POETRY WORKSHOP

Followers of this blog will know that last Saturday I ran a poetry workshop at the Cock & Bull Festival. I would like to begin by thanking the organiser for inviting me, thanks Henry, then I would like to thank those people who attended the workshop, a big thank you to all of you for your hard work and beautiful poems.

During the workshop we composed a group poem, no mean feat under any circumstances and all the more remarkable given we were meeting in a withy bower that formed the through way from the camping field to the stages.

We looked at haikus and this is possibly my best efforts of the day:

The sun will break through

Shadows litter everywhere

Sometimes beauty

Withy sided room

I sit on a bale of straw

Write words in a book

Here is our joint effort:

Love is more than just Marmite.

Love is like a power ball;

Someone I don’t understand but want to,

Non-threatening intensity cause this is how it was meant to be.

Love is like swarms of happy bees loaded with pollen returning home,

Not bland or cloying or teeth rottingly sweet,

It should be written about less and experienced more.

Your hand slipping into mine is the end of all danger all fear.

I think this captures something and the juxtaposing images add to its uniqueness. Thank you all.

A quick word about the festival in general; the location was well chosen, all the support staff were very friendly, there were no queues for food or drinks and only small ones for the loos. Now to the music, firstly the djs played some quality sounds between acts and in the stone barn. Highlights for me were Kasi Masi, I am a sucker for highlife and they played like angels. Amber States at the Fire Pit, Joe Driscoll, especially when he got the Badger Samba Band on stage and the Marthas & Arthurs. I liked Benin City’s last poem, that was spell binding, and Peter the Temp was both funny and thought provoking.

If you were there I am sure you had your own highlights and if you missed it then you’ll have to wait for the one next year.