Creativity – Page 50 – Boadicea's Chariot

Inside and outside

Geoffrey Hill, Professor of Poetry gives a public lecture three times a year and yesterday was the last of this academic year. So, after work yesterday I drove into Oxford and parked the car in St Giles, then walked across town to the Examination Schools. Timing was tight: the lecture started at 5:30pm. Continue reading “Inside and outside”

All over bar the grouting

Yesterday I went on my long awaited mosaic course… a ‘one day taster’- which I had originally booked in October 2010 to do in March 2011. The March course was cancelled and I was offered 7th May. This meant I had to cancel something else – it’s no good planning too far ahead I find.

On Friday night I printed off my list of instructions and packed my bag. A pencil, ruler, eraser, a notebook, old clothes and an apron, proof of identity, and lunch. With hindsight I would have added to that list an old tea towel and a small dustpan and brush, plus a pack of plasters. Continue reading “All over bar the grouting”

Matthew Arnold

And then they land, and thou art seen no more.
Maidens who from the distant hamlets come
To dance around the Fyfield elm in May,
Oft through the darkening fields have seen thee roam,
Or cross a stile into the public way.
Oft thou hast given them store
Of flowers—the frail-leaf’d, white anemone—
Dark bluebells drench’d with dews of summer eves,
And purple orchises with spotted leaves—
But none has words she can report of thee.

Matthew Arnold – The Scholar Gypsy

Reading group

We have been together now for some years, my friends and I in a book group started by me when Scout (now nearly 15) was about 3. I was fed up of reading the backs of cereal packets and not much else.I invited a few friends to see if anyone else was interested. Nearly everyone I asked was!

The group list comprises about 15 people – but fewer than 6 usually attend each meeting.There are various excuses and reasons. Many of us are going through the teenage years with our children. Some have moved away, but want to remain on the invite list, coming only for 3 or 4 meetings a year. Some have very busy jobs and find it very difficult to fit in reading time.

Every now and then a new member joins. Four meetings ago one such new member joined us. She hasn’t missed a meeting and has always read the book, and is just what we need… an injection of new enthusiasm. Continue reading “Reading group”

10th Poetry Competition

Where are you, Poets, that a Hero dies
Unsung? He who, when Duty brought too soon
His billet of rest toiled on till he had won
The countersign of Glory?

A plea for pomes!

An Author Addiction
And Awful Affliction
Avoiding Any Actual
Artistic Achievement

Alliteration in poetry can be very effective, and overdone can be amusing. Any form will do, but a minimum of eight lines please. The theme is gem stones or precious metals but please include some awesome alliteration!

Submit your scribbles, or even gorgeous gems in a post or on this thread by Midnight, 19th May 2011

On the canal

On the Canal

The pondskaters’ erratic
flick-flack glide disrupts
like light shower dimples

while the flash of a fish
spreads ripples through
inverted sunset clouds.

Over fragile corrugations
the skaters slip-slide
sideways to the dark bank

as night breathes in
through the fading light
like brush strokes

Eighth photo comp. – results

I’m absolutely delighted that I was able to extend the deadline for the 8th competition by a couple of days, we attracted a couple of additional entries which of course doesn’t make the job of judging any easier. I was of course saddened that a particular cameraless member (their own words) wasn’t able to beg, steal or borrow one and contribute, perhaps next time.

In essence, I selected a theme (wild) which was open to many interpretations and the Charioteers didn’t disappoint.

I’m no photography critic and won’t be going into the merits of each entry, I did enjoy Jahn’s pink dolphin, I’ve written elsewhere about our efforts to prevent dolphin captures down here and the keeping of them in captivity.

LW’s wisteria is a beaut, I’m no gardener but I did enjoy the old house, swing chair and of course the subject, thanks LW.

For pure impact, colour and in your face photography I have to award this months prize to OZ, his wild boar has all the attributes that I was looking for. A great pic OZ, thanks, over to you for number 9!

May Creative Writing Competition

Inspired by Pseu’s intriguing story, the subject will be “The Royal Wedding“.

The connection may be as tenuous as you like, but it must be there, somehow. The words ‘grace‘ and ‘shovel‘ must be included, and each entry should contain a minimum of 1,250 words; there is no upper limit.

The Competition will close at midnight on Sunday the 15th May, AEST – so get your skates on!

A Woman’s Prerogative

Kate woke with the blackbirds, very early on the morning before the big day, with a headache. She had been feeling lousy with the remnants of a head cold pressing into her sinuses and the day before had dealt with several nosebleeds. But this headache was more than the result of sinusitis. She felt a great tension in her shoulders and along her spine. As she stood on the scales in the bathroom and tried to look down she felt the tightness in her spinal chord from her neck down to her waist. She found she could not see the scale and therefore did not record her weight in her diary for the first time since she turned 15 which felt rather odd. Continue reading “A Woman’s Prerogative”