Thank you Becky Paton, we loved the natural prompts to tickle our imaginations, including crystals, fir cones, stones, feathers – and even a set of antlers!

We got off to a slightly late start in the very cold hall which had a slight Dickensian feeling, writing in fingerless gloves with our coats on! But the creative spark still kindled, and here are some pieces, including Haiku (short Japanese poems) written by participants:

Knees nose feel biting cold

Yet warm cheeks people pens story’s told

Empty cups full warm hearts

by Katrina

Look through a window

See the see-saw man jumping

In grapefruit juices

by Jeff

A Longer Poem …

I seen you there in the hot sand

a fragment of others around you

Your fluid shape your form enticed me

to bend to touch to take you in my hand rub loose sand from you discover your many layers and colours

You were not the peacock

like many around you

but you had many colours, shades, layers and a blinking eye that followed me flickering in the bright sunlight

I could feel the smoothness

Of the crashing waves you had endured

I put you to my ear

and could hear them still

raise the saltiness you’d captured

Your many layers mark time

what stories did you hold

a trudging dinosaur

the first steps of man

All to the beat of crashing waves

echoing messages from a distant land

Memories still beating now

Blended with the drums

and a hot hot sun

by Jeff