened the door. He turned quickly before there was time for to receive a reply to his greeting, jumped on his bike and had disappeared around the corner before Jeremy’s sleepy pre-caffeine brain had even taken in the headlines.

Monday morning and the tie around his neck was both a comfort and a collar – soothingly familiar, but also feeling like it came with an invisible lead that limited his freedom. He pulled up in the car park and walked the short distance up the high street to open up.

He was the first in and disabled the alarm, settling in behind his desk to review his diary for the day. He was meeting a couple who wanted to remortgage their home at 9.30, and there were interviews for the cashier vacancy later. He found himself thinking about the boy (what was his name?) rushing off on his bike with an urgency and aliveness he hadn’t felt in…? Well, not for a while at any rate.

“Good morning Mr Blanford,” his head cashier greeted him. “Coffee?”

“Thank you Kate,” he replied, taking the relaxed smile off his face and replacing it automatically with something appropriately professional, polite.

The next Monday, Jeremy was waiting for him.

“Morning,” the boy said, turning to rush off again.

“Good morning Tom, and thank you.”

Tom stood, smiling a little uncomfortably at the unexpected exchange. “It’s cool,” he said with a shrug, hopped on his bike, and was off.

Jeremy put his new navy anorak on over the neatly pressed suit he wore, and climbed onto his new bike. As he cycled in to work he found himself waving at people he knew as he passed. Locking his bike to a sturdy railing he checked his watch and jogged with urgency the short distance to the bank.

“Morning Mr Blanford.” Kate was already there, waiting by the still locked door.

“Jeremy please, Jeremy. Am I late?”

“Not at all sir. I mean…”

“Jeremy!”

“Jeremy,” she echoed with a smile.

“Well,” he said, holding the door open, “after you.”

 

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

creative writing, creativity, fear, future, gratitude, hope, imagination, joy, nature, soul food, well, well being, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well, coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this special edition of a regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because; it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of my own written response. However, today I have the great pleasure and privilege of sharing writing from some of the participants! Today’s prompt (allow around 15/20 mins in total) is called…Reflections on the Future

Begin by writing five sentences, each beginning, I fear for the future because…(complete with you own ideas). If you’re doing it in a group, you can pass your paper/notebook round to the right after each sentence and let the next person add another, so that you get some creative cross pollination of ideas. Now, take a deep breath, and write five NEW sentences, each beginning with, I’m excited about the future because… Once again, if you are writing in a group, you can pass your paper/notebook round.

We wrote with such spontaneous speed and passion that it was hard to read even our own writing at times, let alone each others!

Using your sentences for inspiration, though you do not you have to use all the ideas collected, nor are you limited to those already written, write a poem.

As examples, it gives me great joy to share, with their permission, poems written by some of my fellow writers who participated last week, in the order that they were emailed to me. Thank you all. It’s an honour to have your work here on my blog:-)

 

Reflections on the Future

by Carole Ellis

We have the capacity to love and to destroy.
While some of us build, others will tear down.
Yet the desire to build remains strong.

And the world is grateful for our efforts.
For every block of concrete poured, the daises keep on blooming.
For every ready meal consumed, a farmer somewhere produces food to get the taste buds dancing.
For every child who cannot read, someone is still prepared to teach.

The world will find its balance
And we must find ours too.
It doesn’t come from mindless grind
But from the peace of gentle hope and that capacity for love.

Reflections on the future

by Emma Jones

The future
You must travel there.

With whatever I can arm you with
To slay what dragons may cross your path,
To discover new lands,
To love people as yet unimaginable.

All I can give you is a past
To keep you warm should it be cold
To light your way should it be dark.

The future
You must travel there.

Pack only what you need
Pack an open mind and a big heart
Pack you smile, it’ll serve you well.

The future
You must travel there.

 

Reflections for the Future

by Jenny Heaton

 

The future is unknown
It lies ahead of us, yet to come into being.
I fear for the earth. Yet she is powerful –
Rivers, oceans, rainstorms,
Wind, hurricanes, fire
Remind us
We are part of something greater than ourselves.
The earth is alive, and so are we
The life-force that moves through us
Moves also in the bee, the flower, the leopard.

We need to see the beauty of life all around us
in our rich, diverse, abundant world.
And we need to value it, look after it, and give back to it
with the fierceness of a lion protecting her cubs
and the gentleness of a ladybird landing on a cornflower.

As the stream that starts small on moor and mountain
grows and builds as it flows to the sea
So the seeds of longing can grow into something strong
and powerful, and fierce and loving.

 
Reflections on the Future

Is it the blackest night of humanity?
Have we wounded our Mother beyond healing?
Have we sought dominance through ignorance
until the black oil of profit and disrespect
contaminates our hearts, our consciousness and our children?

And yet, the darkness is a velvet thing,
a womb, a winter, a time to weep.
What child, what spring emerges after grief?
What happens when I listen, we listen
and hear our Mother singing daffodils into yellow?
When fathers love and children grow
and communities care from here to Timbuktu?
What happens when arrogance and difference crumble
and we see our brother in a foreign face?
When we say “No!” with fierce and tender love,
“Enough is enough; there is no them

just us.”

 

This poem was created with added colour, so I’ve shared it as an image rather than text:

I feel newly emboldened and hopeful having been so beautifully and powerfully reminded that I do not travel into that future alone, but rather with many courageous, compassionate, creative souls who share a similar vision of the world we want to see…and the one we must therefore, together, create 🙂

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

creative writing, creativity, gratitude, imagination, international womens day, joy, miracles, nature, rwanda, soul food, well, well being, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

This is my friend Beatha Munganyinka, with her three boys.

You can find out more about Beatha by following the link below

https://beathaandherboys.wordpress.com/

Before I dive in to the regular Wednesday post, I’d like to (re)share a poem I wrote a while back, in recognition of the fact that today is International Women’s Day. For inspiration I turned my thoughts to my heroines…the mothers of Africa, or more specifically, the women in Rwanda who have been such friends and sources of inspiration to me. For more about International Women’s Day, follow this link:

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme

She bears a year old child upon her back

Her body oozing sweat in vicious heat

A child beside with nothing on her feet

Walks in silence down the dusty track

No waste of precious words to voice her lack

The woman’s rod straight back shows no defeat

Her head held high she stops to meet and greet

For all are friends who walk this dusty track

A car pulls up to offer them a lift

She feels the soothing air conditioning

Her daughter waits to see what she will do

The man inside is offering a gift

He’s smiling now and beckoning them in

They walk on by, thank God her mother knew

 

And now, a belated welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow around 15 mins in total) is called…Mundane Miracles

Begin by making a list, speedily and spontaneously, of about 10 things/experiences, you consider to be little everyday ‘miracles’. If you’re doing it in a group, you can pass your list round to the right after each item and add to each others so you get some creative cross pollination of imaginative ideas.

Now, with your list for inspiration, though you do not you have to use everything on it, nor are you limited to the things on your list(s), write a poem. Here is what I wrote:

 

I believe in miracles

the daily, mundane kind

no need to wake from death

or fly with pigs

just smile

smile with heart and soul on show

and you catch me in that glow

and I feel that joy and lightness

grow in me too

watch that wild thing following freely

with nothing to gain

but a moment of connection

unspoken friendship that neither asks

nor wants but flies away

as lightly and spontaneously as it came

colour, that child of light

ever changing as the day births,

grows and dies

spilling a vast palette

from an ever changing sky

onto a receptive world below

that forgets blue is so much more

that a single four letter word

nothing need change

for life to become

a series of mini miracles

it’s all already there

just waiting to be noticed

 

 

May your day be Miraculous 🙂

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

compost, creative writing, creativity, gratitude, imagination, joy, nature, soul food, spring, well, well being, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow just 3 to 5 mins in total) is quite simply to write whatever comes in response to this phrase…Let it Go

 

Here is what I wrote:

Let it go, shake those shoulders, let it go, breathe it out, let it go, breathe it down, let it go, breathe it in and…let it go.

Standing by the river I cast my cares into her flow…and let them go.

Leaning my back against the tall strength of a tree, I relax and…let it go.

Taking in the huge expanse of uninterrupted sky as I walk alone in the open field, I laugh, smile upwards and…let it go.

Let it go, that which weighs me down, that which I think carries me, but in fact that I am carrying, heavily. Put it down…walk away.

 

Your turn, go on…Let it go 🙂

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

compost, creative writing, creativity, gratitude, imagination, joy, nature, soul food, spring, well, well being, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow about 15 mins total) is…A Poem about Spring

Begin by making a list, speedily and spontaneously, of about 10 things you associate with Spring. If you’re doing it in a group, you can pass your list round to the right after each item and add to each others so you get some creative cross pollination of imaginative ideas.

 

Here is what I wrote:

 

The air is full of it

sounds, sights, smells

the very taste of life’s joy

rising, flying, singing itself back

through brave green shoots

and fluffy white lambs

playing with a land

that is waking up

***

Feeling tender

yearning to grow

stretching my spirit

beyond the known

for life force itself

holds no guarantees

other than expressing itself

through trees dressing up

in new season’s leaves

it can’t hold on, hold back

press pause on rebirth

only celebrate the cycle

that turns with the earth

so dance barefoot

on sun warmed grass

and drink in the extra

warmth and light

to give spring

a worthy welcome

 

 

What does Spring mean to you?

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers’ Well

Tags

compost, creative writing, creativity, garden, gardening, gratitude, imagination, joy, magic, nature, soul food, well, well being, writing prompt, writing workshop

“The aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only half way down a well. coming up time and again with nothing but empty air. The frustration is immense. But you must keep doing it anyway. After many years of practice, the chain draws unexpectedly tight, and you have dipped into the waters that will continue to entice you back. You’ll have broken the skin on the pool of yourself.”

 – SEAMUS HEANEY

Welcome to this regular slot each Wednesday, which I call Writers’ Well because: it’s intended to be a source of nourishment and inspiration for the writer in you, it expresses my belief that creative writing can benefit our well being on many levels, and…I love the above quote from Seamus Heaney. It gives me goosebumps every time. It also resonates with my own intention when leading writing workshops. It’s not about producing good writing, it’s about brave, real writing. Writing that goes down deep within to draw up something unexpected.

Writing Prompt:

Each week, I share one of the writing prompts used the previous Friday in my weekly workshop, along with an example of what was written in response. Today’s prompt (allow about 20 mins total) is called…Take a walk around your inner garden

 

Set aside some quiet space and time. Imagine your life and current experience of living represented as an inner garden. Close your eyes if it helps, or find your own way to quietly, gently, imagine taking a walk around that garden. What can you see, hear, smell, touch, taste? What’s growing, or not…? etc etc. I don’t want to give you too many leads, for there’s no right or wrong way…just follow where this idea takes you.

 

Here is what I wrote:

 

Full of beauty and potential, but unkempt and overgrown through neglect. It’s a peace garden, with a fountain at the centre, which still has water flowing, though less than it should because it’s all choked with dead leaves.  

There are four benches around this peace garden, representing; compassion, loving-kindness, equanimity and joy. Again, they’re covered in leaves, but still perfectly serviceable. I start to brush them off, and realise I’m just moving the problem, not genuinely creating welcome and space. So I go to the tool shed, get a wheelbarrow and a rake, and set to work. It’s cold and dull, but the work soon warms me up. The compost pile has greatly grown, and in big wellington boots I stamp, jump, laugh and dance on it to squash it down.

Time for a break.

I take my thermos from the tool shed , sit at a bench and pour myself a coffee, taking a biscuit out of my pocket, not worrying about my messy hands. As I smile, and sip (not together, that doesn’t work…in case you’ve tried…) I realise I don’t know which bench I am sat on. I turn to read the plaque behind me, rubbing it with the the sleeve of my coat to reveal what’s written beneath the dirt and grime; Joy.

I choke up a bit. It’s my starter bench. , always has been, the one I find it easiest to sit at, and the one where I rest, recharge, take a break, before taking a walk and admiring the garden from alternative places of perception. 

But wherever I sit, before me is the movement of water; sparkling, giggling, through, over, falling – a fountain of peace, freed from dead leaves to shine with clarity again.

Thinking about that word Joy has reminded me of this:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/a-ripple-of-joy/

 

Can you describe your own inner garden, as it is right now?

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/