Tag: poetry

Poem: On This Ground We Stand

On this ground we stand

As the sun splits the clouds

From time to time

While the song is clear to hear

Many a soul is creating their story

 

What makes the place so special?

Is it the people we meet?

The stories we tell?

Or this land?

 

Bursting with imprinted memories

Historical events turned into tales

To share with others

 

What do we leave but footprints,

Litter, glitter and song?

Once our playground

Forever our resting place

 

Waves keep crashing

And the sun will rise again

 

Susanne,

Makin A Brew Craigroyston Parents Poetry Group

Makin a Brew produce poetry collection

Craigroyston Parents Poetry Group

Makin a Brew Poetry is a creative project for parents based in North Edinburgh. The group first met through Makin a Brew’s story and music-making sessions at Craigroyston Early Years Centre in the Community High School.

The group is now two years old, as the women themselves explain in the introduction to their new collection of poems:

‘Starting on a dark January morning in 2016, we met together on a Wednesday morning to share stories, drink tea and eat cake!

‘We decided to explore the written word and poetry – something we had never done before. Over the weeks our creative juices flowed and by the time Spring was in the air we had produced many poems, written by both individuals and as a group, along with stories, music, recordings, laughter and sometimes tears.

‘And most of all, strong friendships and a belief in our creative selves.’

Susanne Malcolm, Matilda Hatse, Moira Harvey, Claire Caballero were often joined by others – Karen, Chrsitine, Waa, Callie and more. The Makin’ a Brew group is supported by musician Gica Loening and storyteller Claire McNicol.

On This Ground We Stand

On this ground we stand

Some born on this patch of earth

The Scots tongue a’ around us

Others journeyed here,

Born on distant patch of earth.

But under the same overarching sky

We walk back and forth

through the arched shopping centre

Where pigeons roost

Past the bird boxes

“No cocks allowed” written on one

“Cos them’s the house rules”

What are the house rules on

this little patch of

earth?

Walking along the yellow brick road

To our round table sanctuary

We talk, laugh and hope

for more fairness, love, kindness

On this little patch of earth

Claire McNicol

Read all about it: Claire’s coming to Craigie!

Craigroyston Community High is one of ten Scottish schools to receive an author residency from Scottish Book Trust. Poet and writer Claire Askew will work with the local school to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing.  Continue reading Read all about it: Claire’s coming to Craigie!

How I miss her …

elderly and young hands

Craigroyston Early Years Centre’s Makin’ A Brew group parents have been writing poetry – some as individual pieces of work and others creating poems in groups.

This beautiful unnamed poem was written by Yaa Agyepong:

Making soaps and body creams
Sewing dresses and braiding hair
Farming, cooking and cleaning
And painting the house too.
My grandmothers hands
The domestic goddess
Prized possession
Cooking, cleaning, painting
From my granny’s hands to mine
I’m just a chip off the old block.
How I miss her!

Yaa Agyepong, Craigroyston Early Years ‘Makin’ A Brew’ Group

 

Tonight: European Literature Night at North Edinburgh Arts

EUPROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT: FRIDAY 13 MAY

North Edinburgh Arts 5 – 6.30pm

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‘With the media spotlight shining so squarely on the politics of the EU referendum,’ says poet Colin Herd, ‘We think it’s important to also make space for a cultural expression of European experiences.’

Tonight, Edinburgh will welcome contemporary poets from across Europe for two events in celebration of European Literature Night.

Co-curated by Herd and Theodora Danek, in association with Edinburgh City of Literature and The Enemies Project, the poets represent some of the most exciting of cutting-edge contemporary European writing.

‘I think of Europe itself as a long never-ending poem, always emergent and always surprising, its meanings and its resonances never fixed,’ Herd says.

Following on from the success of European Literature Night 2015, this year’s celebration features 10 European and Scotland-based writers, including: Billy Ramsell, Christodoulos Makris, Nurduran Duman, Efe Duyan, Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Alexander Filyuta, Alessandro Burbank, Heather O’Donnell, Graeme Smith and Dominic Hale.

There will be an introductory taster event at North Edinburgh Arts Centre from 5 – 6.30pm followed by an evening extravaganza at Summerhall’s Red Lecture Theatre from 8 to 10.30pm.

As will reflect the diverse languages of Europe, some poets will choose to read in their own language (with translations) while other poets will read in English. There will also be some poets working in new media, sound and video.

Newly developed for this year, the events will also see the launch of #EuroPoem, a collective international poetry initiative, which poets and poetry-fans from across Europe are encouraged to contribute to. #EuroPoem responds to a need to explore what Europe is, means, and can be ahead of the UK’s referendum on EU membership. European writers are invited to submit two lines of poetry to the collective poem; contributions are of equal value, with no one poet setting the agenda of the poem and it will be polyvocal and multilingual.

Following its launch in Edinburgh at Summerhall, the poem will continue to emerge and evolve online through the Twitter hashtag #EuroPoem. No two versions of the poem need be the same, as poets from across Europe continue to add to this collaborative work. To join in with this unique poetry event, tweet your two lines of poetry to @edincityoflit using the hashtag #EuroPoem as part of European Literature Festival on 13th May, or email Colin Herd on europoem2016@gmail.com.

For more information and to book free tickets, follow these links:

North Edinburgh Arts Event (5 – 6.30pm)
Summerhall Event (8 – 10.30pm)

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Europe, future dream!
Europe, morning to come,
borders without watchdogs,
nations with his frank laughter
thrown wide open!

‘Europa’, Adolfo Casais Monteiro

 

Friday is European Literature Night at North Edinburgh Arts

European Literature Night, North Edinburgh Arts

Friday 13th May 5 – 6.30pm FREE

literature night

Come along to celebrate the most exciting contemporary European poetry with this taster session with short readings by poets including: Billy Ramsell, Christodoulos Makris, Nurduran Duman, Efe Duyan,  Asta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Alexander Filyuta, Alessandro Burbank, Heather O’Donnell, Graeme Smith and Dominic Hale.

You can also wrote your own lines of poetry to become part of a shared collective poem.

Free Tickets can be booked here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/european-literature-night-part-1-tickets-24960390199

Older Scots: poetry is good for you!

Older Scots urged to ‘embrace the health benefits of poetry’ as new collection on ageing launched

Second Wind poets photo

Older Scots are being encouraged to embrace the health benefits of reading and writing poetry as an exclusive new collection of poetry on the theme of ageing is launched this month.

Released by independent charity the Saltire Society in partnership with the Scottish Poetry Library, Second Wind is a collection of almost 50 finely-crafted poems from award-winning Scottish writers Douglas Dunn, Vicki Feaver and Diana Hendry.

Wise, funny, cutting and honest, the poems collected in Second Wind seek to challenge false preconceptions about ageing and tackle a wide range of age-related themes including childhood memories, illness, retirement, absent friends and grandchildren.

Two special readings of the new collection by its authors will take place as part of Luminate, Scotland’s creative ageing festival. Now in its fourth year, the Festival has a busy schedule of events running across Scotland throughout October. The first reading event for Second Wind (already sold out) takes place at the Saltire Society’s headquarters in Edinburgh on 15 October at 6.30pm and the second will be held at 6pm on 26 October at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum.

The Second Wind collection is launched as the most recent survey results from the Scottish Government show that the percentage of Scots aged 60-74 who read regularly for pleasure rose from 65% in 2009 to 73% in 2013, a higher percentage than any other age group.

Recent research from the Mental Health Foundation suggests that participation in cultural activities results in increased confidence and self-esteem among participants, and may help to improve long term cognitive functioning, communication, memory and creative thinking.

For those who would like to explore the Second Wind poems in more depth, the Scottish Poetry Library will also host two specially facilitated poetry reading groups in Edinburgh on Saturday 7 November at 11 am and 2pm. These events will be led by poet, tutor and former Scottish Book Trust Reader in Residence Kate Hendry, who is also the daughter of Second Wind contributor Diana Hendry.

Saltire Society Executive Director Jim Tough said: “There is a growing body of evidence to show that creativity in later life has real health benefits. What is more, this new collection of poems demonstrates just how much older writers have to offer. Hopefully, it will inspire many more from the older generation to get involved both in reading and writing poetry.”

Speaking on behalf of the Scottish Poetry Library, Director Robyn Marsack added: “The later work of artists – think of Beethoven, Matisse, Yeats – often shows their willingness to change direction, their maturity as artists combined with new insights. We’re delighted to have been able to provide the impetus for three poets whose undiminished poetic energy will strike a chord with many readers.”

A poem for National Poetry Day

A poem to celebrate National Poetry Day

chry

LUCOZADE

by JACKIE KAY

My mum is on a high bed next to sad chrysanthemums.
‘Don’t bring flowers, they only wilt and die.’
I am scared my mum is going to die
on the bed next to the sad chrysanthemums.

She nods off and her eyes go back in her head.
Next to her bed is a bottle of Lucozade.
‘Orange nostalgia, that’s what that is,’ she says.
‘Don’t bring Lucozade either,’ then fades.

‘The whole day was a blur, a swarm of eyes.
Those doctors with their white lies.
Did you think you could cheer me up with a Woman’s Own?
Don’t bring magazines, too much about size.’

My mum wakes up, groggy and low.
‘What I want to know,’ she says,’ is this:
where’s the big brandy,the generous gin, the Bloody Mary,the biscuit tin, the chocolate gingers, the dirty big    meringue?’

I am sixteen; I’ve never tasted a Bloody Mary.
‘Tell your father to bring a luxury,’ says she.
‘Grapes have no imagination, they’re just green.
Tell him: stop the neighbours coming.’

I clear her cupboard in Ward 10B, Stobhill Hospital.
I leave, bags full, Lucozade, grapes, oranges,
sad chrysanthemums under my arms,
weighted down. I turn round, wave with her flowers.

My mother, on her high hospital bed, waves back.
Her face is light and radiant, dandelion hours.
Her sheets billow and whirl. She is beautiful. 
Next to her the empty table is divine.

I carry the orange nostalgia home singing an old song.

A poem for Father’s Day

father-and-child
THE GIFT by Li-Young Lee
To pull the metal splinter from my palm
my father recited a story in a low voice.
I watched his lovely face and not the blade.
Before the story ended, he’d removed
the iron sliver I thought I’d die from.
I can’t remember the tale,
but hear his voice still, a well
of dark water, a prayer.
And I recall his hands,
two measures of tenderness
he laid against my face,
the flames of discipline
he raised above my head.
Had you entered that afternoon
you would have thought you saw a man
planting something in a boy’s palm,
a silver tear, a tiny flame.
Had you followed that boy
you would have arrived here,
where I bend over my wife’s right hand.
Look how I shave her thumbnail down
so carefully she feels no pain.
Watch as I lift the splinter out.
I was seven when my father
took my hand like this,
and I did not hold that shard
between my fingers and think,
Metal that will bury me,
christen it Little Assassin,
Ore Going Deep for My Heart.
And I did not lift up my wound and cry,
Death visited here!
I did what a child does
when he’s given something to keep.
I kissed my father.