Today Adrienne introduced her Loving Kindness practice with a poem "Beech Tree by the Sea Wall" by our very own Giovanna McKenna.
Bev offered the writing prompt
with my pen I can
inspired by compiled extracts from a poem by the Chinese poet Ai Qing:
The Pen
by Ai Qing (extracts)
I stared at the pen for a long time
asked
“What kind of a monster are you?”
A peasant said
“when I lift the pen it seems heavier than a hoe”
A professor hurried the point along the page
catching ideas as swift as wind
but nobody knew what he wrote
A priest held the pen as if it would escape
then wrote stroke by stroke
piercing the paper
The tip of a writing brush is made of wolf hair
but like a dagger
can pierce the enemy's heart
The nib of a fountain pen is steel
but can embroidered butterflies
and quivering petals
The lines drawn entangle souls
The ink flowing sheds tears for many
The pen has neither will power nor feeling
but depends on the hand that grasps it
*****************************************************************
And now for some of
YOUR WRITING:
Inspired by Giovanna MacKenna’s Beech Tree by the Sea Wall & I Ching’s The Pen
by Kay Ritchie
As July tumbles into August
As the world tips towards its edge
I think of things I’m grateful for
That busy pollen-bloated bee
Buzzing lavender to clover
That honeysuckled hedge
These monster teeth
Still inside my mouth
Not yet in a glass by the side of my bed
For I have age &
a heart that’s been mashed like
plumped up plump geese livers
but if I stop to join the dots
I find I’ve heaps & heaps of
People that I’ve loved &
Who I love &
With this pencil in my hand
I call them back
Graphite gentler than a strong steel nib
More brush-carress on silky page
Softly softly
Recalling every stage
Our sharing & our tears
Not ink but salt
And captured
in this book
my thanks
with my pen
by Yvonne
With my pen I can finally get my mind and all its whirling thoughts onto paper
Because of you my pen, my friend
Ive inked my way through a year of grief
To come to this point of joy,
because the ink, the words have told my story
Allowed me to share and not bottle up my pain
Thank you my pen, a now dear friend
You’ve saved my heart, my mind and my love for life
with my pen I can
by Cap'n Bev ~ inspired by “The Pen” ~ Ai Qing
with my pen I throw a line
across the waiting page, tie the text
in any knot or notion
and then unpick the story
to find the useful sense
the loving kindness
and should I lose the paddle
from my spinning coracle, I'd still have my pen
and I could make my way with that
at first it might just swizzle on the surface
the sea sparkling with swirls
to remind me of the light
but barnacle by barnacle
my pen would lengthen and grow
till as a full-sized oar
it would find purchase in the water
of any stormy roar
stop the spin
and by then
hopefully by then
I’d know where I should go
********************************************************************
Thanks to you all ...
... for your heartening feedback as always!
Doreen: I hope you feel better Helen
Doreen: Giovanna, I am giving a copy of your book to my mum for her birthday next week.
Giovanna: Bev - I loved what you said and will take it with me, I'm paraphrasing here, “it was my pen and meditation that saved me”. This is something I can easily forget when life comes at me hard, thank you.
Giovanna: Camera off as my signal is so bad..
Linda: Thank you so much for sharing xxx
Giovanna: (Cheeky wee link 😊) http://themuseumoflossandrenewal.life/publications-and-editions/
Kay: what a beautiful & inspirational start to the day thankyou Adrienne and bev
Denise: Thank you Adrienne and Bev.
Adrienne: ❤️
Bev: with my pen I can...
Doreen: Another cheeky wee link:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265377658133?mkevt=1&mkcid=16&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0
Giovanna: Doreen's book is wonderful, an eye-opening generous collection which is effecting and beautiful
Giovanna: So sorry I have missed these pieces, I hope to read them on the blog - and to see you all again.
Giovanna: Huge thanks Bev and Adrienne for creating this space for us. X
Denise: like pennies from the wishing well of my life - the notion of shining is lovely
Lesley: 'tenderly looking in my own eyes'..love this Jo Beth.
Denise: Wonderfully imaginative, your piece, Bev!
Karen: Love, love ,love you wonderful writers xx💖💖💖
Maggie: Thanks to everyone.
Kay: thankyou so much to everyone kx
Linda Sandeman: Thank you all so much. It’s been wonderful xxx
Yvonne: Im truly grateful to everyone in this group. Thank you Adrienne & Bev for this place and space. I've loved every second and every word shared. Much love, Yvonne xxxzzz
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).
