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72 1 WRITE IN THE MOMENT An illustrated anthology

Anthology Book

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Page 1: Anthology Book

72 1

WRITE

IN

THE

MOMENT An illustrated anthology

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2

Disclaimer

This book represents the collective experience and

work of clients engaging with the Phoenix Day and

Community Centre. The texts reflect their thoughts,

opinions and feelings and do not necessarily reflect

those of the SCDA - Sussex Community Development

Association nor their views or ethos.

71

The right of

SCDA - Sussex Community Development Association -

C&S Care & Support

to be identified as author of this book,

for The Phoenix Centre.

Each individual writer retains the copyright of their

work. In accordance with the Copyright designs and

Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced

without permission.

Phoenix Centre offers a range of interesting and

stimulating activities,

helps with welfare, care and health issues.

Our caring team offers services

from respite care to rehabilitation support,

from an occasional lunch

to full day care and support.

Registered Charity Number 1094905

Company Limited by guarantee 3387617

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70

Here are two short, creative writing exercises for you to try. Both involve

writing with colour.

There are three important things to remember before you take up your

pen: 1. Do not think too much about your response to the writing

prompt. Go with your instincts.

2. There is no wrong and no right. There is only your response and

your writing voice.

3. Have fun, play with words and abandon any formality - even

punctuation if you like!

Exercise 1 - If today you were a colour, what colour would you be?

Write down all the things that are that colour. For example if you chose

yellow, you might have: daffodil, corn on the cob, sunshine, custard.

Now start a piece of writing that begins, ‘I am…’. Use some or all of the

items in your list of words and expand your description a little. Try not to

mention your colour. For example: Today I am sunshine, I drape myself

on trees and rooftops and gather myself in puddles on the grass. I am

that corn on the cob you are reaching for on the supermarket shelf

simply because you cannot resist my brightness…

Exercise 2 - Think of abstract things that exist but you cannot see. For

example, laughter, hope, frustration, tranquillity, common sense. Start a

list beginning with describing your subject’s colour then continue to de-

scribe it as other objects or phenomenon. Add your own flourishes and

musings. Let your imagination go. For example:

Hope is lilac - the perfect mix of pink and blue.

For all I know, lilac is the colour of the universe.

Hope is a newly-sharpened pencil,

lying waiting for my words.

Hope is the blackbird that sings

before the dawn bursts through the trees.

Hope is the sun as it falls below my fence.

It is the trust I have that on the other side of the world

3

In the

MOMENT

An illustrated anthology of

prose and poems from

Creative Writing Workshops

at the Phoenix Centre

Delivered by Deborah Sloan

Photography from Ricky Purnell

Art work from Julia Ann Field

Produced in situ.

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4

We receive but what we give,

and in our life alone does Nature live.

Samuel T. Coleridge

Wet on wet by Dorothy Laker

69

The anthology collected in this book is above all, a

document of the potential and results we can achieve

when we provide a safe environment, with positive

stimulation for all.

'Dictated' pieces are a result of a conversation

between the facilitator and the client in which the

prompt for the day is talked about. Deborah writes as

the client talks and then arranges it into either a poem

or a prose piece, depending on the sense and feel of

the words. All the words are the client’s.

Clients or carers had signed a consent form or had

given their permission by phone, authorizing the day

centre to make a positive and relevant use of their

creation, attributing credit for their written and art

work. Each individual writer and artist retains the

copyright of their work.

All practitioners, therapists and artists were

mentioned, as a way to show gratitude, for

supporting and promoting this valuable intellectual,

artistic and therapeutic work.

The Lewes Town Council is acknowledge as the

sponsor which made it possible for the charity to

publish this anthology.

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The power of socialization

Positive socialization is the type of social learning that

is based on pleasurable and exciting

experiences. We tend to like the people who fill our

social learning processes with positive

motivation, loving care,

and rewarding opportunities.

Realization SCDA

Sussex Community Development Association -

Care & Support - The Phoenix Centre Day and

Community Centre

The Phoenix Centre - Care & Support Centre Manager

Andrea Januszewska

Project Management

Giedre Dian - Activities Development

2016

[email protected]

www.sussexcommunity.org.uk

5

Contents

Contents …………………………………………………..5 to 7

Foreword by Deborah Sloan…..…………..…………. 8 & 9

Introduction ……………………………………..…..…...…...10

Wet on wet by Jane Quail …………………….……...…...11

Thank you ………………………………………………... …..12

‘Just a little further’ by Julia Ann Field……….….....……13

Preface & Prologue by Giedre Dian……….………14 &15

“Response to Pictures” ………………………….……16 & 17

“Rain Man” by Ricky Purnell .....………………….……….16

“Creating a Character” ……...…………………………….17

“Before the Storm!”…...….………………...……….……….18

“Yesterday, this moment, tomorrow”…………......19 to 21

Wet on wet by Josephine Morrison...……………….…...19

Wet on wet by Jane Seel ………....…..…………………. 21

“Ten Things About Me”..…………..…..…………….22 to 26

“Magnolia Blossom” by Julia Ann Field ..…………..…...24

“Silence”………………………………………………..……...25

“Weather Today “ and “A Weather Morning” 27 to 29

“Cloud Gull” by Ricky Purnell…………………...….……...28

Photography by Deborah Sloan ………………………….29

Wet on wet by Betty Hampton …………………....……..30

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Contents

“Weather Today “ & “A Weather Memory”…....26 to 31

“Sheep on Glastonbury Tor” by Julia Ann Field ……....32

“Before the Storm”…………………………………………..33

“Weather Today and A Weather Memory”……..……..34

Wet on wet by Pera …………...………….……… 34 & 35

“How to….” …………………………………………..35 to 37

Clay art work picture (produce by clients) ……...…...36

“Spring is in the Air “ by Julia Ann Field ………………...38

Wet on wet by John F Tiller …………………..…………..39

“What colour am I today? “ ………………….……….….39

“A Story About My Name” ..………………..…..... 40 to 42

“Courtyard” watercolour by John F Tiller …..……..…...41

“Starlings over Pier “by Ricky Purnell …...…………...…..43

“Me in Third Person” …………………..…………….……...44

“Word for the Day”…………………….…………….……..45

Wet on wet by Roy …….………….……………….……..45

“Mihimimi as Inspiration” ........…………………………….46

“Monologue from an object’s perspective”.…....47& 48

Watercolour by Peter Bacon …………………….……....48

“ Stone on the Beach’ ………………………………….….49

67

About the artists

Julia Ann Field is a Brighton artist who creates vibrant

landscapes, nudes and fantasy figurative art in

watercolour, acrylic and oil. Commissions considered.

Ricardo (Ricky) Purnell studied photography at

Paddington College and Kent Institute of Art and

Design. His first self published project was “Eight Takes

on Poetry”. His last book was “ Near the Water’ (from

which we present some pictures in this anthology, as

courtesy).

About the practitioners

Deborah Sloan MBACP MBICA is a Psychodynamic

Therapeutic Counsellor and Therapeutic Creative

Writing Facilitator.

Jane Quail is a transpersonal Arts Therapist and

transformative arts tutor , with BA in Design and Art

History, University of Plymouth (Exeter College Art).

Giedre Dian has a BA in Social Communication, with

Marketing Specialization and extensive experience in

Training, Community & Activities Development.

Experience accumulated working for private and

third sector, local authorities and volunteering,

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Easy access to: Artists and practitioners

Therapists

Deborah Sloan Creative Writing Facilitator and

Therapist - CreatePlayWrite

www.deborahsloancounselling.com, 07753 228616

blog: http://withoutissue.live

[email protected]

Jane Quail transformative artist & arts counsellor,

07941950354, [email protected]

Artists

Julia Ann Field www.JuliaAnnFieldArt.com,

07884 192673 , [email protected]

Ricardo (Ricky) Purnell

www.ricardopurnell.com 07919130324,

[email protected]

Creative writing Workshop

Is delivered at

The Phoenix Community & Day Centre

26 Malling Street, Lewes, East Sussex

BN7 2RD

01273 472005

7

Contents

“West Pier with Starlings “ by Julia Ann Field ….…….49

“Inspiration bag “ ……………..…………….……...50 &52

“Dolphins “ by Julia Ann Field …….…….……….…….50

“Lost Objects” ……………………….…………………..51

Wet on wet by Alan Holmes …………………………...51

Group Poem …………..………………………….…...….53

Wet on wet by Peter Bacon …………...………..……. 53

“A good Day”….…….………………………….54& 55

”A morning in Church” ……………………...……56 & 57

“Fast and loose in Perugia “ by Julia Ann Field …...57

“Inheritance and Legacy” ……………………..58 & 59

Wet on wet by Carol Paterson …..………...………….58

Wet on wet by Jane Seel ….……………………….…..59

“Words from Pictures”….……………………..…...60 & 61

Photography Deborah Sloan …..………….……60 & 61

“ A Dog Nose” by Ricky Purnell ….……..…..………..62

Wet on wet by Dorothy Laker ….……...……….. …...63

“Word workout “ …...…………………………….62 to 65

Easy access to artists & practitioners…………...…...66

About the artists & the practitioners ………….…….67

Credits & two Exercises …..…...………..…...…..68 to 70

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Foreword

It is a pleasure to write the foreword for this anthology

of the writing gathered from the weekly creative

writing workshops I run at the Phoenix Community

Centre for older people and people living with

dementia. Each week I present the participants with

a theme and a writing prompt and encourage

everyone to allow their thoughts and feelings to flow

through them, through the pen and onto the page.

Writers often talk about ‘finding their voice’ and of a

piece of work possessing that unique voice. In the

Phoenix Writers’ sessions participants are offered

space, time and encouragement to find and express

their unique voice. Participants who find writing a

challenge speak their poems and stories and I scribe

for them.

Creative writing offers an opportunity to ‘play’ with

words, to engage with our imagination and to find

links between our physical and emotional selves. It is

an activity that bridges the past, the present and the

future and which offers the opportunity to explore

and express thoughts, feelings and ideas.

The participants take their inspiration for their writing

from objects, music, pictures and nature. Every

workshop is a treasury of experiences, memories, and

wisdom and each Thursday, when the writers read

65

“Word Workout”

(A selection of 5 minute writing prompts)

John F Tiller

I heard footsteps…

I heard footsteps from ahead. It was two people from

not so far away. I heard a shout, walked up the

pathway to see if I was able to help. The problem

was a girl that had hurt her leg. So I got to work with

my first aid kit.

Emotions as colour, taste, scent

The sun shone. A short walk down the road I came

across a smash. The fear of this – the disgust and

anger at the way the bus was driven and the pram

was pushed over. I saw red.

The first time I tasted…

The first time I tasted onions was here at this

venue – that is a fact.

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“Word Workout”

(A selection of 5 minute writing prompts)

[Dictated]

May Law

I heard footsteps…

I heard footsteps at Victoria Station just after my

husband was on leave. When I went faster the

footsteps went faster. I went to unarmed

combat lessons. So that helped!

A part of your body writes a letter to you.

We always eat well. Once we’re on the bikes

we don’t get a chance to stop. You have to

have a certain sort of rhythm when you’re

cycle. Especially when your double cycling

[on a tandem].

9

out their work I am moved and delighted by each

piece of writing and by the rich diversity they bring to

each theme. In each session it is not just ink that

flows onto the page; there is a flow of camaraderie

between the writers as they laugh, reminisce,

sometimes rant at pet annoyances, share their work

and encourage each other.

I am privileged that I am able to share this time with

the Phoenix Writers and that each week they trust me

enough to allow me into their space. Every week I go

to the group with a bagful of pens and a head full of

ideas I hope will inspire. And each week I leave

having received more inspiring thoughts than I

arrived with!

You will see from the contributions in this anthology

that the writing reflects the joys and curiosity, the

struggles and the uncertainties experienced by each

writer. The writing is honest, often sensual and

sometimes funny. Each piece of writing reflects a

unique and beautiful way of seeing the world and

emerges from a moment of being in the here and

now. Most importantly, each piece represents a

voice that should be heard.

Deborah Sloan

Creative Writing Group Facilitator

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Introduction

This collection of prose and poems is the result of the

body of work produced in the creative writing

workshops delivered by Creative Writing Therapist,

Deborah Sloan.

This anthology represents the participants’ writing dur-

ing the Winter, Spring and Summer of 2016.

The idea behind this anthology is to showcase the

creativity of vulnerable adults, aged 70+ and to

demonstrate what they can achieve given a safe,

compassionate space and the appropriate direction

and stimulation.

The anthology also proves that assumptions should

not be made about older people’s limitations and

instead proves that everyone, regardless of age, is

able to develop their latent talents when they are

encouraged and recognized as a vital, creative

individual.

63

“Word Workout”

(A selection of 5 minute writing prompts)

Jane Seel

“Emotions as colour, taste, scent”

Disgust: grey unpleasantness, rubbish, dustbins, cat

hair, tea leaves, waste. A sour taste in my mouth, a

smell of rancid cheese which is covered in mildew:

grey turning to black.

“The first time I tasted…”

The first time I tasted ice cream I was overcome by

the extreme coldness of the substance, the icy

quality, the pleasant vanilla flavor the way it melted in

my mouth so that it was gone before I realised I had

lost it. Then came the crispy cornet which contrasted

with the rich, frozen character of the ice cream. A

remarkable experience in tasting, often repeated.

Wet on wet by Dorothy Laker

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“Word Workout “

(A selection of 5 minute writing prompts)

Jane Seel

“I heard footsteps…”

I heard footsteps and feared the worst. Footsteps at

night are more frightening than those by day. Whose

are they? Where are they from and where are they

going in the dark where I cannot see whose footsteps

they are or in which direction they move?

“A part of your body writes a letter to you”

I wish you were more mobile, that you could walk

more confidently, with more aplomb. Your legs are

strong and straight, why won’t they do what you

want? Why won’t your feet obey your will. They have

been lazy for more than a year, it’s time they came to

life and, with your legs, moved forward, looking

ahead.

A dog Nose by Ricky Purnell 11

Wet on wet

It has been a joy for me to come to the Phoenix

Centre on a regular basis for the last few months and

facilitate painting sessions with a group of six or more

clients. We work with a technique called “Wet on

wet” painting, using watercolours, and many of the

paintings in this book were created by participants in

these therapeutic art sessions. My aim is to offer a

supportive space where people can learn to express

themselves using colour. This technique is accessible

to all and has a calming rhythmical quality about it,

from wetting the paper and choosing the colours to

painting with a wide soft brush.

Once I have set the scene for the session, quiet

descends as everyone in the settles down to wet their

paper and prepare to paint. The focus of the sessions

is very much on the process of creating the

paintings, whether the images are abstract or

pictorial. The act of wetting the brush, choosing a

colour mixing it in the palette and then placing it on

the paper is in itself calming and the colours often do

all the work themselves interweaving to make

beautiful shapes. The themes were inspired by the

seasons and nature, and some were inspired by

writings in the Creative Writing workshop.

Jane Quail Art workshop Facilitator

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Thank you

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to

Lewes Town Council for awarding the funding that

allowed this Anthology to be developed and

printed.

Thank you to all the attendees of the creative writing

workshops, for sharing so generously their moments, for

daring to face the blank page every week and for

engaging so enthusiastically with each writing theme.

LEWES

TOWN

COUNCIL

61

“Words from Pictures”

Jane Seel

[“A rowing boat on the water”]

Out in our boat

Feeling the silence

Watching the water

Hearing the splash

Of oars in the stillness

I imagined that someone

Was waiting on the bank

To welcome us.

Photography Deborah Sloan

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“Words from Pictures”

Ian

I’m at a loss to know what to do today.

Shall I take the old dinghy and go sailing?

Or swimming under my own steam?

Swim as best as I can across the creek

To the other side.

Photography Deborah Sloan

13

‘Just a little further’

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Preface

This book is an achievement. It represents the

collective effort of practitioners working at the

Phoenix Day and Community Centre who have

believed in the book even when it was still something

ethereal.

Write in the Moment serves to promote the idea that

creative writing workshops can be considered a tool to

foster inclusion, to enhance sociability and to

tackle preconceptions and stigma surrounding older

people, depression and dementia. Yes, mature adults can

be creative! Yes, older people can have a presence and

yes, they have a right to express their personalities and

share their experiences in every written line and in every

blank space filled.

According to a leading doctor in the field of

Alzheimer’s research, in a Conference delivered at the

Summer of 2012 organized by the Friends of Brighton and

Hove Hospitals , at BSUH - Brighton & Sussex University

Hospital NHS; within 50 years, one in two adults will have

dementia. We hope this book provides a starting point for

what may be a challenging conversation. Better to do

something now, to talk, to take action.

This anthology encapsulates seven months of our clients’

creative writing under the guidance of Deborah Sloan, a

Creative Writing Therapist.

59

“Inheritance and Legacy”

Jane Seel

I hope I inherited a sense of humour. I remember my

father telling me about the time when our dog trotted

up the aisle in church and climbed into the pulpit

where my father was preaching. He said that he

could deal with any awkward situation in church

except that.

I shall tell this story to my son and it leads to information

about the vicarage dog, Peter, and what he got up

to.

I want to keep this memory in a tree trunk open to all

weather but which will not be worn away.

Wet on wet by Jane Seel

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58

”Inheritance and Legacy”

Dorothy Laker

My father was a cowman so I was brought up mostly

on the farm.

I had a sister and a brother.

On schooldays I walked nearly 4 miles each way.

My husband was in the RAF.

Wet on wet by Carol Paterson

15

Prologue

Write in the Moment is, above all, part of a

therapeutic process. It was created and organised from

texts deeply related to thoughts and feelings and was

achieved by helping and supporting clients to express

themselves to the best of their abilities. It is a beautiful

surprise to read these works and to see our clients’

personalities coming through the page with such power,

such individuality. It is incredibly touching.

The written word can help to bring self-awareness to the

writer and greater understanding for the reader. The

writers’ words allow us to ponder on wisdom

experience and hope.

Language and art can challenge us in so many ways and

it can offer us a window into a world where we may be

able to see things in a different way. If we can relate we

can empathise. If we can create, we can develop links.

After all we are relating and creative beings. Maybe

among the stories you find in this anthology you will find

fragments and snap-shots of your own story.

A photographer and an artist also joined the project:

Ricky Purnell and Julia Ann Field.

Enjoy your reading.

Giedre Dian

Activities Development

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“Response to Pictures”

I’m sitting here and my mind is blank

Trying to think of a rhyme for

Constantinople

I’ve never been there

I don’t know where it lies

But I bet it’s hot and smelly

And smells of fish and chips

Peter Bacon

Rain Man by Ricky Purnell

57

know that. Listen, I’ve got a taxi, outside waiting for us

and I ‘am going to take you back to the flat and get

you something to eat. Come along’.

Very slowly and cautiously the woman rose and

allowed herself to be led down the church towards

the door. The young man opened it and the two of

them moved into the daylight. The woman was

hesitant, bewildered, but she always did what her son

asked. So she felt relieved and grateful to be looked

after.

The taxi, with its two passengers, drove off.

“Fast and loose in Perugia”

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56

“A morning in Church”

Jane Seel

The taxi came to a sudden halt outside the church

door and a young man got out and walked swiftly up

the path. He gave the impression of being confident

that the door would be open. And it was. He went in.

Inside, the church was dim and there was smell of

incense. In the gloom he made out the flicker of

candles on the chancel and a woman sitting in a front

pew, bent and still. He rush up the aisle ‘mother!’

The woman stirred ‘What are you doing here? We’ve

been looking for you everywhere. Then I suddenly

thought that you might be in church. But you’ve got

no coat and it is cold in here… What’s that you say?

You don’t want to go home? But mother you’ve got a

new kitchen and we redecorated the bedroom for

you. Everything is splendid so why are you hiding from

us all?

We want the best for you, we want you to be happy.

What is it about this place that attracts you?

I remembered you were here on Wednesday – with

no coat again. What are we going to do with you,

mother? The family gets upset when you go missing

like this. And this church is such gloomy place. If it’s

company you want, there’s nobody else here, you

17

“Response to Pictures”

Wind in my hair

Rain on my face

Sun on my arms

Ache in my legs

Pain on my waist

A weary summer day

Jane Seel

“Creating a Character”

Mrs Thoughtless in a Train Station

I can’t be bothered to wait for this train. It’s ten

minutes late already so I shall continue to sit in this

café, though I don’t want anything to eat. I never

eat. I’m not anxious, I’m a calm person so whether

this train comes doesn’t matter. I’m young, I have all

my life before me and who cares if there’s not book to

read, I’m a non-reader. I’m also a negative person

and I can be unkind and wakeful when I should be

asleep. I shall give my partner a blanket so she can

settle down to a long slumber wile I wait impatiently

for the train that never comes.

Jane Seel

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18

“Before the Storm”

In the Street

Rumbling thunder, hurried footsteps, umbrellas

opening, unprotected windows closing sharply.

Lightening suddenly strikes and I cower against a

hedge to avoid being struck. Children run for cover

but there is no cover. The rain begins its hard,

incessant fall. In the Park

Rain is hitting the calm surface of the pond where a

few small boats are still swivelling around, their

occupants trying to shelter from the heavy shower. A

man on the edge of the pond shouts to his son in a

boat, “Don’t panic!” and the reply: “I want to come

in.” At Home

We see that all the windows are shut and the lights are

on because darkness has suddenly come in our small

dining room where we are all crowded.

Somebody shouts, “It’s all right, thunder can’t hurt us.”

“But lightening can!” says, someone else. “Where’s

the dog?”, I want to know and we realise he isn’t with

us but out in the storm.

The Storm Breaks

Suddenly everyone within sight starts moving about

quite swiftly and I realise that each one is trying to

avoid the heavy rain. Inside Tesco people crowd to

the door, looking out anxiously as the heavens open.

The checkout girls peer round their tills hoping to see

the downpour, glad to be dry inside. Jane Seel

55

“A Good Day”

Ann Lawrence

Sunny day

See friends

See family

Read my book

Go to church

Remember to pray

Walk in the rain

Pauline Gilbert

The weather is fine. The sun is shining.

So if out walking you need to have

a warm coat and gloves.

Keep on the move!

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54

“A Good Day”

Peter Bacon

It’s not raining, snowing or blowing a gale

So it must be a good day…

Mustn’t it?

Not at all!

Josephine Morrison

A bright sunny day by the seaside.

Watching the children playing in the water.

A beautiful day by the seaside

Children paddling in the sea

A sunny day by the seaside.

Betty Hampton

My daughter put me in the wheelchair and walked

me to the bus stop, put me down a ramp and we

went on the bus.

At Lewes we went down the Cliffs, then into one or

two shops, finally catching the bus home. I had a cup

of tea and watched telly.

19

“Yesterday, this moment, tomorrow”

Peter Bacon

Yesterday…

Was a Wednesday

This moment…

Is brilliant

The sun shines

My good fortune

Very soon lunch will appear

Tomorrow

Wet on wet by Josephine Morrison

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20

“Yesterday, this moment, tomorrow”

Peter Bacon

Yesterday…

Was a Wednesday

This moment…

Is brilliant

The sun shines

My good fortune

Very soon lunch will appear

Tomorrow

Friday – pay day

Off to the pub to play darts.

Wet on wet by John F Tiller

53

“Group Poem”

Peter Bacon , C.J.T. and Jane Seel

We sit and wait for what may happen,

Away in the mists we cannot see.

Thoughts and feelings come unbidden.

Words and phrases wander free.

Shall we ever make a poem?

Not one of us knows what to write!

Wet on wet by Peter Bacon

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52

“Inspiration Bag”

(A small canvas bag containing small objects from

which the writers create a poem or a story inspired by

any of the object/s)

Jane Seel

I am in the swim because I’m in a creative writing

group and we are all lurching, as if in the sea,

wondering what to write and how to write it. There is

a long, sandy beach with shells and prickly

objects which may or may not be living organisms.

But they came out of my little bag so maybe they are

significant. I must hang on to them and be guided by

them, and try to capture them.

J.G.

I was nearly asleep. It was dark and I could see the

stars through the window. They were very bright,

twinkling. Downstairs mother was busy getting ready

for the next day. The smells of Christmas

drifted up from the kitchen. Cinnamon, mace, all

kinds of spicy things as the mince pies cam out of the

oven. I didn’t want to go to sleep and yet I wanted

to so that when I woke up it would be Christmas Day.

Soon the bells would be ringing, calling us to church

and then back home to open presents and to enjoy

all the traditional goodies of that special day.

21

“Yesterday, this moment, tomorrow”

Jane Seel

Yesterday I was looking forward to today

This moment of today is here

Tomorrow I shall be looking back on it

Wet on wet by Jane Seel

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22

“Ten Things About Me”

(After Dean Atta)

Peter Bacon

I was born…a very long time ago.

My name…is Peter.

My longest love…Ingrid Bergman

I have a terrible fear…of spiders

I feel safest…at home

I am…hopeless at music

I am not…a teetotaller

Best place…is at home

Best time is…10:30am on a warm, sunny day

I could easily…make you a Yorkshire pudding.

51

“Lost Objects”

“Lost Watch”

I lost a watch on the way to Telscombe. I have not found

the watch. Although I did find a different watch in the gut-

ter in Brighton.

“Letter to the owner of a lost object”

Dear Sir or Madam , I have found a door knocker on the

meadow near your house. It has a tin back. If it is your door

knocker ,I can bring it up to you this afternoon but I won’t

be able to knock on your door.

John F Tiller

“Small Boat”

A tiny boat, beautifully made but probably too small to

float. So it’s just an ornament to place on a windowsill in a

house by the sea. Painted on its side is its name – Portloe.

There is nobody in it. It’s too small for human

interest so, as I say, it’s for decoration; no other use.

Yet it’s quite

delightful.

I love it.

Jane Seel

Wet on wet by Alan Holmes

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50

“Inspiration Bag”

(A small canvas bag containing small objects from

which the writers create a poem or a story inspired by

any of the object/s)

“Dolphins” [dictated]

Dolphins were all different

We were on different ships

We took passage to Ceylon

We saw them at the front of ship

We eventually came back in the ship when we retired

The thing was - When they go to Plymouth they

packed their gear up, went from Portsmouth.

And they didn’t want to know us.

Herbert Turner

23

“Ten Things About Me”

(After Dean Atta)

Jane Seel

I was born…in 1932 in the seedy end of Hampstead

My name…is Jane

My longest love…is for books of all ages and kinds

I have a terrible fear…of spiders, especially large,

dark ones with long legs

I feel safest…in my sitting room at home

I am…a friendly person

I am not…very talkative

Best place…is home with my family

Best time…is four o’clock tea and biscuits

I could easily…read myself to sleep

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24

“Magnolia Blossom”

49

“West Pier with Starlings Murmuration for tiny stone detail”

by Julia Ann Field

“Stone on the Beach”

Josephine Morrison

I sit on this beach waiting for the sea to wash over

me twice a day.

Lovely and warm in the summer months when the

sun is shining, making me feel warm and refreshed.

In winter months it is not the same, when the cold

and icy water washes over me twice a day, making

me icy cold and it is dark.

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48

“Monologue from an object’s perspective”

Betty Hampton

“An Abandoned Bike”

I am wondering about my pedals.

They are underneath me and the saddle is resting on

the ground. If someone could just pick me up, I would

feel better.

The lamp is out and it is dark.

I don’t know how to move myself.

Watercolour by Peter Bacon

25

“Silence”

Two Minute Silence

The sound of gunfire

Birdsong

Aircraft engines

Unspoken words

Breathing

Silence is…

Silence is the Downs in the rain, the rush of water over

stones in the river bed. Silence is the clouds sinking

over a hill as the sky darkens and people hurry home

for tea. They shut out all sound from outside and

concentrate on buttered toast as they crouch

around the table, hungry.

Jane Seel

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26

“Ten Things About Me”

(After Dean Atta)

May Law

I was born…in Camberwell

My name…is May

My longest love…was Charlie

I have a terrible fear…of mice

I feel safest…in my mum’s home

I am…fairly athletic – I do practice to be athletic

I am not…all that aggressive

Best place…is the Cock Inn (the times I’ve said

‘Change the name of this pub: I’m your best

customer.’)

Best time…is bed-time

I could easily…drink two or three brandies

47

“Monologue from an object’s perspective”

“A Toy on a Shelf”

What can I do to get to the ground? Take a deep

breath and jump and wait to be picked up to join

the children playing around me. I hope they have

plenty of toys to play with and a ball to throw

around. To be on the ground is better than being

on a shelf. To have other children or dog or cat

around is much more fun than being left on a shelf.

So don’t get left on a shelf!

Pauline Gilbert

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46

Exercise using the traditional Maori greeting called a

Mihimimi as inspiration. The Mihimihi is:

Let there be life! The name of my canoe is:

The name of my mountain is:

The name of my river is:

The name of my tribe is:

The name of my sub-tribe is:

I am:

My canoe is my son, George, who thinks ahead and

copes with my needs before I know what they are

myself and gives me confidence to perform my daily

tasks without anxiety.

My mountain is my problem in passing from one day

to another with the night in between and in getting up

each morning at a sensible hour.

My river is made of the books I read, flowing one after

the other, towards a centre that feeds my heart and

mind.

My tribe is my family – dozens of them, all over the

world.

My sub-tribe is George’s wife and daughter who

lighten my life with their interest and happiness.

I am Jane, enjoying being alive in spite of being eighty

-three years old. Jane Seel

27

“Weather Today and A Weather Memory”

C.J.T.

Weather Today

Today the weather is in the background for me:

Quiet, dull, not intruding.

Now it is changing slightly.

The sun is trying intermittently to come out.

Cloudy the rest of the time.

It’s not invading my thoughts.

Weather Memory

It is quite windy

There is a name of someone – a famous writer

In the back of my mind, connected to this weather

On an afternoon.

It may be Charles Dickens

“A windy afternoon” perhaps?

“Windy with sunshine”

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“Weather Today and A Weather Memory”

Jane Seel

“Weather Today”

We’re going to be late. We are late and all because

of the heavy rain which has overflowed the stream at

the end of our road. The clouds are heavy, more rain

is on the way and our bus is still missing. Ah, here it is,

splashing through the puddles. It’s here at last.

“Cloud Gull” by Ricky Purnell

45

“Word for the day”

Jane Seel

Thirst

A malnourished child; a runner at the end of a race; a

jogger arriving home; a longing for a book I’ve left

unfinished; a need for love.

Peter Bacon

Joy

The small children who have been playing outside

For most of the day

In the garden

In their best clothes

In the rain.

Wet on wet by Roy

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“Me in Third Person”

Peter Bacon

I wish I had not joined the Navy when I signed up.

I think that the army would have been a better choice

because the ground keeps still most of the time.

Jane Seel

She goes to the sideboard, opens the drawer and

takes out an envelope marked “stamps” and two

sheets of paper suitable for writing a letter. Now back

to the dining table where she arranges her address

book and her pen before she clears a space on which

to start her task of the day.

The words come swiftly, ‘Dear Olive, It was so good to

hear you on Monday, so clear and so welcome from

faraway Canada…’ She sits back and thinks about

what she will write next before taking a break to go in-

to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee that will spur

her on to recount the past week’s activities. She picks

up her pen again.

29

“Weather Today and A Weather Memory”

Jane Seel

“Weather Memory”

I lay very still in my bed but the bed wasn’t still. It rocked

slightly from side to side because the night was the night of

the great storm that demolished thousands of trees

including those in our garden. In the morning I left my bed

and peered out of the window to see a theatre of

devastation. Across the road, a neighbours’ car was

crushed by a heavy tree trunk that had fallen across the

bonnet. Quite soon two young men would knock at our

door offering to help with clearing up, for which we were

truly grateful. Strangely we didn’t get wet; we were just

shocked. “If I were a weather”

I am the stream which has overflowed its banks at the end

of our road. I can’t control myself but simply give myself

up to the cascading downpour. Cars splash through me

and walkers in wellington boots give up trying to cope with

me and stand silently at the edge of the water, waiting for

me to go down. Which I won’t! I will not go down until the

time is right for me!

Photography Deborah Sloan

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30

“Weather Today and

A Weather Memory”

Peter Bacon

“Weather Today”

The best use for the weather is

to start a conversation.

Otherwise weather is usually

a pain in the backside!

The end.

“Weather Memory”

I am the weather!

and before I dry out

I am going next door

to wet my neighbour’s

washing she has just put out.

It’s revenge for her dog

digging up all the little flowers

I’ve just planted.

I hate her dog!

Wet on wet by

Betty Hampton

43

“Starlings over Pier” by Ricky Purnell

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42

“A Story About My Name”

Jane Seel

My name is Jane – a very plain name given to me

because it was short and couldn’t be changed to

anything shorter. I’ve always been pleased with my

name, enjoyed having it and never wanted to

change it to anything else. I’ve now become

‘Mum’ – my name, Jane, being dropped

by my son and daughter-in-law and replace with

‘Mum’ or ‘Ma’.

31

“Weather Today and A Weather Memory”

John F Tiller

Recent Weather

About a week ago the rain came down from the sky

(cascaded). The main road from Newhaven to

Lewes was flooded.

See the people walking in the wind, being blown

along the pathways, being driven by the wind.

Weather Memory

The rain was so bad. I was waiting to get a lift home,

soaking wet.

I was lucky the car stopped a few yards in front of

me.

If I were a weather…

The weather has changed – at long last! The sun has

come out, the wind has abated. The sun is out. It

will be nice and warm.

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32

“Sheep on Glastonbury Tor”

41

“A Story About My Name”

John F Tiller

The star at night

The ship is on her way

“Farmyard” Watercolour by John F Tiller

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40

“A Story About My Name”

Herbert Turner

“Doodle Bug Saturday” [Dictated]

We expected to get back but we didn’t

We never did know what the death toll was

There it is one of them things

It was a Saturday afternoon

We was billeted in the old gas light

Water board place in Fulham

Next door they’d been being doing the storage thing

They finished that and this particular day – Saturday – one

of these doodle bugs hit it and the houses we were billeted

in - blew every window out in the place. That meant our

billet had gone and so instead of us going out on a Satur-

day to do any jobs we stopped to clear up. We were

transferred to an old destroyer in the dockyard. So after

that our role in London had finished and people never

knew what the feelings were.

It was all wired glass. I mean I’ll never understand it.

How the gas lighting company restored it - I never heard

but we were moved to the East End.

Soon after we were returned to barracks.

It was frightening.

33

“Before the storm “

In the Street

Fast walk to find some shelter. Do not stand under a

tree when the storm comes.

In the Park

You must be wearing the right clothing. The windows

must be closed.

At Home

The thunder and lightening will come sooner than you

think. Please make sure your cat is in, dog inside,

close the windows.

The Storm Breaks

I am on a hill above the town when the storm breaks.

Lightening and thunder: we laugh. I come down from

the hill to see if I am able to help a mother and child.

They live in a small house.

John F Tiller

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34

“ Weather Today and A Weather Memory”

Ann Lawrence

“Weather Memory”

My memory is of sunshine –

the pleasure it is to have and enjoy,

the comfort it gives.

Wet on wet by Pera

39

“What colour am I today?”

Peter Bacon

Today I am pink all over

and looking very smart.

But I clash with my wristwatch!

Jane Seel

Today I am blue because I’m feeling blue on

account of a fall I had yesterday that made me twist

my body so that I’m in pain when I move. The blue

colour pervades me as I go about my daily business so

that I am blue and there is no changing me.

C.J.T.

I think I am dark blue today…or maybe not.

If so, I don’t really want to be.

It would be nice to be something lighter…I think!

Wet on wet by John F Tiller

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“Spring is in the Air “

35

“ How to…”

C.J.T.

“How to take a walk”

The fresh air is lovely,

Freedom in my limbs

Striding out quite fast

And then faster.

The mind is having a wash.

The body is having some exercise.

Perhaps it’s best to stop now.

I don’t really know.

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“How to…”

“How to throw a pot”

A lump of clay for pummelling. Jane Seel

Hands that know how to shape

and lift the mound of clay

to sit on the wheel

where it spins round and round.

With thumbs to dig and delve

and prod the clay into a decent shape.

Now take it off the wheel

with splashes of water

and set it on the table

ready for painting.

Now the kiln is ready.

to bake my newly made pot.

Clay art work produced by clients

at the Phoenix Centre

37

“How to…”

Peter Bacon

“Grandpa hangs a picture –

at least that was the plan”!

Where’s grandpa?

He’s gone back to sleep.

Well, who’s going to wake him?

Oh, let the old goat dream!

He had a hammer, the nail and the string.

Now he’s back to the bar

and having a fling!