A WALK IN THE PARK

Trees

Where did these trees come from?

Were they native, indigenous or from other parts?

Just like this group, I think.

A melange of similarity and difference,

symbiotic and fruitful.

At the end of September, I attended my first non-zoom post lockdown meeting with Bearsden Writers Group. It was a delight to meet in person and to chat to people I knew and to people who were new to the group. This was a meeting with a difference, however, as we met in the Science Park where there are beautiful walks through treelined paths and beside the meandering river. Gwen was our leader for the meeting and was very knowledgeable about the different species of trees and shared her knowledge with us. Some of us even hugged a tree to see what it was like while we walked and chatted together. At the end of the meeting, we sat at picnic tables and wrote poetry for ten minutes about anything that came to mind from our walk. The poem above is one of the three that I wrote, and I wish I could share the work of the others on the walk. Every poem was different and revealed what a talented bunch of writers they are.

Going outside was an interesting way to prompt our creative juices and reminded me of when I went to Glasgow Museum and Art Gallery as part of my creative writing course. I managed to produce several poems from contemplating various pieces of the art on display and soaking up the atmosphere of the building with its myriad of visitors. If you’re looking for inspiration, why not give it a try?