Friday 27 February 2015

THERE IS WONDER

 
 Juncture 25, the poetry group I facilitate, appeared at the Purbeck Literary Festival last night, and in the afternoon I ran a poetry workshop. I'd like to thank all the people who attended and contributed so creatively. I would also like to thank the cafe Not just Sundaes who so professionally and warmly hosted the event.
The evening was a great success as was the workshop.
As an opening exercise, just to get the brain working, I asked the group to think of a postcard, describe the picture on the front and to write what was on the reverse. It did not have to be to a real person.
This was mine:

Blue sky, anonymous sand dunes. A four wheeler driving down the dune at a steep angle, sand pluming from the wheels.
And written on the back:
you never did this
but would have loved to
if it was free and in another's car
you could have whispered 
simple words from starved lungs
of the science and the skills required
but you never did

that's life in'it
The main exercise was to write a poem as a series of instructions. A task I had recently set Juncture 25. 
My own initial reaction was to reach back to my engineering days, I don't understand why, but as I had done so last time, my response was to write about Tai Chi.

this sequence of movement
each posture elegantly named
whose aim is to stretch a specific set of ligaments

slowly

you may claim the act of exercise as excuse
yet still ponder why you do it

but the diaphragm controls the breath
[each an end and beginning in itself]

centred

palms may tingle
hands cut through fabric air

the chi as thick as soup

so focus

there is oneness
there is wonder
Before this I had half sketched out a poem about Engineer's Blue. I completed a rough draft today, not sure about the layout, but i think it captures the fact I was not a happy apprentice.
industrial woad
thick and navy
engineers blue
can stain fingers beyond
soap and water rescue
designed to reveal the high points
so you
the killjoy
can scrap them away
just as factory life
steals your day
It just occurred to me that a title for it could be Engineer's Blues.
Here is I Jah Man singing Jah Heavy Load. Inspiring stuff indeed. 

2 comments:

  1. I love the first poem....it's got that regret and if-onliness that applies to so many other things.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Carol. It just came out and seemed as formed as it was ever going to be and I waited it to go into the world.

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