Impressions

Today we explored impression writing. We started by listing things we know about, whether that is a hobby, sport or place. We chose one thing and then expanded on that, writing about what makes it special, what it looks, sounds or smells like, how it makes us feel, what it makes us wonder about? We then wrote a poem using short fragmented lines. The aim was to create an impression of the subject or thing without using normal sentences. The beauty of this is that it leaves room for others to create their own meaning from our poems and gives us as writers another way to write about the world around us.


FIRE

Dancing to a tune
Burning brighter than a light
Hungry as a lion
Invincible
Immortal
Energising
Powerful
Active
Dancing with the divine

- Haki Davis



W.B. YEATS, POET

Sligo graveyard by the sea
Yellow-red sunset
Peace
Swans on the lake
Quiet town
Flat topped mountain above
The poet writes
Leaves the world a better place
I come to his resting place

- Robert



PINEHILL CLOUD

dense white
            loitering, lingering
     solid like marshmallow
                     silently creeping
compressing smells, smoke, light.
Heat from body, hearth and home is sucked
Now feeling safe, enclosed, secure;
    like Capetown's Tablecloth, our Blanket

- Karen



ANOTHER DAY

another day
graceful hello
gentle touch
kind word
a second to share
ready
a smile
we've done it again
happy
another day

- Molly



DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

Curving up and down
Like waves
Curled in my arms
Light as a feather
It springs into action
My fingers fly
Flickering strings sing
in falsetto
     Smiling and singing
         Smiling and singing
With laughing eyes
Play on you say
Play on.

- Paul

Haiku #2

Haiku is a popular and accessible form of poetry that some members of our writing group were keen to try. They're short (the Haiku) but deceptively difficult to do well. The aim is to use as few words as possible to capture a moment in time. According to one expert "a good Haiku conveys through implication and suggestion a moment of keen perception or insight into nature or human nature". Traditionally there are references to the environment or season, grounding the poem in the world around us. Sometimes they have contrasting or juxtaposing elements that can surprise or make us think differently about something. People often use a 5-7-5 syllable format for each line but this is not as important as the ability to paint a picture with few words, capture a moment and achieving that 'aha' moment. 

Here's a few that the group came up with in today's session. 

Fog obscured land

Above white - blue

Albatross gliding

- Karen

White whiskers twitching

Beady eyes glint, surveying

Patter of feet race

- Rose McCulloch

Poor smoker puffing

Smoking golden tobacco

Poor health of wallet

- Phil Porteous

Fog obscures the beach

Waves rolling to the shoreline

Distant figures turn

Hills glow in yellow

Moments later they are dark

Bird twitters loudly

- Robert 

Ice-cream melting

Very hot day

Damn, not my car

Man standing alone

Should he stay or should he go?
Bloody bus service!

- James Macandrew

sounds echoed around
getting louder and louder
within her head


grass grows all around
mown in intricate patterns
rugby sprigs destroy

- Christine Philp