Held at our avant garde Blue Oyster Gallery as an extension of an exhibition entitled Caves Are Made of Rock But Not This Cave featuring large pastel/pencil works by Sian Torrington to which Joan and Rachel O'Neill had collabortatively written repsonse poems to, the main focus of the 90-minute workshop was first Deletion poems and then Ekphrasic poems.
In my case such phrases as 'dense and dark' , 'candied-striped river' and 'silver wonder-wall' sprang to mind.
I then constructed into an actual poem by using, in my case, the linking word 'always'. Here it is:
When we find ourselves in dense
dark places let us
always dream instead
of the dancers
at the Follies-Bergere
Their beak-like legs
tapping out questions
the twitchers know
the answers too
Always on time
always in a line
a glittering silver
wonder-wall
of candy-striped
plummage
Cresting a wave
of skirts
rising
always rising.
It was great fun and an energising new way to look at an exhibition.
Only next time I need to go in the first few days, so I can write and share a responsive poem in time for anyone that's interested to enjoy the artworks as well.
