“Poetry might be defined as the clear expression of mixed feelings.”W.H. Auden, New Year Letter
In this time of change, I am keeping my eyes on love and offering a safe space to gather for reflection. There is much to process each day. Without an intentional pause I notice how easy it is for my brain to experience emotional overload. Poems provide an opportunity for slowing down, to pause. Writing together is an invitation to pause in the wonder of this day and remember we are alive. Every voice is welcome.
Renewal Through Poetry: Writing Circle
Join a small, online group to
Explore the use of poetry to inspire us.
Cultivate curiosity about our thinking and writing.
Experience writing as a tool for positive self reflection and well-being.
You will have the opportunity to connect more deeply with yourself, through your own writing, as well as through the writing shared by others. By offering a safe environment, through reflective listening, this workshop will support participants in expressing their authentic voice.
No writing experience needed. Group maximum 6 participants.
Leave the dirt on....
Messy, scrambled words
Striving for control
How I am perceived
How I am received
Oh! You want me to show you
my skinned knee,
my bruised heart,
my bad dream?
My words, without my edits,
will show you the twisted, rambling trail
I have taken to get here.
Are you sure you can keep up?
By Nancy A. Musgrove
I am grateful for Nancy’s permission
to share her poem from the writing
circle here. I continue to meet
amazing women across different time
zones. Writing together provides a
mirror for us to process life in a
safe place where we have all agreed
to listen with compassion.
Interested in joining a writing circle?
Email met at coaching@aligrimshaw.com
My bare feet travel riverside down the dust talcum path. They feel the way forward while softly grounded in the fine dirt. As the bank of trees lean to shade, the river glides past, over and around rocks. Here it seems effortless for lives of birds, fish and plants to thrive together. None needing to shame or blame. Is it just my interpretation or have the living of the river ecosystem always known that there is enough for all, that everyone’s time will someday pass, that we will someday be nourishment for the next in line and there is peace in the acceptance of being a part of the changing cycle? There seems to be balance here. The kind of balance I am always seeking. As I hike up the pants, I have yet to grow into, I wonder if humans really are the more evolved species. It seems that I have so much to learn from the Osprey’s willingness to try again and the way rivers shift course without blaming the logs that have fallen to block their route. As I pack up my tent site I am already planning my return.
flashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw 