Session 2 resources

Thank you to those who fought through the wind, rain, and cold to attend the December session of Pen to Paper! It was a small group, but we were joined by two new members - Tarik and Nigel - who we hope will return again in January to meet the rest of you!

Clicking on the 'Sessions' tab above will take you to a new page, where you will see the link for the 'Session 2: Beats' resources. This is an outline for the activities we tried out in the session, all of which can be tried at home, for those of you who couldn't make it.

As always, if you have any completed or 'in progress' pieces which you would like to share and receive feedback on, do email me. The next session is on 19 January, meeting in the Edwardian Tearoom at 10.45am. Please remember to bring a mug if you would like a hot drink!

On the 'Session 2: Beats' page, you will see that the last activity was a game of consequences, where we used the folding of paper to try and achieve the spontaneous, digressive style of the Beats! Here are the two poems created in the session, which are truly magnificent pieces of work...!

[Poem 1]

The gaudy daylit carousel has none of its nighttime flare.
Steeds, overdressed, stamp - embarrassed.
Immobile they stand
crowds pass below, misunderstanding silence
silence that wraps around us
a comfort hug, a chilling shrug
at once warm and warning you -
know that nothing permanent
the top of a bus
wiping condensation from windows.
Whispers rise up in the morning mist
as I run from my evil spirits
something even darker steps in front
to drag me even further towards hell.

[Poem 2]

Modern versions of fairytales:
do they teach us how to live?
at Pat Benson's boxing academy
the learning zone
we learn that what we have was earned
forefathers fought for us, mothers too
but the battles have changed
time has passed, reasons are lost
reason has passed, time is lost
tomorrow becomes today
and what do we do then?
when there are no more tomorrows to look to?