Sunday, December 14, 2025

Slow Ink Session 14th December 2025

 

Today Adrienne took us through a Body Scan practice, opening with a poem:

Julia Fehrenbacher's "The Message"

and she finished the session with another of her's called "The Cure for it All"

Bev took a wander through WH Auden's prophecy about the self induced anaesthesia of the masses, citing the poem "September 1, 1939" ... here's an excerpt:

Faces along the bar
Cling to their average day:
The lights must never go out,
The music must always play,
All the conventions conspire
To make this fort assume
The furniture of home;
Lest we should see where we are,
Lost in a haunted wood,
Children afraid of the night
Who have never been happy or good.

Balm for this came from John O’Donohue's Anam Cara: "hearth and homecoming"

and further advice from Cathie Sandstrom's "Standing Up in a Slim Boat" 
a poem that was inspired by Tomas TranstrΓΆme


Today's writing prompt came from Toby Litt's  poem "At the edge of the field
by Toby Litt 
(or is the title "The Hare"?  sorry - can't find a link to it online but the BBC reading of it is still live.

... at the edge of the light, I will wait for you there...

*****************************************************************

Congratulations to our writer, Karen Forbes, on the staging of her play "Barbed Wire and Teddy Bears"

*****************************************************************


Sunday, December 7, 2025

Slow Ink Session 7th December 2025

  

Today Adrienne took us through the practice:
"Kindness for self and others"

She finished off by reading Mary Oliver's poem

Bev got the writing conversation going with "Causes of Death"
by Tony Hoagland

Today's writing prompt came from Rod McKuen's poem "Apartment 4E"


... I see her sometimes...


Could we heartily recommend this wonderful story on BBC Sounds:

*****************************************************************

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Slow Ink Session 30th November 2025

 



 






Today Adrienne introduced her "Memories of Kindness" practice , introducing it with the wonderful poem:

"My Balm" by Jane O'Shea

Bev warmed us up with Emily Dickinson's poem: "Hope"

and went on to offer writing prompt from Wendell Berry's poem "The Peace of Wild Things"



... day blind stars, waiting with their light..."




*****************************************************************


Sunday, November 23, 2025

Slow Ink Session 23rd November 2025


 



Today Adrienne introduced her "Mindfulness with the Support of Breath" practice , introducing it with this some quotes from Sylvia Boorstein:

"Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn't more complicated that that. It is opening to or recieving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it."

"Don't just do something, sit there!"

Bev took inspiration from John Bradburne's poem:

Discretion

I grappled with the Trinity
Till Saint Augustine said,
"You'd better stop, God's Mystery
Is bigger than man's head!"
Hugging the doctor's good advice
With a mug of tea was very nice.

and from two other poems found handwritten in her second hand copy of Kenneth's anthology "Wild Horses".

and

Finally, a writing prompt from the poem "River" by Kenneth Steven
the writing prompt was:

three days and nights it rained




*****************************************************************

And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

We are still waiting for some contributions to add here but here is one that Bev wrote this week; it had a lot to do with the planning of the session today:


Shawl
by Bev Schofield

seek not sense 
but let it land as weft and warp 
on the loom of life 
the wider your eyes to worldly wonder 
the brighter the thread 
the kinder your heart on your daily tread 
the warmer the shawl you weave 
to draw about you 
in the chill of discontent


And have a look at Karen's ghost story!!!!

Monday, November 3, 2025

How about some Winter Mindfulness & Writing?

 Join us for 4 wintry Sundays:

23rd November 2025

30th November 2025

7th December 2025 

14th December 2025





Monday, May 6, 2024

New Sessions for June 2024

Join us for some Sundays in June:

2nd, 9th, 16th, 23nd

Photograph by Hollie Christie

Friday, September 15, 2023

Slow Ink sessions Aug/Sep 2023

























In the absence of funded courses Adrienne and Bev decided to keep up the Slow Ink momentum by donating four sessions. How wonderful it has been to be back in touch with everyone on Zoom again.

Adrienne's mindfulness practices can always be revisited on the "Adrienne Hannah Mindfulness Practices" page. In the sessions Adrienne and Bev introduced first the mindfulness and then the writing with pieces and prompts from the following writers:

12th Aug
Julian Nangle "Sea Pulse" 
Pat Sutherland "Still"
Writing prompt: as rain falls

19th Aug
Mary Oliver "Next Time"
Hugh MacDiarmid "Skald's Death"
Writing prompt: I am at last

9th Sep
Bev Schofield "Holy Isle"
Helen Ivory "Note to the reader: this is not a poem"
Writing prompt: choose a voice and a reader and consciously write for them



*****************************************************************

And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

As rain falls
by Antje Bothin

As rain falls
A new day opens the door
Calm clouds pass by
A glimpse of sunlight
Enlightens the sky
The streets lie empty
As the houses slowly appear
Shadows of modern art
Flowers open their eyes
Saying 'Good morning world'
Showing off colours of hope
Birds start singing
Announcing new beginnings
More clouds start dancing
Allowing the ground to drink
Trees shelter homeless life
As rain falls



The Kettle is singing.  
by Cath Hopkins

The Kettle is singing.  
As the men march home, 
death still clinging
to their uniform.  

They remember,
that they had marched out of the town,
proud that they were departing, 
to fight for their king and country.

Now they return 
with the march of disillusionment, 
With the memories of their fallen friends, 
marching alongside them, gone but not forgotten.

Women stand upon the pavements, 
Sorrow etched upon their faces.
The widows cry
for their missing husbands.  

The mothers mourn 
their lost sons.
Children search 
for their fathers face.

And as each man returns to their home. 
They all know that nothing, 
will ever be the same.  
Except the kettle will always be singing



Dream from the Holy Isle
by Bev Schofield

Kiss me soft and lay me low
then lie beside me, slip to sleep.

Walk through worlds of ways to be
that hum with kindness and knowing
that the going and gone are still with us
that this song of spirit and witness of the world
is, indeed, one journey.

And time?

Time is but a balm to soothe
the beating of our frantic hearts
that race us overground
from worm to wondrous Sapiens
forgetting
that no heart beats in a forest of trees
and yet
the sap rises from the deepest root
to the tips of the green and waving
impossibly sentient leaves.

My daily cup of tea
by Antje Bothin

This pleasant smell
all around the house
is tickling my nose
The warm touch
my hands feel loved
I can see an ocean
inside this wee space
Take a sip
And my mouth is flooded
with cool delight
When I enjoy
My daily cup of tea!



When Grief visits.
by Cath Hopkins

Peace is a forgotten place.
Breathe becomes still.
Memories fade. 
There are no more tomorrows.
Just the ghosts of yesterday.
Silence holds the sorrow close.
As I light a candle
I pray,
I remember.
 

********************************************************************

Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

12th August
Giovanna: Good morning all, it’s lovely to see your faces today 😊
Antje: Reacted to "Good morning all, it..." with ❤️
Lois: Reacted to "Good morning all, it..." with ❤️
Maggie: Sounds lovely Adrienne, if your dad waves in
Adrienne: Reacted to "Sounds lovely Adrien..." with πŸ˜‚
Giovanna: Beautiful thank you so much Adrienne
Adrienne: Reacted to "Beautiful thank you ..." with ❤️
Sheila: Amazing peace thank you  Adrienne 😍
Jan: that was really good,  Thank you.
Antje: Reacted to "Beautiful thank you ..." with ❤️
Adrienne: Reacted to "that was really good..." with ❤️
Giovanna: Hello all, I’m leading some workshops for Glasgow Women’s Library in aug and sept and would love to see any of you there if it’s of interest. Here’s the booking link:
https://womenslibrary.org.uk/event/bold-types-creative-writing-workshops/
Cath: Reacted to "Hello all, 
I’m lead..." with ❤️
Lois: Reacted to "Hello all, 
I’m lead..." with ❤️
Antje: Reacted to "Hello all, 
I’m lead..." with ❤️
Angie: Reacted to "Hello all, 
I’m lead..." with πŸ‘
Britt: It's grief in a poem.
Dee: what was the name of the garden please?
Antje: Giovanna, are these session online or in person?
Giovanna: Anje, the last one - Sept 14th 6pm - will be on Zoom 😊
Antje: Thanks
Giovanna: Reacted to "Thanks" with πŸ‘πŸ½
Britt: Reacted to "Anje, the last one -..." with πŸ‘
Giovanna: Hello all, I need to nip off a few minutes early today. Thanks to Bev and Adrienne and everyone for your company and incredible words.
Britt: Replying to "Hello all, I need t..." 😘Bye, G!
Giovanna: Reacted to "😘Bye, G!" with ❤️
Giovanna: Catrice - “each stuttered breath heaving full of salt” and beautifu last line!
Catrice: Reacted to "Catrice - “each stut..." with 🌷
Catrice: Beautiful Antje.
Antje: Reacted to "Beautiful Antje." with ❤️
Britt: @Antje buildings as shadows of modern art... more clouds dancing... I feel like I will see cities in rain very differently now!
Antje: Reacted to "@Antje buildings as ..." with ❤️
Antje: Apologies I need to leave. Thanks everyone. πŸ‘πŸ» Thank you Bev and Adrienne. πŸ˜€ See you.
Britt: Reacted to "Apologies I need to ..." with ❤️
Maggie: 'Mamunia' Paul McCartney's welcome for the rain - absolutely lovely Just google
Cath: writing the radical memoir; paul Williams and shelley davidsow
Britt: Reacted to "'Mamunia' Paul McCar..." with ❤️
Angie: thank you everyone for a lovely creative morning
Britt: Reacted to "writing the radical ..." with πŸ‘
Catrice: Thank you.
Dee: fabulous, thank you everyone :)
Britt: Thank you!!! Always magical to be together and hear everyone's words...
Kay: thankyou   wonderful to be back and to hear all your beautiful words   kx
Sheila: Thanks everyone.  I knew I’d missed it just didn’t realise how much xx

19th August
Karen: The artist is 82 year old Kay Le Seelleur Ara ( Jersey, her first exhibition). Format is paradelle, but we were allowed to play around with it. Look Kay’s story up- she’s amazing.
Dee: thank you Adrienne
Britt: That was magic, Adrienne. Thank you
Catrice: Thank you, Adrienne & Bev.
Antje: Thanks Adrienne
Moira: Thanks you Adrienne that was just lovely x
Adrienne: ❤️
Catrice: I love the endings of your lines.  Such hopeful vowel sounds
Dee: the fire in the bones that yearns for action :)
Linda: Lying on the Couch by Irwin D. Yalom  a novel
Linda: amazing writing today thank you all x
Antje: Reacted to "the fire in the bone..." with ❤️
Antje: Reacted to "amazing writing today..." with ❤️
Antje: Reacted to "I love the endings o..." with ❤️
Catrice: Such a voice in that poem Louise.  Sending love to you. πŸ’œ
Moira: much love Louise - keep dancing on your walks xx
Catrice: Fabulous final line!
Britt: Jan-- your poems are like postcards. A person doesn't have to know all the background to get them. Thank you.
Dee: doggy paddle in the treacle - wow
Britt: Replying to "doggy paddle in the ..." yes to this!
Dee: please don't let them make your shoulders sag
Britt: Thank you, Doreen! ❤️
Linda: Replying to "doggy paddle in the ..." ☺️
Dee: it has been great this morning thank you and thank you all for sharing moving words
Antje: Thank you all, lovely poetry!
Antje: See you next time
Karen: I have SO missed this. Thankyou everyone πŸ’–
Britt: Reacted to "I have SO missed thi..." with ❤️
Britt: Reacted to "See you next time" with ❤️
Britt: Reacted to "it has been great th..." with ❤️
Kay: what a brilliant session    thankyou bev and Adrienne   and thankyou everyone for sharing your beautiful words  kx   hope you get better soon Adrienne x
Catrice: Reacted to "what a brilliant ses..." with πŸ’œ
Angie: Thank you for a wonderful morning.  It was good to see you all and listen to your words.  Have a wonderful weekend. x
Louise: Reacted to "what a brilliant ses..." with ❤️
Moira: thanks you all x
9th September
Doreen: morning
Antje: Good morning
Kay: beautiful    thankyou Adrienne   kx
Adrienne Hannah: Reacted to "beautiful    thankyo..." with ❤️
Catrice: Reacted to "beautiful    thankyo…" with πŸ’œ
Maggie: Just for info. - In Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird',the narrator's name, 'Scout' is NOT  her given name ie name given at birth, which is 'Jean Louise'.  'Scout' is a name she herself likes, and 'grows into', with her inquisitive and indomitable  personality / spirit.
Sheila: Thanks everyone.  I have to leave … good writings
Catrice: So chock full of meaty descriptions Kay.  Love it! 😍
Catrice: I’m ambidextrous
Catrice: Cheers to lefties!
Doreen: I am not left handed (mum is though)
Catrice: πŸ‘πŸΎπŸ‘πŸΎπŸ‘πŸΎπŸ’
Catrice: Antje — πŸ’œπŸ’œπŸ’œ
Antje: Thank you
Antje: Reacted to "Antje — πŸ’œπŸ’œπŸ’œ" with ❤️
Antje: wee space
Catrice: Wowowowow Jan!
Cath: The Midnight Disease is a good book to read about that
Cath: Dissosation
Antje: I read something about hypnotherapy, particularly the rewind technique, is used for trauma.
Catrice: Reacted to "I read something abo..." with πŸ’œ
Antje: Brilliant Catrice
Maggie: Brilliant - wuld
Lesley: Very thought provoking, Linda, loved your writing.
Maggie: Brilliant - would love a copy of this poem. Also, beautifully read. Thanks,
Catrice: cgla.greer@gmail.com
Linda: thank you to everyone for your love and kindness, very much felt, this group means the world x
Antje: Reacted to "thank you to everyon..." with ❤️
Antje: Reacted to "Brilliant - would lo..." with ❤️
Kay: wonderful   thankyou thankyou thankyou   kx
Antje: Reacted to "Very thought provoki..." with ❤️
Antje: Reacted to "wonderful   thankyou..." with ❤️
Doreen: Hugs Adrienne
Maggie: Reacted to "I read something abo..." with πŸ’œ
Maggie: Removed a πŸ’œ reaction from "I read something abo..."
Maggie: Reacted to "I read something abo..." with πŸ’œ
Maggie: Removed a πŸ’œ reaction from "I read something abo..."


Thanks to Lapidus Scotland
Lapidus Scotland works tirelessly to ensure these courses are offered free of charge. The organisation relies on funding and welcomes donations. Click here to access the donations link.