In our workshop this morning Raymond Pert had us compose a piece that associated writing with activities we do that bring us pleasure. Here is the first draft of my poem:
Filling the Vase
Writing is wandering through the
garden path harvesting morning flowers.
Gathering leaves, finding fillers,
snipping blossoms as they begin to open.
Pausing to reflect and even observe
while paying attention to the smells.
Gold, chartreuse, and deep purple become the wondrous words,
thorny stems phrases cut too deep.
The combination of textures sort the sentence variety
over powered by the sweet scent of similes.
The violet vase is the vessel of form
Aligning the sentences, arranging the words,
Taming texture with attention to audience.
Place the bouquet on the farmhouse table,
or away for a spell to let the contents settle.
inland empire girl June 24, 2008
Tonight we had our first open mic night at the Writing Retreat. People had the opportunity to share their own writing. This is my friend Bev that coordinates the retreat with me. She shared a piece she had composed earlier in the day. LR, my brother-in-law's sister sang two beautiful gospel songs she had written and recorded as part of her sharing for the evening. The lyrical words and the melodies brought tears to my eyes.
Our classroom is a yurt. We have lots of natural light and a view of the lake. It doesn't get much better than this!