A little poetry practice, to soothe the soul…

Hi there, this week is going to be a little bit different, because quite frankly life is so bananas at the moment (not in the best way), it is difficult to fully focus, so what do I do when the shit hits the fan?

You know my answer to this by now right? I get creative, and transport myself to another land for a few hours; so, I thought after all this time I may as well share a little bit of my creative writing work, but please be kind!

Last week we had homework from one of my writing groups to write about things that bring us joy, which was an apt distraction, so I thought I’d write a poem for a change as I haven’t done one for a long time.

Once I’d finished it, it reminded me how much I enjoy writing poetry. It’s something, dare I say it without cursing myself, that I find quite easy to do. Normally I write rhyming poetry, but I fancied a challenge and so used the last line each time to bring the verses together and unite the whole poem.

Here are my steps for bringing a poem together:

• Normally, I quickly get the basics of the story (yes poetry is story telling too) down and then go back and refine it, examining it line by line and looking for ways to improve it and bring it to life visually to the reader.
• I try to use all the senses, metaphors and unusual description if I can, to give it some extra punch.
• I also add in action if I want to add some movement into the poem which was a key part of this particular one.
• Next, I’ll read it aloud, to show me any clunky bits that don’t work.
• I then generally show it to one of my children, to check they understand what it’s about and I’m not being too cryptic and then finally…
• I’ll read it aloud in class and hope it gets a good reaction! Thankfully this one did which is probably why I’m daring to share it!

So here it is for you to read and then I’ll talk more about it after…

I wait and watch…

Caramel conkers scatter the path, part-birthed from their spiny jackets

Crop fields hacked into shredded wheat bales, stand tall for giant’s breakfasts

The woodland peels away to burnished golds, latte leaves pour from varnished branches

And I wait and watch the slow rising mist disperse over sunken fields

 
Hot Berries, tiny as jewels decorate glossy, emerald prickle bushes

Whilst a frozen blanket of crocheted decay, crunches underfoot

Ominous skies of stratus grey lay heavily burdened by the promise of snow

And I wait and watch for the first falling to paint the fields clean


Birdsong returns with frenetic force, speed dating in sweet melody

Golden trumpets announce the arrival of Spring, rising up from grassy banks

Cherry blossoms stand proud, scenting the street as their confetti spirals on cool breezes

And I wait and watch for pale skies to be sliced by wings of swooping swallows


Lambs grow from skinny legged younglings into sturdy curious creatures, keen to come close

Bees and butterflies flock to fragrant nectar, flaunting hypnotic patterns that dazzle and dance

Spectacular sunsets sink into valleys spilling amber, violets and sugar pink across the horizon

And I wait and watch the molten glow, rooted to this earth, barely breathing in awe

Copyright: Juliet Thomas

As you know, if you follow this blog’s images and especially my Instagram page @soothedbynature, you’ll know that nature and the seasons is a big part of my life, routine and enjoyment on a daily basis.

I get a lot of inspiration from the photos I take (like above) and that is why I loved writing this poem so much, trying to capture my passion for what I discover and also that sense of awe I have for this ‘bigger than us’ world out there, watching and waiting for each season and taking it all in.

I did a slight twist on the order of the seasons on purpose, for one, we are at the beginning of Autumn in the UK and I wanted to start with the slowing down of that Season.

Autumn is the Season we associate with change and so it seemed the best place to start, to give that sense of magical movement and transformation from one season to the next.

Plus, I wanted to finish on the sight that probably transfixes me the most, a Summer sunset, that always, without fail, leaves me reaching for my camera.

For me, poetry is not about sticking to any kind of stanza rules or verse structure, the essential thing is that it comes from the heart and the reader can relate to it and picture the scene before them.

And ANYONE can do it, poetry is accessible to all and a much simpler and quicker process than writing a short story or novel that require so much more planning, characterisation and plot structure.

Essentially, poetry can be just a collection of your thoughts and doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s about creating emotion and description in a very short piece and as such allows you to focus on the really important key words, like a short sharp lesson in editing!

So why not give it a try? It’s such a simple way to get creative, enjoy that flow-state it brings to our busy minds and the more you practice the better you get. Also, you don’t have to pick a complicated subject, it can be about literally anything.

Why not start with a list like we did in our writing group of the small things and moments  that bring you the most joy and go from there?

And if you get more confident, poems can make great little ‘free’ creative gifts for family and friends too, especially if you write it out in nice handwriting or decorate with a few drawings.

If you have a go, do let me know how you got on; how did it make you feel, was it a challenge, what did you choose to write about, are you pleased with what you produced, did you dare to share?

Wishing you a creative,calm and poetic week!

Until next time…

Juliet, The Curious Creative x

P.s The next WOW Wednesday is this week on the 9th of October, 9.30am at Miriam’s Kitchen Table, Kirkburton, Huddersfield. WOW Wednesdays are free and open to everyone with new members coming along to every meeting so why not give us a try? We’d love to see you there, click on the link above to find out more.