Ōtepoti is lucky enough to have access to a very regular writing group and three writing facilitators under the name Ōtepoti Writers Lab [web link and FB link].
This Lab provides writers of all kinds FREE access to a writing space, a variety of facilitators who are also writers/editors/playwrights/tutors/wonderful human people, and an opportunity to share with and get to know a bunch of other creative people.
I’ve been going to ŌWL since it launched in 2019, attending almost every Saturday session they have offered. My writing has developed considerably, and I’ve learned to take chances, take a break, let things go, and let things come. I must send kā mihi nui to ŌWL, specifically to H-J Kilkelly, Emer Lyons, Eliana Gray, and Emily Duncan. You are gems and angels and daredevils and we are so goddamned blessed to have you x
Anyway as you can imagine over the many months I’ve been sitting down with these people and being gifted the most perfect prompts and suggestions, I’ve written a lot of things. Some things in the moment just for the exercise of it, and some things totally premeditated. Occasionally this brings me a moment of total “yes”. I write a thing, barely edit it, and just think, “yes, this is it”.
The poem which follows is one such piece. The MSWord doc I’m copying and pasting from at this moment describes it as follows;
From 20-2-21 at ŌWL session – Emer facilitator – theme of the session was “LOVE”.
Prompt was LOVE OF PLACE and to write a piece using four items, inspired by Alice Notley;
Item of clothing (cotton nightgown)
Colour (blue)
Day of week (Sunday)
Place name (Sumner)
[marginally edited since February composition]
I actually have edited it a teensy bit more since then. Here it is:
In the dark I lie awake listening this room has its own scent no one else In the dark I hear it breathing this place has its own scent nowhere else I learned love inside this sound inside this scent Granny floats in with the morning cotton night-gown sheer enough to pull my eyes she pulls the curtains and it’s blue blue haze blue sea blue Birkenstocks Sunday without church is my favourite we worship Sumner instead we’ll walk three up the cave rock this is our religion grandmother, father, daughter by the sea I close my eyes to hear it breathe waves crash cotton nightgowns this place is its own scent nowhere else
Ka kite anō <3