Slow Ink session 23th April 2022

Photo by Jan McCorkindale

Adrienne led a Noticing our attitude to the undercurrent practice, introducing it with Well of Grief David Whyte

Bev took a writing prompt from Keneth Steven's poem "Coracle":

slow fishponds and the deeper creeks

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And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

Spring-time Desk

by Denise Steel

Melded into the water glass –

two green shapes

organic, shining.

Reflection makes

a lily pad

torn of stem

free-floating

life-shortened

sheered

of flowering

but present still

and pleasing –

inviting deeper

inviting finding?

Or else return

to the waterless glass

sat prosaic

on my spring-time desk.

(inspired by David Whyte’s The Well of Grief & Kenneth Steven’s Coracle)

by Kay Ritchie

we walk mindfully

blether beneath blowsy blossoms

branches boughed

weighed down with apple   cherry

cream   pink

we think Japan

plan a picnic

find an empty bench

guzzle delicious cakes from Delizique

an apple tart   a cherry frangipani

we talk politics   parties   power

a far-away war

gaze out across the gardens & the pond

where coots now nest in

towers of wood & weed

each island woven as 

defence against their enemies

petals fall like April showers &

we walk home

slow

through drifts   tender as snow

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Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

Doreen: Happy Blossom Day

Doreen: Blossom Watch Day (that should have been)

Doreen: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/blossom-watch

Giovanna: Thanks Doreen

Kay: a perfect start to the weekend    thanks  x

Linda: The ‘calm’ app. Has 5, 10, 15 mins etc guided mindfulness meditations. X

Karen: Great mindfulness session- I was truly gone…x

Angie: I tend to find that I practice mindfulness between 3am and 4am in the morning because I wake up most nights at this time feeling anxious and the mindfulness helps to keep my noisy brain/emotions quiet.

Jo: doodling the date is an excellent mind settling exercise for me.

Giovanna: Thanks everyone, this is really helpful

Bev: slow fishponds and the deeper creeks

Karen: Thanks everyone, beautiful morning. Lots of love ❤️

Giovanna: Another gorgeous session, huge thanks Bev, Adrienne and everyone

Jan: Thank you, thank you everyone.

Jo: Thanks Bev, Adrienne and all

Angie: Thanks again  Have a great week everyone. xx

Kay: a wonderful session   thanks to everyone  kx

Y Ioan: Wonderful morning xxxx 

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).

Slow Ink session 16th April 2021

Today's exploration of tenderness took all of us in different directions, yielding some powerful insight.

Adrienne led a Loving Kindness practice, introducing it with "Your Soft Heart" by Nikita Gill

Bev took a writing prompt from the poem "Life In Whispers" by J Lynn:

most tender place

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And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

(untitled)

by Bex Woodsford

Sometimes

   the smallest thing

the slightest show of kindness

And my heart breaks

    Stone cracks in two

and something emerges

feathers fluttering

    the tenderest of places

and a chance to begin again

(untitled)

by Doreen Kelly

My Love, you are obscured from my view. Sacred moments snatched thundering from us. Ever near darling but prevention is better than cure. Protection required. Masked, sprayed and sanitized. Long distance loving just now. Alone and longing for caressing cuddles. Oh how I miss thee. 

Let's hope we can party onwards through out the years to come if not during Covid times.

imagine 

by Kay Ritchie

(inspired by Nikita Gill’s Your Soft Heart & Jay Linn’s A Life in Whispers)

imagine

if Putin cared about the plight of bees

fought against the destruction of the planet

healed the wings of injured birds

to send them soaring high into the sky

instead of war planes

instead of rockets

imagine

if Putin’s heart was gentle, tender &

he treasured every petal on each flower

instead of sending brutal booted soldiers in

to trample on Ukraine

imagine

if Putin’s soul was soft

soft enough to love himself &

everyone around him

so he wanted only peace

no more cruel words & acts

no more suffering or rape

no destruction

no starvation

just compassion

imagine

Tomorrow we will begin the live

by Cath Hopkins

Tomorrow we will begin the live

with no more sticky handprints

upon the window panes.

With no more laughter

that echoes through each room.

And silence will be the only sound.

There will be no more tears and tantrums.

Or early morning wake up calls.

There will be no more sunshine smiles.

Or cuddles or baby shark.

No more curious fingers exploring.

Or love wrapped around us all.

And when tomorrow arrives.

I will hide the sorrow.

And when I pack your bag.

I will fill it full of love and memories.

I will hold you one last time,

with enough love to last you a lifetime.

And I will wave you goodbye with the hope,

That one day you will return to say hello.

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Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

Maggie: Burns shows great tenderness ( eg, 'To a Mountain daisy',

Kay: thankyou kx

Bev: most tender place

Giovanna: It’s been a great morning, sorry I have to go to work and miss the rest of your words. Thanks Bev and Adrienne 🧡

Sheila Buchanan: Such deep pieces this morning.  Thank you everyone

Doreen: I can't read today as Covid cough unpredictable

Doreen: Hugs Kate

Kate Lindsay: Thanks Doreen and hugs to you too.  Hope you feel better soon

Kay: thankyou so much everyone   kx

Doreen: Thanks

Margaret: Thanks for such deep an d tender words 

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).

Slow Ink session 9th April 2022

Adrienne’s practice today was Mindfulness with Sound and Body Sensation support, opening with the Danna Faulds poem "Settle In". We don’t have a recording of this one yet but here is a link to the Mindfulness with the support of Sound practice. 

Bev returned to the Toby Litt poem Hare that she discovered on the BBC series of essays “Becoming Animal” (still available to listen to on BBC). The version used doesn't seem to be online so do listen to it at the end of that essay and get in touch if you'd like me to email my transcribed version.

Writers were invited to explore their own animals or use the prompt from the first line of the poem:

In the last of the light

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And now for some of 

YOUR WRITING:

"In the shape of a" 
by Doreen Kelly

magpie rainbows dance in sunlit waves. 

Greeting hands wave

 and are gathered by a solitary Madame Butterfly 

as she flutters across the head and wings 

of Mr Magpie. In search of glittering sunrays 

to catch and hoard, they are joined by the joy of another. 

Reflecting each other they need nothing other than each other.

Two Fish

by Kay Ritchie

(inspired by Toby Litt’s A Hare & Dana Faulds’ Settle In)

born beneath the star of Pisces

two fish heading in opposite directions

in the month of March

when the weather is confused &

the moon needs coaxing from behind a cloud

I’ve been known as ‘hare brained’

I’ve been called ‘mad as a hatter’

contrary   solitary

I’ve wandered   going who knows where

the world spinning beneath my feet

now   knees rusted & hair gone gray

wintering in the last of the light 

at the end of the day

I scrub at memories

rub them out

fill them in 

replace them

with new ones

but the time has come 

when I must settle in the here & now

not fish-swim away or

hare-leap in the air

but breathe

just breathe

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Thanks to you all ...

... for your heartening feedback as always!

Doreen: Does anyone listen BBC radio 4?

Jan: yep

Bex: and me

Doreen: Has anyone heard this weeks Caretakers

Jan: not yet

Bex: no not yet

Doreen: By-the-way I'm asking about Caretakers Reimage because I am on it. You could try BBC Sounds if you want to hear it.

Jo  to  Lapidus Scotland(Direct Message): Sheila Buchanan is swimming her masters yesterday today

Angie: Sending all my love to you Cath. xxx

Kay: beautiful cath   thankyou for sharing kx

Yvonne: Beautiful Cath. Sending much love xxx

Cath: Thank u xx

Bev: In the last of the light

Doreen: "In the shape of a" magpie rainbows dance in sunlit waves. Greeting hands wave and are gathered by a solitary Madame Butterfly as she flutters across the head and wings of Mr Magpie. In search of glittering sunrays to catch and hoard, they are joined by the joy of another. Reflecting each other they need nothing other than each other.

Jo: sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.. If I focus on the problems far away I cease to cherish the life around me

Maggie: We can be of practical help by donating to the Disasters Emergency fund, Medicines sans Frontiers...

Cath: Thats a good suggestion Maggie

Cath: Thats lovely Doreen, I love magpies

Angie: great poem Doreen

Bex: sorry got an unexpected visitor, see you all next time x

Maggie: Yes Linda, rhyme is helpful - sonnet or ballad shaped

Adrienne: Settle In by Danna Faulds

Angie Strachan: That was wonderful, thank you.  Have a most excellent weekend everyone. xx

Karen: Thankyou for this morning xx

Kay: thankyou thankyou thankyou   kx 

 

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).