A workshop with a group of strong young feminists was stimulating, satisfying, and exactly what I needed after several weeks of dealing with various health issues.
Most of the participants had been motivated to come after attending recent local shows by the facilitators Carrie Rudzinski and Olivia Hall, of the HWS Poetry Collective. I had hoped to go to one of their shows, but my recent eye operation precluded that. The fact that the workshop venue was our nearby Community Cottage was an added incentive to venture out on a drizzly Sunday afternoon.
The group was open and trusting. A bonus for me was that after I introduced myself as being a blogger another woman asked if I was Ruth’s Reflections and said she follows my blog. It’s always a thrill to meet someone who reads and comments on this blog.
We were all spurred to write freely, sometimes just a few words or a stream of consciousness which may later transform into a poem. Two poems were offered as examples. Calling all Grand Mothers by Alice Walker was an inspiring call to action. I found the second poem Backpedal by Olivia Gatwood hard to relate to, but am always curious to see what new poets are creating.
We were given excellent prompts and useful advice, e.g. to include concrete specific details, and to move while memorising. One prompt asked us to consider how we would like the world to change and to write an Epistle that might change someone’s mind. I was focussed on the war in Ukraine for this exercise, and found myself advocating violence. This is totally out of character for me, so may constitute a debut – useful as debut is the theme for my next poetry group meeting.
I’m grateful to Carrie and Olivia for sparking my latterly dormant muse. Here is my Epistle:
Dear Mrs Putin
your man has gone mad
it’s unbearable to watch him
killing indiscriminately
bombing schools
obliterating hospitals
children are dying
you have children of your own
can you make him stop?
please!
I don’t condone violence
but I think the time has come
for the sake of the world
he has to go
assassination an option
a suicide mission
we need a hero
could that be you?
Ruth's Reflections 
You have had your eye op?? How did that go?? what is the difference between private and public so far?
Re your Poem.. I think you have been inspired by Alice Walker to go RADICAL
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Jenny, I had my eye op last Thursday, and intend to write a blog about the experience and the differences between the two operations. Watch this space! Alice Walker is certainly inspiring.
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