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.


Friday, August 18, 2023

Farewell to Kate Lindsay


Kate Lindsay passed away peacefully on 19th July 2023 (aged 58) after a short illness at St Leonard's Hospice in York.

I've struggled to make this post as I still cannot believe oor Kate is not going to simply pop up on our zoom screen. How she loved these sessions, and how she loved writing. The heart of this woman, her kindness and love of life is a gift that goes well beyond the losing of her. I take strength from the poem below she wrote after losing her own mother.



Giovanna and I will be working with the family (under some careful instruction left by Kate herself) to compile an anthology of her feisty Ayrshire poetry; please feel free to email me any writing or messages that you would like posted here in memory of Kate.

Ahoy oor Kate... with love... Cap'n Bev, Adrienne and all of us at Slow Ink










Roses
Kate Lindsay ~ July 2022

my roses dear first grew
            when my mother was near
her essence heralded
            by their heady heavy blooms
this year, each tiny thorn pricking 
            the pain that’s ever there
            reminding us 
we have her courage 
            when facing our fear





Friday, March 24, 2023

Slow Ink session 18th March 2023




Congratulations Angie Strachan, Scottish Poetry Slam Champion 2023!
































For the 5th session Adrienne introduced a new visualisation drawing from different practices. She introduced it with the poem "Lost"by David Wagoner 
Bev took a writing prompt from part of the poem "Adagio"by Cathy Song; the prompt was 

I honour myself by...



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

And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

I think Angie's done it for us all this week...



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

Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

Fenella (ref publicising the work of Lapidus Scotland): how about medical conferences in Scotland? There must be dozens, perhaps GP and psychiatric first, but absolutely relevant for all. I needed friend in London to put me in touch, and I had been searching for something like this?
Bev: I honour myself by...
Kay: wonderful news karen x
Doreen: Sorry about the window (and light) behind me. This is a very comfy seat
Doreen: Well Done Karen!
Doreen: Hi Giovanna
Giovanna MacKenna (she/her): Hi Doreen 😊
Karen: Wow, just wow Cath πŸ’–
Denise: Sleeping in poppy fields… Cath. Great.
Denise: Such wisdom there Bev. Be gently attended.
Denise: Loads to think about there Linda. Moving. The compass point of the heart and the feet particularly striking, to me.
Karen: I have to go shortly, but can’t pull myself away! Thankyou all, have a great week πŸ’–πŸ’•
Adrienne: Reacted to "I have to go shortly..." with ❤️
Sheila: Have a good week Karen
Linda: Thank you everyone for your warmth and comments, means a lot x
Karen: Please send love and good luck to Angie for me. X
Denise: Your poem took us on the journey from stone to water. Water giggling…. Fantastic, Kay!
Sheila: Kay that stands alone and surrounded with ❤️
Doreen: Denise, I saw you unmute earlier. Did you want to share?
Denise: I put it in the chat, Doreen. Thanks.
Karen: Fire spitting dragon. Fabulous Anje
Karen: Thankyou for your wonderful words and fabulous companyπŸ’–
Sheila: Thanks everyone I have to go as grandchildren arriving . Thanks for all your words x
Giovanna: Sorry children are having accidents here, it’s so inconvenient! Hoping to be with you all next week
Kay: another amazing session    thankyou to everyone    kx
Denise: So glad of your sharing, Doreen.
Antje: Thank you everyone πŸ™‚
Doreen: Thanks and bye





Thanks to funders
Lapidus Scotland gratefully acknowledges the support of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership's "Wellbeing for Longer in Glasgow Fund" (managed by Impact Funding Partners).


Sunday, March 12, 2023

Slow Ink session 11th March 2023





























Today Adrienne introduced her Memories of Kindness practice with a poem "Kindness" by Naomi Shihab Nye. 
Bev took a writing prompt from the poem above written by 10 year old Hollie Christie (unedited). 
Our prompt was 
my courage is...

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

And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

My courage comes from-
by Fenella Rennie

Inside, knowing I have come this far by, somehow, doing, thinking, feeling--. However, very quickly, it actually seems to me that nothing about anything I do is about courage! Feels to me like persistence, application, enthusiasm even. Also research and consideration and lots of other words or thoughts.

When I started to learn violin in my 50s, having wanted to learn since my teens, a close family member said that was really brave, and that they could never have done it. To me, it felt like pleasure, relief, excitement, and so on. It needed application to find a teacher, and a long time to learn that practice as well as lessons was essential, but courage, never!

The thing I have repeatedly found scary was going away, but there was a lightbulb moment when I realised it was the chance of failing to catch the necessary transport I was scared of. Solution not courage, but organisation!


take heart
by Hilaire

courage is a bird
flying free
above the dirty town

a bulb 
forcing leaves up
through frozen ground

girls playing football
while their brothers
taunt and jeer

the girl whose skin
prickles at injustice
and tells the teacher on the boys

courage is a seed
that sprouts and grows
inside your heart

its flowering many-petalled
its seed head potent
primed to bust


MY COURAGE COMES FROM… 
By Fakhriya Abdulkadir
 
My courage comes from having to grow up before my time.
My courage came when I landed in a strange new land.
Scared and Worried
Sad and Angry
Lonely and Insecure
My courage started inside of me.
It grew and come outside of me.
It guided me to bravery and to be courageous.
It sparked twinkling lights when darkness overshadowed me.
When faced with insecurities courage forced me to look within me.
Reminding me how far we have come.
Courage became my armour when I felt oppressed and excluded.
Courage allowed me to stand up tall and use my passionate voice.
For courage taught me to never be silenced or ridiculed.
It is my courage that is embedded in and within me.
Without it I would collapse.  


Crocus
by Denise Steele

Do you remember   
how I sent up spears to test above,
slim, green and brave?

Do you remember my tiny bud
pushing through, unready yet,
too wrapped, fragile,
tight and taut
as if I still might die?

Do you remember the days I stalled,
trammeled, stooped
by sudden snow?

Come then today
to my petals proud,
tender shields, violet-veined.
Look inside as I offer now
the small bright gold of my opening.


My Courage Comes From...
by Linda Small

My courage comes from
knowing I have made a difference
that quietness and shyness
has its place
in contemplative living
within the circles I have travelled

for the dying are a mixed bunch
some need laughter bold and true
and a loud cacophony of sound
to dissipate the raindrops
and strike courage in the
face of fear

and others need the gentle tones
of one who does not fear
the tough words of conversation
who can listen and not let go
who can hold the words
those spoken and unspoken

and open up that door
for questions that rally up
inside the self when the pain
is too great to bare
and silent tears befall the face

my mother awoke from a brain biopsy
and before eyes were opened she said
I am so pleased it is your
still quiet voice I hear

and to another
to whose side I was called
when suffering had all become too much
and years of stoic faith
flew out the window
and all hope inside was lost

twas my soft voice
that reached her, cradled her,
reminded her on His behalf
that she was so loved
so dearly loved
becoming much more than a word
in due season for the
one who feels terribly abandoned

we all hold the gift
of encouragement
and the uniqueness
of it's expression
let not the chance
go by to use it


My courage comes from within
by Antje Bothin

My courage comes from within
My mind wanders around
Tells me stories
I can choose
Look at the stars, how they shine up high
See the sunshine
Relax, try, make things happen
Believe in success
Learn from failure
Open up like a flower when the day starts
Realise everything is possible
Make my dreams come true
Focus on my strengths
And be grateful for everything I have
With love in my heart
And kindness to myself and others.



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

Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

Doreen: Did Lesley O'Brien tell you that one of my poems will be in the Lapidus pamphlet? I wrote at her Spark Her Words last summer
Lisa: That’s fab! I have a poem published in Kate Oman’s “Rise Anthology II”, publishing in April.
Doreen: The Door by Miroslav Holub is the poem that sparked my words
Jennifer: good morning everyone.
Antje: Good morning πŸ™‚
Doreen: I loved the phrase "rib cage wrapping around your upper body"
Adrienne: Reacted to "I loved the phrase "..." with ❤️
Bev: my courage comes from
Kate: I'll be two ticks
ZoΓ«: wonderful words Fakhirya
Denise: Fakriya, I hope you will always use your courageous voice to write.
Fakhriya: thank you denise. I am trying that now.
ZoΓ«: day are long/ clear out clutter/ fear wanders - lovely images
Denise: Linda that’s beautiful and has real truth.
ZoΓ«: dissipate raindrops, tough words of conversation, stoic faith - absolutely gorgeous & heartbreaking in equal measure
Hilaire _: So moving
kay: how beautiful you were there
Lisa: Totally. And yes, we ARE so loved. What kindness is here.
Lisa: Love haikus. Their simplicity. Their profoundness.
ZoΓ«: lovely!
Denise: Jennifer very unusual take - great.
ZoΓ«: Gorgeous! love the deep pockets
ZoΓ«: sent up spears/slim and brave fabulous
Lisa: gold of  my opening - exquisite
Hilaire _: Beautiful Denise! Violet-veined
ZoΓ«: difficult birthing/ courage calls to courage /middle daughter - brilliant
Lisa: Denise, you might like to read “Snowdrops” by Louise Gluck - your poem reminded me of this.
Denise: Thank you, Lisa, I will
linda: beautiful words Hilaire, from the heart, deeply felt x
Lisa: As I was, Bev. In West Africa.
Hilaire Thanks all!
ZoΓ«: find it in everyone - powerful ending
Denise: Terrific exploration, and conclusion, Bev. Salutes to you!
Lisa: Ann! Please get this published!
Jennifer: "good enough is good enough for me"  "what do we want"
ZoΓ«: brilliant Ann
Fakhriya: that was beautiful ann
Ann: Thank you, everyone!
Lisa: Lived experience. So very real. And honest. I hear you, Doreen. I hear your courage speaking.
ZoΓ«: brilliant story in that Doreen
ZoΓ«: warrior body - lovely
ZoΓ«: love those drums
Hilaire ‘Tiny vastness’ & ‘dragons of doubt’ - great stuFF1
Lisa: Thank you all
Ann: A bit late for this comment to Fakhriya as listening to others' comments and writing-loved everything about your piece, especially the twinkly lights in darkness.
Fakhriya: thanks Ann
ZoΓ«: lovely Antje
Denise: So powerful, Kay. Blink and the man’s gone. Such suffering.
Ann: Thanks, Lisa-I hope to create another book* of Creative Writing, for a group I facilitate, and will consider including what I wrote in it. *Our first one is just being published in time for Book Festival here next week.
Antje: Thank you everyone
Kay: a beautiful session   thankyou everyone  kx
Lisa: Ann, that sounds just wonderful. I wish you Joy in it!
Hilaire: Your passionate voice comes through xx
Ann: Fakhriya: "Twinkly lights when darkness overshadowed me."
Denise: Thank you everyone for today.
Fakhriya: Reacted to "Thank you everyone f..." with ❤️
Fakhriya: Reacted to "Fakhriya: "Twinkly l..." with ❤️
Lisa: Please share your poem widely Fakhriya.
ZoΓ«: trampled sunflowers/ only knee/ clutches on the floor/ gorgeous
Fakhriya: thanks everyone for sharing.  I feel inspired and honoured to be in this group.
Antje: Reacted to "thanks everyone for ..." with πŸ’–
Antje: Reacted to "a beautiful session ..." with πŸ’–
Adrienne Hannah: Reacted to "thanks everyone for ..." with πŸ’–
Antje: Removed a πŸ’– reaction from "thanks everyone for ..."
Antje: Reacted to "thanks everyone for ..." with πŸ’–
Doreen: thanks, see you next week
Fakhriya: Reacted to "Please share your po..." with ❤️
Linda: thank you to everyone for all that has been shared, so much to ponder and take courage in, x
Hilaire: Wonderful session, Thanks  Bev & Adrienne
Fakhriya: bye everyone


Thanks to funders
Lapidus Scotland gratefully acknowledges the support of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership's "Wellbeing for Longer in Glasgow Fund" (managed by Impact Funding Partners).


Friday, March 3, 2023

Slow Ink session 25th February 2023

Northern lights from Easdale Island on 26th February 2023




















Today Adrienne introduced her mountain practice , introducing it with this poem:

Doha: Spiritual Song of Realisation
by Lama Gendun Rinpoche

Happiness cannot be found through great effort and willpower,
But is already there, in relaxation and letting go.
Don’t strain yourself, there is nothing to do.
Whatever arises in the mind has no importance at all
because it has no reality whatsoever.
Don’t become attached to it.
Don’t pass judgement.

Let the game happen on its own, springing up and falling back,
without changing anything,
and all will vanish and reappear without end.

Only our searching for happiness prevents us from seeing it.
It is like a rainbow which you run after without ever catching it.
Although it does not exist, it has always been there
and accompanies you every instant.

Don’t believe in the reality of good and bad experiences:
they are like rainbows.
Wanting to grasp the ungraspable, you exhaust yourself in vain.
As soon as you relax this grasping, space is there,
open, inviting and comfortable.

So, make use of it. All is yours already.
Don’t search any further.
Don’t go into the inextricable jungle looking for the elephant
Who is already quietly at home.

Nothing to do
Nothing to force
Nothing to want
And everything happens by itself.


Bev took a writing prompt from the poem Well of Grief by David Whyte; the writing prompt was:

the source from which we drink

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

And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:


inspired by David White’s The Well of Grief & Doha
by Kay Ritchie
 
who knew the pesky flee had far more genes than me
or that the elephant in the room
felt more at home in the jungle
 
while we     the humans   are the monsters
stoking the fire of war with red hot words
that singe the edges of our world
 
evoking hatred   fear
choking everything that’s dear 
and although some days I feel I cannot breathe
 
and know the coins thrown in the fountain
sink without a trace
still there are places I can go to heal
 
by rivers   by the sea   in the country
and here with wise wise women who cast spells &
shine a light into the dark
 
with them I’ll never drown


The source from which we drink
by Fakhriya Abdulkadir

It is neither near nor far.
Big or small
It is within us all.
The mystery is finding it.
The magic is using it.
The power is spreading it.
Coming together demanding it.
Its beauty is seeing justice for all.
Caring and not leaving no one alone.
Strengthening the soul enjoining the body and mind.
We come from the same source.
Divided by corruption.
Tangled by the strings of life.
Once we realise LOVE is all we need to be one again.


Coin
by Lynnda Wardle
 
I am a cold coin
a wish tossed into cool
water carrying hope
of clear skies
birdsong for an unflooded spring
hands held lightly as we climb
summer warm on our necks
the golden crunch of leaves
fallen beneath our feet
frosty fingers and breathplume –
a wish to walk together
to notice
to love


My Rebellion
by Doreen Kelly

                    My Rebellion - Is to think differently.
    To be creative though not in the way they expect.
I rebel by thinking outside a box that few even know is there.

My language of communication should be English.
    But in my rebellion
           There are times when
                 It seems even that
                        Isn’t my mother tongue.


My rebellion often appears self-defeating - 
communication and connection 
        Are lost
                As I toddle and waddle through life
        Ears deceive brain:
                Mouth, jaw and tongue abandon teamwork.
                        I am left mute and confused.

                                And yet I continue to try.
                                        I leave home.
                        I use yarn, paper and ink etcetera to create.
        AND ABOVE ALL I SHOW MY CREATIONS AND LET THEM GO


Forgotten
by Lisa Rossetti

We walked along the lanes together, my father and I.
The Cornish hedges high and tangled with green,
with tufted grasses bleaching in the sun.

He gave me words for plants and flowers:
Ragged Robin, Purple Vetch, Meadowsweet.
So mesmerised by sun and spells I wandered.

Then spied with child’s quick eyes
the hidden opening in the hedge,
to a long abandoned wayside well.

A small dark place, a shallow pool,
no offerings were left there any more,
its sacredness forgotten, faded.

I wonder now if I could ever find it once again.


the source from which we drink
by Fenella Rennie

Oh, would that I knew. It still seems to be hidden from me. Or perhaps, confessional, I choose not to see.
But also, I think that the source must be hidden within ourselves, oh that it was easier to capture.
Perhaps only by questioning ourselves, about ourselves, can it be reached.
On the other hand, perhaps only by continually saying out loud whatever rises to the surface, will we work out what it is that it all came from?
It feels too existential to be subject to resolution.
The past feels like the universe behind the mirror. Perhaps that's why I have a thing about mirrors.



The source from which we drink
by Antje Bothin

The source from which we drink
It is the lake that rests in peace
It is the river that runs in a hurry
It is a cup of tea that soothes the soul
the source from which we drink
it sends beams of energy towards us
refuels the empty barrels of our minds
and empowers us to shine,
to achieve, to reach our goals, and
to truly become who we are!

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

Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

Rosemary: Hi, I am Rosemary- joining at last. Covid just clearing so want be vocal
Kay: thankyou Adrienne  kx
Adrienne: Reacted to "thankyou Adrienne  k..." with ❤️
Angie: That was great thank you.  I love watching the clouds move.  When I am meditating and my thoughts get in the way, I will imagine them as passing clouds.
Sheila: Thanks Adrienne
Adrienne: Thank you all. Cloud 9 I love it!
Giovanna: Caught a little of the meditation, thank you so much Adrienne. 
Will try and pop back in for a cheeky wee listen later.
Adrienne: Reacted to "Caught a little of t..." with πŸ‘πŸΌ
Bev: the source from which we drink
Lynnda: Like a manifesto :)
Lynnda: Or a womanfesto!
Doreen: Algorithms have a lot to answer for
Lisa: Indeed
Adrienne: Reacted to "Algorithms have a lo..." with πŸ‘πŸΌ
Lisa: Rushing and surviving
Doreen Kelly: The media don't listen and just say what they believe
Linda: Ange- love the line "they make room for each other"...the swan and the seagull two different species of bird yet they can share the space peaceable
Lynnda: Loved the idea of all the journals of every size and colour  … such a powerful piece thank you for sharing, Linda
Lisa: There are golden coins, treasure in the dark
Doreen: I was thinking of the geological cycle
Lynnda: Brilliant! I loved the idea of coming together as a community ….
Lynnda: Wonderful Karen! An exhortation!! Loved that
Lynnda: Yes!!
Linda: Karen...loved the line...do we ever stop searching under the lid of life...wow love that
Lisa: Does anyone know any competitions for poems about the female body ageing? I have many!! Looking to submit many more poems this year. Please let me know: lisa.rossetti@gmail.com
Lynnda: all this that we call world - I love that
Kay: wonderful to be back   wonderful to have you back bev   thankyou everyone    kx
Giovanna: Loved your quaich and so much more in that Bev
Jo: Thanks all, Great session
Lisa: Thanks to all. Many many thanks.
Karen: Wonderful morning, thank you so much everyone x
Antje: Thank you very much. πŸ™‚
Lesley: thanks everyone that was wondefful! x
Angie: Thank you everyone. Its been lovely spending a creative and peaceful morning with you all.
Doreen: thanks 
Bev: here is the link to that documentary on Anaximander



Thanks to funders
Lapidus Scotland gratefully acknowledges the support of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership's "Wellbeing for Longer in Glasgow Fund" (managed by Impact Funding Partners).


Monday, January 23, 2023

Slow Ink session 21st January 2023




































Today Adrienne introduced her Bodyscan practice with a poem "Stop" by Jeff Foster
 
Bev took a writing prompt from the poem "Hermit Crab" by Mary Oliver

my rebellion



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

And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

Rebel?
by Antje Bothin

Sometimes I am a rebel
I get out of my shell
I have been quiet for so long
Now I found my voice and I feel strong.

I had an education, spent my life at university
Conducted my research, earned a PhD
Now I have finished and I am absolutely free
I am proud of myself and happy as can be.

I am still single, I live on my own
I am without a partner, in my comfort zone
No children, no pets, I am all alone
I am not even addicted to my mobile phone.

I found a way to connect with nature outright
Discovered walking in Scotland’s countryside
Grab my boots every week for some outdoor fun
Planting, sowing, weeding, all that I have done.

Work is overrated, didn’t you guess?
You see, volunteering is so much less stress!
I love to do new things for all to tell
And I enjoy learning cool stuff as well.

If you think I am different and very bright
Then you are probably totally right
I always knew it, it is in these rhymes
I am a rebel – sometimes.



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

Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

Kay: beautiful    thankyou Adrienne   kx
Linda: Adrienne, words cannot describe the peace I felt during this body scan. There was not a line of the poem I did not need to hear today (every day) thank you for guiding us through this practice. Please remind me of the name and author of the poem
Maggie: That was a helpful body scan, thank you
Pauline: That was wonderful
Adrienne Hannah: Thank you.
Antje: Thanks
Adrienne: The poem is Stop by Jeff Foster.
Linda: Thank you
Lesley O'Brien: That was just wonderful, thank you Adrienne
Adrienne: Thanks Lesley.
Fenella: I see what you mean about the hermit crab being prose!
Giovanna: Lesley - “but to dance alongside the spirit of others”
Giovanna: Bex - “I was in, retreating from the real world”
ZoΓ«: gorgeous
Giovanna: Kay - what a first line! “freed to spread like silk and lace and ribbon” “I bow low at her rebellion” “inside which she hid the fears the aching” and all of it
Denise: Amazing, Kay. So rich and so complex and colourful, like your subject.
Giovanna: Pauline - love the power of the stillness of this
Pauline: Thank you
Fenella: Good for you !!
ZoΓ«: this body causes trouble
ZoΓ«: love it
Fenella: me too, love it that is!
Giovanna: Jennifer - “oh but the body, this body causes trouble” “it wants to be free” love the fluidity of the body’s escape as written
ZoΓ«: toddle & waddle - loving the sounds!
Giovanna: Doreen - “to think differently, to be creative, though not in the way they expect” “mouth, jaw and tongue abandoned”
Giovanna: Antje - “I have been quiet for so long” “i found a way to connect with nature” “I am a rebel, sometimes”
Antje: Thank you
Denise: Giovanna - idea of life carved out before you were birthed - yes
Giovanna: April-Wendy - “how they wash out the grit bark ? spit”
ZoΓ«: brilliant!
Giovanna: Denise - “the first little dances restrained self-conscious” “will meld with the air that loops between us, not yet touching but coming close”
Giovanna: Linda - “I hold back” “I never knew I had a rebellious bone”
Denise: Linda - relating to that kind of “way I’ve been made”
Giovanna: Fenella - “to push every barrier that someone might think they have put in my way” “not starting the journey”
Linda: thank you x
Pauline: Beautiful and powerful
Denise: Fenella - if you’ve set up a barrier, it’s essential to push - interesting
Giovanna: Jan - Oh how I want to hear it all!
Denise: Those are lovely, Jan.
Pauline: Purple rain
Pauline: powerful
Giovanna: Cath - “it’s present in every word I write on an empty page” “as I sit alone in silence"
Giovanna: Kate - “I toe the various lines that encircle me” Yes to odd socks!!!! Not disorganisation but rebellion!!
ZoΓ«: wonderful words today everyone :)
Giovanna: Love it Jo!
Giovanna: I need to slip away sharpish today. Thank you to Bev and Adrienne and everyone for a wonderful start to the weekend. So many words will stay with me.
Giovanna: Maggie - “not to...” “to trust the truth of the wilderness”
Giovanna: Bev - “I do life brightly” “I shout loud, too loud.. too bad” “my knees are scarred from stumbles” “my heart is huge and hardy”
Denise: Bev - yes, my heart is huge and hardy - beautiful and true.
Pauline: Absolutely fantastic morning
Kay: as always wonderful   thankyou everyone   kx
Antje: Thank you Bev and Adrienne. I enjoyed everybody's poetry and the mindfulness.
Jennifer Bradley: thanks so much everyone
Angie Strachan: Thank you again everyone.  Have a lovely weekend.
ZoΓ«: thank you again
Denise: Thank you so much, Adrienne, Bev, all
Bev: Here's Lesley's song on the radio about 2:13 minutes in:
Bev: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001h3wm?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile


Thanks to funders
Lapidus Scotland gratefully acknowledges the support of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership's "Wellbeing for Longer in Glasgow Fund" (managed by Impact Funding Partners).


Monday, January 16, 2023

Slow Ink session 14th January 2023

For the first session of the new course Adrienne introduced her Breath practice with the poem "Next Time" by Mary Oliver.

Bev then took a writing prompt from David Whyte's poem "Everything is waiting for you"

the kettle is singing

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

And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

inspired by Mary Oliver’s Next Time and David Whyte’s Everything is Waiting for you
 by Kay Ritchie 

at 17 / 18 / 19
I’d a friend
she was ‘my best’ &
we were wild and cunning when together
but she never looked you in the eye
my mother thought that sly
though I was unconcerned
she spoke directly to my shoulder
 
by 21 we’d drifted
like two feathers on the wind
 
but once more
after more than 50 years
we’re friends again
as if we’d both been waiting &
now she looks directly in my eyes
she’s wise
her life has not been easy
but we’re wild
not like before
 
instead we clatter cooking pots and kettles &
we walk
in nature
listen to the birds the water and the wind &
soar   like feathers   blown together
once more friends &
in the moment


Songs in Time
by Lisa Rossetti © 2023
I have not heard the mermaids sing for many years,
the wild beating of the surf frothing on the shore,
the crunch of sand, its roughness on bare pale soles.

No, I have not heard the mutterings of old frayed rooks
peering from trees, for many years. Nor the grumbling of bees,
their sleep disturbed within the golden palaces of their hives.

For many years, I haven’t heard the nick, nick, nick of insects 
boring their mysterious tunnels through wood. Or books.
Nor seen the ants building castles in red sand.

Time has gone by.
Time has gone by.

Yet every morning I hear the kettle sing,
as I prepare our coffee, and bring it on a tray
An offering to bless our love.

Carrying mugs with tenderness and determination,
with humility towards the awesome day.
A ritual, a practice, a routine in service of Love.

We mark our days with mugs of coffee.
The kettle sings like a priest, like a priestess,
beginning the ceremony.


I hear you sing.
I hear you sing.


The kettle is singing
by Antje Bothin

This lovely music pleases my ears. I can feel the tea already on my
tongue. The water is ready, the air smells of moisture, a silver chain
of steam is crawling through the air. My eyes enjoy this picture of
comfort. Soon I can sit down on the sofa and relax.

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

Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

Angie: thank you.
Kay: thankyou Adrienne   so good to be back   your talk / walk made me think of jon kabat zinn's coming to our senses  x
Bev: The kettle is singing
Giovanna: Caroline - “stop, just for this moment” “for that is enough”
Giovanna: Fenella - “the warmth of communal tea drinking”
Hilaire: ‘A window out of aloneness’
Moira: love the line the warmth of communal tea drinking 
Giovanna: Zoe - “the lifting wallpaper like a letter recently opened” (sorry paraphrasing)
Karen: Beautifully read, beautiful words x
Giovanna: Pauline - oh that first line. this was so intimate and beautiful.
Hilaire: Beautiful Pauline
Pauline: Thank you
Giovanna: Doreen - “lids fly and clang, they soar into the sky”
ZoΓ«: aal I wanted was a cup of tea - love it
ZoΓ«: *all
Lisa: hot water bottle missed the kettle! Awww …
Giovanna: Angie - “the kettle, my coffee enabler”!
Moira: Brilliant Angie - loving a yellow kettle
ZoΓ«: 42:)
Lisa: Haha
Giovanna: Sheila - “life’s breath in steam” “listen to the chorus as life lifts its voice”
Giovanna: Lisa - wonderful first line. “the nick nick nick of insects”
ZoΓ«: Gorgeous!
Hilaire: Wonderful Lisa! Great details
Lisa: Thank you
Giovanna: Antje - “a silver chain of steam”
Moira: beautiful.. tea on my tongue
Antje: Thank you
Giovanna: Cath - such sharp pictures here of pain and empathy and hope
Karen: Wow, Cath. Wow! X
Giovanna: Linda - “old kettle boot black… my how she sings”
Lisa: I always put “With thanks to … [author]”
Giovanna: April-Wendy - “an unrequested sauna steam room”
Lisa: “curve of submission” … “folding in on my own possibilities” … Oh my goodness!
Pauline: wow
Lisa: “stand up …  not down” - Wow!
Giovanna: Hilaire - “the trees slowly dripping, longing for this year’s leaves”
Giovanna: Ann - “come now, come now, now! now!” “steam silently sizzles”
Lisa: “drifted like two feathers in the wind”
Giovanna: Kay - “we were wild and cunning when together” “now we clatter cooking pots and kettles and we walk”
Lisa: a happy story
Hilaire: Wow - so touching L
Hilaire: Kay
Pauline: Was a little nervous but have had the best Saturday morning in ages .So thanks everyone
ZoΓ«: Loved my first session, looking forward to the next one:)
Ann: I need to go to a photography group at 12 so leaving before final Mindfulness. Nice to see everyone (I would have liked to hear a bit of brief Intro so know bit more about you all). I enjoyed listening to others' writing. Thanks. πŸ˜€
Lisa: I really enjoyed using mindfulness and the Date Doodle was wonderful! I haven’t doodled for many many months. Thank you for kind comments, support and being welcomed to the group.
Kay: what a really beautiful session   so many wonderful pieces and words and memories    thankyou    kx
Hilaire: Thanks so much Bev & Adrienne - a very precious two hours
Giovanna: Jan 31st, would be lovely to see you. https://flightofthedragonfly.com/next-dragonflies/
Karen: Lovely to share your company. And a cup of tea πŸ’–
Jennifer Bradley: Thanks so much.  Inspiring and heart-warming session.
Antje: Thank you so much Adrienne, Bev and everyone. I really enjoyed the mindfulness and the writing and listening to all the lovely pieces. πŸ™‚
Denise: What I took to be pain is fear… Giovanna. Such insight in that poem, and a good measure maybe of common humanity!
Giovanna: Thank you Denise
Denise: Warm memories of drying socks - Pauline, brilliant.
Ann: Will keep thinking of yours & my parents & gran making tea in the kitchen I grew up or stayed in. Thanks, Pauline.
Denise: Thank you everyone.
Giovanna: Such a wonderful morning, enormous thanks to Adrienne, Bev and everyone for sharing this fantastically creative space.
Moira: thanks 


Thanks to funders
Lapidus Scotland gratefully acknowledges the support of Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership's "Wellbeing for Longer in Glasgow Fund" (managed by Impact Funding Partners).