Poetry Therapy The Irish Poetry Therapy Network Journal Volume 2: Issue 1: Spring 2017 Volume 1: Issue 2: Autumn 2016
Photo: Vale of Clara, Co. Wicklow - C. Boland
Finding the Right Worm – Jill Teague 5th Annual Conference Review ‘Saved by a Poem’ - Book Review
IPTN 1
Irish Poetry Therapy Network
Contents Editorial
Editorial Theresa Kelly p.2
Dear Readers, Welcome to the Spring 2017 issue of Poetry Therapy, produced by the Irish Poetry Therapy Network (IPTN).
Creative Arts and Inner Self – Conference Review Caro Boland p.3
We are grateful to Jill Teague for her piece ‘Finding the right worm Misquotes and Malapropisms and Meaning’. In this piece Jill muses over the importance of listening with intent and discusses the facilitator’s role in supporting the participant to find meaning through their spoken and written words. Not to mention the importance of dogs baking!
Finding the Right Worm - Misquotes, Malapropisms and Meaning Jill Teague p.4
Book Review:
Carol Boland reviews our successful IPTN conference which was held in October 2016. We also include news about upcoming courses and events and a book review on Saved by a Poem by Kim Rosen.
Saved by a Poem:The Transformative Power of Words by Kim Rosen
Theresa Kelly p.5
Coming Events
Contact Us
& Newly Qualified
Email:
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irishpoetrytherapynetwork @gmail.com
Blog: www.irishpoetytherapynetwork. blogspot.ie
We hope you find this issue interesting. As always we invite readers to submit articles, book/poetry/film reviews and workshops relating to the area of poetry therapy and how it supports the personal development and therapeutic development of the individual. Theresa Kelly PTP IAHIP/IACP
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Creative Arts and the Inner Self Group Poem 2016
IPTN’s Conference 2016 A Day of Self-Discovery
Mind exercise not always appreciated I open the box remembering happiness I have a mountain to climb pirouetting amidst a haze of angel dust.
Carol Boland In October 2016, IPTN’s 5th annual conference was held in the historical Tinakilly House Hotel in County Wicklow, with a day workshop of self-discovery through poetry and film. Our ‘Creative Arts and Inner Self’ theme seemed to fit this stunning location, and sunny weather helped create a relaxed atmosphere throughout the day. The participants hailed from as far afield as N. Ireland, Kildare, Kilkenny and Wexford, the event attracting psychotherapists, poets, counsellors and those who simply wished to experience poetry therapy and its power for self-discovery. Carol Boland led the first session on ‘Building Bridges’ and her workshop explored metaphors and how they connect to our unconscious. Using the poem ‘The Explorer’ by David Ignato, a lively discussion revolved around the metaphor of climbing a mountain.
In the following session, Dr Noreen Giffney considered how visual culture texts offer an If life is like a box of chocolates opportunity to be with our this conference is like a box of Black Magic. own thoughts and feelings while watching a film or Slow down, notice it's all happening now visiting an exhibition. opening the door to who I am Excerpts from selected I have placed my foot films were screened, which were followed by a lively I will put in the box hope group discussion. a hairpin to unlock After lunch, Theresa should I get trapped inside Kelly led a workshop on the never-ending sighs of pure essence exploring who ‘I AM’ the second chapter much sweeter and through art. A variety of more melodic than the first materials were spread out hope I don't forget this happy christening on a large oak table and the path of yes the group released their goes all the way creative side by making the technicolour of hope and wonder. colourful representational collages. The final session, ‘Opening This year the conference was the Doors to Happiness’ was over-subscribed, and the facilitated by Dr. Shelley Tracy, feedback on the day was where each person created extremely positive with most their own recipe for happiness. considering it a thoughtThis led into the final poem of provoking and interesting day. the day: a Group Poem. Here Roll on 7th October 2017 and each participant offered a line IPTN’s next thought-provoking as he/she felt moved to do so, conference. and the result was powerful.
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Finding the Right Worm – Misquotes, Malapropisms and Meaning Jill Teague ‘Every time the doorbell rang the dog started baking.’ © Graham Rawle 1991
‘I can't find the right worm!’ was once said to me by a frustrated five-year old who was struggling to convey an emotional response in writing. That one misplaced consonant created such a vivid picture, perfectly suggestive of the effort it often takes to find precision in language. Recently, when Desmond Tutu asked ‘to hear a pin drop’ it was pointed out that what we actually hear is the pin land. We all knew what he meant so does it matter? I think it absolutely does when our desire is to untangle the complexity of emotion and express it so that we are more fully and deeply understood. In these situations asking ourselves, or having others ask of us, pertinent, searching questions can be essentially helpful in finding precision. I doubt that Tutu would have appreciated being quizzed as to whether he meant hear the pin fall or drop. Sometimes it's fun to let the imagination work with the imprecisions, the misquotes and the malapropisms.
When I first met my partner, one of her sayings was ‘the world's your lobster’. Imagine the different world that would be to having it as your oyster! And so too with Mrs Malaprop's ‘he is the very pineapple (pinnacle) of politeness’.
Graham Rawle's ‘Lost Consonants’ appeared in The Guardian from 1990 until 2005. He cleverly used the interplay of text and image, removing one important consonant to create his comic collages. I especially like the example above, living as I do with a dog who barks whenever anyone comes to the door. It allows me flights of fancy - what would she bake? Would she wear an apron and use oven gloves? Beyond this, I think what it would be like to perceive that ringing doorbell or knock on the door as one filled with positive possibility - maybe guests are arriving in need of pastries.
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The Door Miroslav Holub Go and open the door. Maybe outside there's a tree or a wood, a garden,or a magic city. Go and open the door. Maybe a dog's rummaging. Maye you'll see a face, or an eye, or the picture of a picture. Go and open the door. If there's a fog it will clear. Go and open the door. Even if there's only the darkness ticking. Even if there's only the hollow wind, even if nothing is there, go and open the door. At least there'll be a draught. (Copyrighted material: For educational and therapeutic purposes only)
Back to the frustrated five-year old: ’Then just tell me about it’, I responded. And she did with perfect fluency. Jill Teague is a poet, writing facilitator and Certified Poetry Therapist based in Snowdonia, North Wales. Jill is also Assistant Director of iaPOETRY (The International Academy for Poetry Therapy), NYC, and tutor and mentor/ supervisor for the academy.
www.iaPOETRY.org Out of The Blue Writing www.jill-teague.blogspot.com
Book Review many examples of how they can be worked with either on a one-to-one basis or in a workshop setting. The book invites the reader to transform their life with poetry.
Theresa Kelly reviews Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words by Kim Rosen. In her book Saved by a Poem, Kim Rosen puts forward the view that people can be saved by a poem. Throughout the book she illustrates this with personal vignettes and stories of clients she has worked with who learned to embody a poem – either written by themselves or from a published source. The book invites the reader to transform their life with poetry and Rosen argues that poetry enables people to express the unspeakable, guides us on our journey and can be an inner source of joy and insight. Through the 10 key chapters, Rosen brings the reader on a journey and invites them to really experience the poem. Within each chapter she quotes many poems and shows how she and her clients have worked with them. She offers
Rosen also focuses on how to choose a poem. She says ‘The process of choosing a poem is a paradoxical one. It requires that you follow your own will and let it go at the same time. Your will, your desire, will lead you to the poem.’ She continues, ‘Yet, once chosen, that poem may ask you to relinquish your personal desire and surrender to going where the process leads.’ Rosen’s emphasis is that if one is drawn to a poem, and if you respond to the poem it will help you to go deeper and journey further. By working with a poem you make yourself available to the spell of the poem.
prerequisite to true inquiry. I really like this concept where one can stop in the midst of life and discover something new about yourself. The act of stopping or forgetting can focus you on what this forgetting is inviting you to notice about yourself. In addition to her exploration of the poem and how to integrate it, Rosen gives the reader examples of specific practices they might try, linking these practices to each chapter. I found some of the practices good and could be used personally or in group work. She also provides a list of 50 poems to live by heart. A CD is included with the book, with spoken poems by the author and other published authors. Saved by a Poem is an inspiring book written by someone who has really been moved by the power of poetry. It is a book I enjoyed and will return to again and again.
‘ you can develop your capacity to tolerate groundlessness’
I found the concept of ‘The Gift of Forgetting’ very interesting. She writes of the importance of consciously welcoming the moment of forgetting rather than running from it, because if you can do this you can develop your capacity to tolerate groundlessness, and this she believes to be the
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Kim Rosen, MFA, author and co-created of four CD's of spoken poetry and music. Combining her devotion to poetry with her background as a spiritual teacher, she gives keynotes, workshops, trainings, retreats and private sessions and has delivered poetry in venues as varied as the crypt of Chartres Cathedral, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and the New Orleans Superdome. Hay House; Pap/Com edition ISBN-10: 1401921469
Coming Events IPTN Poetry Therapy Session Facilitator Carol Boland PTP Sunday 2nd July at Grove Mill, Hollyfort, Gorey, 2pm-5pm, €20 pp (includ refreshments) IPTN members €15. To reserve your place, please contact Carol on 0851137367.
Breathing Space: Writing for Wellbeing Breathing Space: Writing for Wellbeing Conference will be held from 3rd to 5th November 2017. Organised by Out of the Blue Writing, in affiliation with The International Academy for Poetry Therapy, the three day event will be held in the inspirational setting of Plas Tan y Bwlch, Snowdonia, North Wales. Take time and space to connect with your own creativity for one, two or three days of stimulating talks and writing workshops in this area of outstanding natural beauty. For more information, contact
Date for your Diary: IPTN Annual Conference – Saturday 7th October 2017. Full details of this well-attended event will be posted nearer the time.
IPTN Membership Please note all IPTN memberships renewed in 2016 will now run until September 2017. For ease of administration, memberships will commence annually in September. Your membership fee of €15 helps IPTN to continue to advance poetry therapy in Ireland while also saving you €10 on our conference fee and €5 on IPTN’s poetry therapy sessions.
Jill Teague at www.jill-
teague.blogspot.com
Newly Qualified Practitioners
Congratulations to Suzanne Power on receiving her Poetry Therapy Practitioner credential from The International Academy for Poetry Therapy. Suzanne trained with Jill Teague (Wales). We also congratulate Jean Tuomey who recently qualified with International Federation of Bibio/Poetry Therapy under Geri Chavis. There are currently 6 qualified poetry therapists in Ireland – as far as we are aware. If we have missed anyone out, please let us know! Dr Niall Hickey (RPT) Carol Boland (PTP) Theresa Kelly (PTP) Geraldine Campbell (PTP) Suzanne Power (PTP) Jean Tuomey (CAPF) We will be adding another PTP to the list shortly – watch this space!
Bringing together psychoanalysts, poets and academics, the conference will explore the boundaries within and intersections between psychoanalysis, creativity and politics. The event incudes a lecture by Annie Freud on
Poetry and Consciousness, followed by poetry readings from Kayo Chingonyi, Emily Berry, Paul Stephenson and W N Herbert. Check out www.psychoanalysis.org.uk 6