It’s over a year now since artist Gail Curry and I started Poetry with Friends at The Mission in North Shields. We had no idea how popular our poetry appreciation sessions with a difference would be.
The sessions spread to Whitley Bay library on Thursday mornings and this summer we enjoyed four sessions in The Station Masters’ Community Wildlife Garden next to Whitley Bay metro.
And it was in the garden where our last Poetry with Friends session was held in July. We enjoyed the sun and shared poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins, e e cummings, Walt Whitman, Siegfried Sassoon, Philip Larkin, W.B Yeats and my favourite of the morning: Lupins by Seamus Heaney.
We talked of lupins but also the sound, look and rhythmn of words. We looked for and were delighted to find links between art, music and poetry.
We also discussed Nigerian writer and environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and heard one of his poems.
I got embroiled in what I was saying and seemed to lose control of my fingers. That’s the power of poetry. And of politics.
Poetry with Freinds returns to The Mission on Tuesday 8th September at 7pm and at Whitley Bay’s library on Thursday 17th September at 11am. If you would like to attend please confirm by emailing Gail gail@happyplanetcreativearts.org.uk
Newcomers always welcome!
