Workshops

See here for a selection of poems written by other writers/artists across our accompanying strand of Three the Hard Way (Part One) workshops..

 

A couple of pieces from our lovely Shrewsbury workshop…

 

Obsessive Compulsive Architectural Wonders

 

Your insurmountable difficulties

Will not kill you,

But sway reduction

Moving towards the realistic might.

If only the thick black coat of tar

Made excessive lists

In the glorious cocktail lounge.

A chemical occurring

Height record

Will not resist my thoughts…

 

(By Mirka and Ellen) 

 

Survival

 

My green man

you are in the heat

on all fours to crawl

on the downstream side.

I’ve been forced to wade

the world a little;

thistles can make

good field notes.

From a catastrophe spring:

branches new.

 

 (By Jen and Ronnie) 

 

 

Poems written towards The Lyric Lounge – written as part of the TTHW Wescotes Library Group. Many thanks to Westcotes Ward, Westcotes Library and The Lyric Lounge.

 

 

The Meeting

I thought the purpose of this meeting was to make progress
To negotiate terms
To all walk away happy
To prop up your self-belief
To focus only on the positive
To ignore our separate frustrations
To avoid each others eyes
To talk from different places,
dropping words between us into a bottomless ravine.
To uncover the basis of our dissension
To smear over the gaping cracks,
and pretend that all will be well
Sailing over the waters in our hastily constructed boat to a safer place
Can we discover a mutually agreeable consensus?
All of us needing to swallow our concerns
There will be a time limit,
Checklists, targets and deadlines,
Aiming to measure progress

It won’t all fit.

 

~ Christine Rivers

 

In praise of the small of my back

It supports my body, my neck, my head, my arms
It connects my mind to my legs
myself to that form of transport
Going on foot, (walking)
I love the feeling of, arms akimbo
The back of my hands resting in
The small of my back
A safe area
Gently protected from lust.

 

~ Christine Brown

 

Power

I have power
That I can use In my life
And that of others.

I must use that power
For good
So that contentment
Can be mine.

In my use of that power
I am accountable
For what I do
Not to others,
Not to God,
But to me,
Only to me.

I must use that power
For good
So that my heart can fill with peace.

If I achieve contentment
And a peace filled heart,
I will be able to drink
Pink Fizz
From my wine filled lake.

 

~ Sheila Clarke.

 

The Red Box

The eyes offer little – that practiced politicians’ gaze
towards the camera lens – intent on giving nothing away
Though I sense an adrenalin buzz behind that half smile
Outside No. 11, he endeavours to stand erect and controlled,
belying the weight of the Red Box, gripped tightly,
a strain on his outstretched arm, in contrast to the
‘unemployed’ one hanging loosely alongside his paunch
Camera call at an end, he’ll walk briskly to the idling car,
a nod to camera and off to ‘The House’ to deliver – this most
important business of the day – the Chancellor’s Budget Speech

 

~ Sharon Spencer

 

The River Runs Through
In my heart the Rose Tinted River meanders its’ way
around Mothering Mountain, where I have the power
to allow it to ripple over my home with comfort and care

In my heart the Rose Tinted River resolutely rolls on
through Yearning for Learning Lea , where I have the power
to teach my children well, urging them to research and reflect

In my heart the Rose Tinted River silts and runs dry
at the point of Resentment Rut, where I have the power
to let this wasteland wither and in its’ stead to spring

in my heart -from the Rose Tinted River – a fine feeling,
an Arch of Anticipation, where I have the power
to channel its’ flow to the future and I am free to follow

 

~Sharon Spencer

 

Two songs written by the Look-A-Lady Ukuleles and played at our Lyric Lounge date – complete with the ukulele chords! NB: Part One is written to the tune of ‘How Much is that Doggie in the Window?’…and Part Two to the tune of ‘Clementine’. Find out more about the LookALady’s here,  here and here – and get in touch if you’d like to join in with currently ongoing activity…!

 

LookALady Leicester Song (Part 1)

What [F] changes have happened in [C] Leicester
Since Richard was thrown in the [F] ground?
He wouldn’t have shopped in [C] Highcross
Tho it’s very near where he was [F] found.

There’s [F] lots of great culture in [C] Leicester
And plenty of places to [F] go
Dinosaurs lurking in [C] New Walk
Or pop into Curve for a [F] show.

Chant:
We love you Leicester, we do
We love you Leicester, we do
We love you Leicester, we do
Oh Leicester, we love you ….

 

LookALady Leicester Song (Part 2)

Oh me [F] duck, oh me duck, oh me duck jump on the [C] bus
Or ride your bike down to the [F] bike park for the [C] health of all of [F] us.
In a [F]city, in the Midlands, far away from the [C] sea
We recycle all our [F] rubbish then have a [C]lovely cup of [F] tea

Oh me [F] duck, oh me duck, oh me duck jump on the [C] bus
Or ride your bike down to the [F] bike park for the [C] health of all of [F] us.

We’ve [F] parks and we’ve got rivers and we’ve planted lots of [C] trees
It’s a smashing place to [F] visit, and we’ve [C] got a left wing [F] cheese.

Oh me [F] duck, oh me duck, oh me duck jump on the [C] bus
Or ride your bike down to the [F] bike park for the [C] health of all of [F] us..

Sing a capella

There’ll be no cars over, the Belgrave flyover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see.
There’ll be angry drivers burning bunches of fivers
And being late home for their tea.

Chant: We love you Leicester, we do …..We love you Leicester, we do …
We love you Leicester, we do….. Oh Leicester, we love you …. x 2 (with audience)

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