On the wings and among the starlit, bulging haunches of Mary Oliver's poems we enjoyed another rich session. Today, for the first time, Tara took us on a short mindfulness meditation between prompts; extraordinary how quickly we all relaxed into that, thank you Tara! Hats off to Sheila, battling with Covid among all her other afflictions; she is soldiering on, recovering slowly, writing plenty and writing powerfully (see below). I can only imagine the chicks starting to hatch on the canal... here are some photos from the past.
Our first prompt today comes from Mary Oliver's well known poem Wild Geese:
wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again
We managed a second prompt from her poem "The Chance to Love Everything"
These last few lines echo the atmosphere of Water Story... writers were invited to use any or all of these lines (or indeed, as ever, anything else that comes to mind) as a writing prompt.
"...
Did I actually reach out my arms
toward it, toward paradise falling, like
the fading of the dearest, wildest hope -
the dark heart of the story that is all
the reason for its telling?"
Watch this space for more writing coming in.
Grounded
Sheila Buchanan
My first day out after 5 weeks alone
Roads deserted with runners not cars
Shops boarded up no sound of their tills
No cuckoos around to fly over their nest
Where am I in this world of ours?
It’s the day after my terrible news
My pen is speeding down the page as I relive my terrible dream
I want to scream and break the silence
I am now one of the diagnosed
My mind is racing my heartbeat up
I’m breathing so fast to grab oxygen.
My scan is over I breathe a sigh
I’m told by a doctor wearing a mask
There are changes in my lungs
My mind exploded I cannot hear a thing
Not me, not now. it cannot be real
I head outside with my mask in place
I cannot believe what is happening to me
Tears run down
My throat closes up; feels like a rasp
Now it’s another day all alone with my thoughts
My scribbles overrun the page
My body is sore and very fatigued
It’s the pandemonium of this pandemic as virus crowds my heart and mind.
Our first prompt today comes from Mary Oliver's well known poem Wild Geese:
wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again
We managed a second prompt from her poem "The Chance to Love Everything"
These last few lines echo the atmosphere of Water Story... writers were invited to use any or all of these lines (or indeed, as ever, anything else that comes to mind) as a writing prompt.
"...
Did I actually reach out my arms
toward it, toward paradise falling, like
the fading of the dearest, wildest hope -
the dark heart of the story that is all
the reason for its telling?"
Watch this space for more writing coming in.
Grounded
Sheila Buchanan
My first day out after 5 weeks alone
Roads deserted with runners not cars
Shops boarded up no sound of their tills
No cuckoos around to fly over their nest
Where am I in this world of ours?
It’s the day after my terrible news
My pen is speeding down the page as I relive my terrible dream
I want to scream and break the silence
I am now one of the diagnosed
My mind is racing my heartbeat up
I’m breathing so fast to grab oxygen.
My scan is over I breathe a sigh
I’m told by a doctor wearing a mask
There are changes in my lungs
My mind exploded I cannot hear a thing
Not me, not now. it cannot be real
I head outside with my mask in place
I cannot believe what is happening to me
Tears run down
My throat closes up; feels like a rasp
Now it’s another day all alone with my thoughts
My scribbles overrun the page
My body is sore and very fatigued
It’s the pandemonium of this pandemic as virus crowds my heart and mind.
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