The Poetry Hour

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Every Wednesday evening, for the past five weeks, I have gathered on Zoom with four other women and with our guide, Ali Grimshaw, poet, coach and facilitator and curator of the Flashlight Batteries blog, we have written poetry together.

I have attended many workshops and retreats and have always felt inspired by the community that is created when a group of people with a shared creative passion come together in support of one another and their craft. No matter how long the workshop, by the end I always feel like I have just participated in something rare and precious. It’s as though, in coming together, we wove the threads of our collective consciousness into a song of our human magnificence playing in harmony with life.

I always thought it was the physical space that facilitated those experiences. After five weeks in Ali’s virtual space writing with a group of women, all of whom met as strangers, I’m not so sure it has anything to do with the physicality. I think it has everything to do with the people.

We span several decades. Come from across North America (as the lone Canadian, I am the only ‘foreigner’). Have varied backgrounds and occupations, and still, in the collective space of the Zoom time we share, deep bonds of affection and admiration have been formed.

Last night, as we spent our last hour and a half together in this five week section, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay in that divinely special space and just breathe in the magic and wonder of the faces in front of me.

Thank you Ali for being you. Thank you for creating a safe, courageous space to write and share and be inspired. And thank you to Kelley, Chere, LilliAnn and Kayleigh for sharing your words, heart and light with such gracious care.

________________

I wrote both poems above during last night’s session. I created the painting with Slow Down during an online workshop I’d taken several years ago on the Divine Feminine. It was my first watercolour and collage. As I was getting to post this morning, that painting came into mind to go along with the poem. It was very serendipitous but I love how they walk hand in hand.

I took the photo accompanying My Heart Grew Weary outside our old home many years ago. I remember it was spring. The snow was melting and I had gone out in the morning with Ellie, the Wunder Pooch and saw the drops of melting snow on the fir tree’s needles. I had to capture it for beauty’s sake. I also remember being pleasantly surprised by my phone’s ability to take such a photo!

22 thoughts on “The Poetry Hour”

  1. Incredible Louise! Such wonderful energy. Its funny, I have been contemplating putting something like this together! Your words make it feel like a really, really good idea!!
    P.S. If that was your first water color…WOW!!

    Liked by 2 people

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  2. Your painting is sublime and the perfect accompaniment to this poem of walking together.❤️ thank you for sharing your experience of the writing circle with all your readers. I treasure each voice who bravely shares in the space that we create each week.
    Keep shining your light, my friend.

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Poetry is the music of words, spoken or written.
    Poetic Images are in the eye of the listener, the reader.
    A poet is an artist using the medium of words.
    A poem unlocks doors to an unfettered imagination.

    Why wait – allow that poem within to rise from its unconscious sleep.

    Liked by 2 people

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