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slow time workshop

It was my turn to run the Poets Cornered weekly workshop and I hadn't a clue what to do.

The previous week, for homework, I had given everyone two ideas; a title, 'upon my sole', and a poem suitable for hanging in the pub where we meet. See my poems upon my soul and eclipse.

I am currently reading a book 'in praise of slow', by Carl Honeré, devoted to the premise that slower can be better, and suddenly realised that it would make an interesting theme.

I prepared some suitable objects to help people focus their minds, including the book, foaming bath liquid, a candle, some fuchsia flowers, a stone and a shell. The meeting was fated to start slowly, with a room double-booking and several changes of table, but we were finally seated, and I read a passage from the book to set the scene.

We wrote a poem as an exercise, with no artificially-imposed deadline, and when we had all put down our pens to show we'd finished, we read them out. Mine was slow time, and I was pleased how everyone had been inspired in different ways. The quality of the poems was high, and they were very diverse.

The next homework was also inspired by this workshop - the theme being something quick. I can't attend, but have contributed a piece, fugue in F minor.

Poets Cornered meets every Monday at 20:00 at the Eclipse in Hove, at 33 Montgomery Street, BN3 5BF. It's open to all, and only costs one pound.

updated Mon 15 Aug '05   give feedback...

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: : © Mike Bliss 2009