BeLonging

Do you also find grief has somehow made you more of a poet? That when you try to put your emotions into words on paper or just in your head, they come out as something resembling poetry?

A couple of days ago Alison and I took part in a creative writing workshop Iranian-born poet Marjorie Lotfi Gill ran at Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh as part of The Belonging Project. It explored the theme of journeys and questions of belonging, using some of the sculptures at the Artland as inspiration. For many of us trying to figure out where they belong after losing their soulmate and companion is a major part of the grief chaos. And it can be satisfying to find words that fit. Words can be so powerful….

Here are some of the words people at the workshop associated with the word “absent”

Absent

empty….gone….loveless….beds too wide….vacant….loss….hither….yonder….homeland….distant….lost….finish….space….yearning…absent minded….come back….forgotten….space on the shelf….lonely….away….vacuous….away….retribution….missing….hopeful…..lover….ill…void

and with “present”

Present

love…available…speak up….here….feet firm on floor…companion….sweat….sex…commit…alive….alert…skin….still here…ribbon….full on….gift….wrap…now….physical…worship….full…stressless….pristine….in the midst….waiting….celebration….focused….hereness….thereness….evident….ever and aye….knowledge…open casket

I want to share some words that came out of my head and onto the paper, inspired by the landscaping sculpture “Life Mounds” (see pic). This was my first creative writing workshop and we only had ten minutes….so it’s not perfect, but I like it….

Pick the path that feels right for you…there’s no straight lines…go with the flow….you can change direction at any time…find what feels good…find what feels right – for you!….the grass is greenest where I stand, sit, live….you can make your way up to the top, if you like…but do you want to?

These shapes make sense…here…in your life….they may look awkward and odd elsewhere…but here they fit perfectly….just right…even the gaps…the gaps and cut out bits are needed too…especially the gaps….cos otherwise, where would the glittery, silvery water sit?

If you look at the whole picture it makes sense…it all makes sense…somehow. It always does.

{Ute Amann-Seidel}