The Light is Coming Back – Writers’ Well

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creative writing, creativity, light, poem, poetry, writing, writing prompt, writing workshop

A very warm welcome to the first Writers’ Well of 2018! I seem to have had quite an extended virtual hibernation, and my roots and shoots are still only slowly waking, but with renewed joy and wonder at the circles and cycles of life, and the sense of renewal and resilience at its core. One of my favourite of those circles is the group I write with each Friday morning, and I’d like to share with you one of the prompts I used last week.

 

Here in the Northern Hemisphere the shortest day passed almost a month ago, and so to acknowledge and celebrate the slow but sure lengthening of the days again, I asked each person to write a word or phrase in response to the theme ‘the light is coming back’ on their individual sheet of paper. That sheet was then passed to the right and added to, until we’d collected an abundance of images and ideas. And from those, my fellow alchemists of words and I were tasked to mix and stir and form a poem, in just 10 minutes!

 

This is what I wrote. Enjoy:-)

 

The flowers know it

or notice it

before I do

and begin to leave

the earth’s dark cocoon

breaching the surface

with green tips

like the summit of palms

met in prayer

pointing to the taller skies –

the light is coming back.

***

The leaves that hid

in dead looking branches

aren’t surprised either

and unfurl from who knows where

(I’ve seen snapped branches,

they’re not inside)

but I mustn’t rush

or frantically search for source

lest I kill the goose

and lose the golden egg –

of the light that’s coming back.

***

Is it old

or is it new

lit from an original flame

and so different, but the same

tracing its origins back to the start

and bringing life with it

touching with rays that wake

the spark that knows

it was there at the beginning too.

 

Funny the things time can so

when the light is coming back.

 

 

Wherever in the world this finds you, may you be touched

and inspired by the light of New Beginnings.

Many blessings on the year ahead!

Be Well, Be happy, Be Peaceful.

 

 

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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…light… – Writers’ Well

Tags

creative collaboration, creative writing, creativity, imagination, light, play, poem, poetry, writing, writing prompt, writing workshop

 

And a new season of creative collaboration in a circle of courageous and compassionate creatives has begun! It’s been a joy to return to the weekly writing workshops I teach, and I’d like to share with you one of our recent prompts.

 

Each week, I share on this blog one of the writing prompts used in my workshops, along with an example of what was written in response. This week’s prompt was one that took me by surprise. It was light (:-) and playful, appealing to both the crossword/scrabble part of my mind (though I’m terrible at both – I don’t have the patience!) and the imaginative, creative and lyrical part.

 

Take a sheet of paper and write as many words or short phrases (each phrase can have up to 3 words) containing the word light. If you’re doing this as a group, write one and then pass the paper on to your right, receiving on your left, and adding to the lists collectively. Once this gathering is complete use the ideas generated to inspre a poem (or if poetry is not your thing, a piece of prose or a story).

For example:

delight

the light dazzled

moonlight on water

starlight…. etc etc

 

I actually did this prompt twice this week, with different groups. and I’m going to include both the pieces I wrote in response, because it fascinates me how differently we can respond to the same prompt on a different day, and within a different circle, although now I read them again, there are similarities! Enjoy:-)

 

So, here’s ‘Take one’:

 

Will you be my lighthouse?

I fear the rocks

and storms are raging

 

Will you light my nights

oh silver moon

and keep me safe till day wakes?

 

and will you teach my feet

to tread softly

leaving only sole kisses on my path

 

and will you light the flame

that grows wings to lift me

into a flight of faith

 

that gives my perspective

enough height to see

the moving patterns in the shadow.

 

And  ‘Take two’:

The spotlight is searching

but truth

sinks in the shadows

while the lighthouse

that used to warn

ships of the rocks

remains dark

and the moon does her best

but still the ships come

risking it all

on nights of no welcome

lightning flares

and captures faces

alive with shock

for a bright second

until obscurity returns

as the spotlight searches

the hungry restless waves.

 

Do you have a preference?

 

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/

The Little Candle

Tags

awareness, compassion, contemplation, dreams, gratitude, inspiration, life, light, love, meditation, peace, poem, poetry, spirituality, truth

http://thesecretmoongarden.ning.com/group/candlemagick

And now for something completely different:-) I wrote this at a time when I was craving light, and it made me smile. By the way, if you’d like to light a virtual candle for someone or something, check out this website…it’s beautiful.

http://www.gratefulness.org/

Shine on beautiful people:-)

                 There once was a candle

that burned so bright,

we needed nothing but his light.

It shone, it glowed

So warm and pure

We had no need to ask for more.

 

But candle had begun to dream

of future times as yet not seen,

and so his glow diminished fast

till those around him felt the past,

for there was scarce sufficient light

to clearly see their present plight.

 

But while they all dwelt in the past,

Candle’s thoughts had traveled fast,

into a future perfect world.

But all too soon those dreams unfurled,

for the world in which he’d choose to dwell

was not yet built, so candle fell

into a confusion deep and bleak –

he’d seen a perfection he couldn’t keep.

 

His friends just could not understand,

what candle had seen in that far off land.

So sadness caused his light to dwindle,

as he took to a love sick bed.

Dwindle it did, dwindle until

It was barely flickering red.

So dark it was that life itself

began to sleep instead.

 

Yet candle’s thoughts continued to build

their vision throughout this night,

and soon he saw that to light the dark

his glow must be brighter than bright,

for in order to build that paradise

we had to see the wrongs to put right.

 

And so with all his love and trust,

he asked the joy to flow,

and once again, but brighter still

The light began to glow.

 

 

Relentless brightness yielded much

For there were none it failed to touch

On seeing all that could improve

So people’s thoughts began to move

To a future, better life than now

The one remaining question – how?

 

The light of joy reached deep within

and opened people’s hearts,

willing them to know, believe,

Love is where healing starts

.

And so it came to be that love

grew stronger by the minute,

‘till soon there wasn’t a heart or soul

that alone, could contain all within it

 

And so the love began to flow

Between, amongst, afar

And as it shone on all it touched

The world was as a star

Emitting the heat and light of love

As never once known before

Bringing to life and beings all

The strength of the ever more

 

And so with love the people built

Their world of grace and truth

Together, as one, they toiled and worked

Not one did stand aloof.

 

And so did candle’s bright light shine

On that future world he’d seen

And yet is was better, brighter still

Than the one to which he’d been

For never alone could mind conceive

What all hearts together can achieve