Poetry Therapy The Irish Poetry Therapy Network Journal Volume 3: Issue 1: Spring 2018 Volume 1: Issue 2: Autumn 2016
No Flaws Please Dr Niall Hickey
IPTN 2017 Carol Boland
Action Week 2017 Review Part II Geraldine Campbell
‘I Never Told Anybody’ Book Review Theresa Kelly
IPTN Irish Poetry Therapy Network 1
Contents
Editorial Dear Readers,
Editorial Theresa Kelly p.2
Welcome to the Spring 2018 issue of Poetry Therapy, produced by the Irish Poetry Therapy Network (IPTN).
‘No Flaws Please, We are Enlightened’ Dr Niall Hickey p.3
We are grateful to Dr Niall Hickey for his piece ‘No Flaws Please, We are Enlightened’ where he uses creative writing to expose the futility of our eternal search for perfection and draws on the work of Leonard Cohen to highlight this tendency. I really enjoyed the way Niall worked with this metaphor to playfully pursue this thread.
A 'Breathing Space' in Wales Carol Boland p.4 Opening My Third Eye Group Poem p. 4
Ger Campbell gives us another lively review of Action Week 2017 which she attended in New York last year.
A Visit to Action Week 2017 Part II Ger Campbell p.5
Carol Boland reviews ‘Breathing Space’ which she recently attended in Wales and hints at some interesting developments in relation to the IPTN annual conference. We also include news about upcoming courses and events and a book review on I Never Told Anybody by Kenneth Koch.
Book Review: I Never Told Anybody by Kenneth Koch
Theresa Kelly p.6 A Year of Growth Carol Boland p. 7 Tripartite Conference IPTN p. 8
Contact Us Email: 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 and 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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No Flaws Please, We are Enlightened
Dr Niall Hickey is Founder of IPTN and of PoetryReach in association with iaPOETRY (US). He is author of ‘The Backwards Book - Poetry Therapy from Practice to Theory’. In this insightful narrative, Niall Hickey uses creative writing to expose the futility of our eternal search for perfection drawing on the work of Leonard Cohen to highlight this tendency.
Paul’s house was immaculate. That was agreed by everyone. No detail was too tiny, no task too minimal for Paul to take on during his weekend leisure hours. His freshly washed overalls were hanging on the line every Tuesday morning, pressed with Paul’s steam iron every Thursday and hung in his bedroom wardrobe, ready to be donned by Paul before he engaged in his never-ending weekend task of refurbishing the already refurbished. This activity lasted from early morning on Saturdays to late on Sunday night. The other days of the week Paul led a mundane existence that comfortably fed both him and also his weekend projects. For it was on Saturday and Sunday that Paul no longer merely
existed, but enthusiastically and energetically lived his life to the full.
called Neil who lingered at the door and engaged him in chat, whilst peeping over Paul’s shoulder to catch a glimpse of Paul was never satisfied. His what works were in hand. Paul eye travelled from ceiling to had been expounding upon the floor and from window to door. problem of walls and room Always he found something to corners, how difficult it was to both displease and delight him. get walls exactly straight and Crookedness, irregularity, corners precisely square. Neil unevenness of any professed the kind was opinion that no ‘ Neil professed the distasteful to Paul. wall in any house Simultaneously, opinion that no wall was quite thoughts of straight, nor any in any house was rectifying, corner quite straightening, square. That was quite straight, nor regularising and the nature of any corner quite evening filled his things, Neil said. soul with a dizzy square. That was If Neil had joy. He would insulted the painstakingly plan, the nature of memory of Paul’s resource and things ’ beloved late execute his mother, he could architectural not have offended him as badly remedies just as assiduously as as did the slur on Paul’s walls a mediaeval bishop would have and corners. Paul was rarely if supervised the construction of ever violent, except perhaps a magnificent cathedral several when a faulty tool, an hundred years ago. A unreliable supplier or a significant distinction between deficient piece of hardware let Paul and the bishop was that him down and sent him into a the latter would direct raging fury. But here, it was operations but employ minions with the most enormous to undertake the work, difficulty that Paul refrained whereas Paul would do the lot from punching Neil’s nose very entirely by himself. hard, or from kicking Neil’s ass Paul was utterly shocked one even harder, or indeed, of day by an inquisitive neighbour satisfying both of these violent
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impulses at the same time. But he managed, all right, even to remain civil, and more importantly, to leave intact and unblemished not just Neil’s nose, but Neil’s ass as well. Nevertheless, Paul’s fury came as near as makes no difference to spitting fire. Neil never knew that his own person was in danger of attack. He did, however, sense that his continued presence was unwelcome. He beat a hasty retreat without suffering injury, thus retaining physical flawlessness. Meanwhile Paul continued the relentless pursuit of flaws of every kind, in construction, wallpaper hanging, and the precise location of pictures on walls, the very straightness and evenness of things. It gave him security. It filled his weekends, giving them a sense of purpose. It added a notion of his life being worthwhile. There were to be no gaps, no cracks, and no flaws. But some would claim that Paul’s life, far from being enlightened, was suffused with darkness. Apart from never in his life having heard of him, Paul would have been bemused by the words of Leonard Cohen, in the “Alleluia” medley. For Cohen sums up his view of the state of things when he says: ‘Everything is cracked, that’s how the light gets in.’
Breathing Space in Wales
In October 2017, Ger Campbell and I attended the first ‘Breathing Space’ conference organised by Out of the Blue Writing (Jill Teague), in affiliation with iaPOETRY. The three day event was held in the inspirational setting of Plas Tan y Bwlch, Snowdonia in North Wales. As well as interesting guest speakers, including Jay Griffiths and John Killick, there was a selection of
imaginative workshops to choose from each day. As a special treat, we had music and song from Fiona and Gorwel Owen, along with open-mic poetry readings on the Saturday evening. We look forward to the next Out of the Blue Writing conference and a chance to reconnect with old and new friends we met over the course of the weekend. Carol Boland
Opening my Third Eye I looked in the mirror but held it slant at first a sea of sky blue reflecting back this is my life my choice I choose freedom surviving an act of love to grow in self and worth. See the splinter of stars exploding and a lineage side-mouthed the dead can't answer questions. Now I have captured my soul I dare you to break the spell a place where only I can go you are braver than you think you are. Group Poem by participants of 'Poetry and the Third Eye' IPTN Conference October 2017
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A VISIT TO ACTION WEEK 2017 Part 2 - Geraldine Campbell Geraldine Campbell continues her overview of poetry therapy workshops during iaPOETRY’s Action Week 2017 in New York.
‘I am not a piano key: I am laughter’ Cara Nusinov Cara’s Laughter Yoga Workshop explored how the body uses laughter as response to pain. Cara provided us with some background information regarding Laughter Yoga which was originally started by a Dr Kataria. The group engaged in a number of exercises that began with fake laughter, this very quickly becomes real laughter which in turn taps into neuron pathways. The body actually uses laughter as response to pain. Laughter is contagious and you really do feel better. Cara recommends laughter exercises on a daily basis as real pick me up. This was a most enjoyable workshop, but I noticed that my writing during this workshop went to a much deeper level as though a freeing up or shift had occurred. I am now a firm believer in the power of laughter yoga.
‘Side by Side’ Alejandra Monroy The song Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder provided a musical
introduction to the concept of interpersonal relationships. Like piano keys, people are placed among others. Like piano keys, we learn to work in harmony with those around us. Our writing explored the incentives and barriers to being side by side with others. Through the poems provided by Ale, and our own writing, a common theme emerged, that of retaining one’s identity in the midst of our relationships with others. The discussions and the writing covered topics such as whistle blowing and the difficulty of speaking one’s truth at the risk of being ostracized by others. This workshop challenged participants to explore their individual belief systems. Through writing and discussion, we explored how we each handle personal, social and moral dilemmas.
‘The fourth Chakra: Exploring our inner compass of love and compassion’ Dana Michie Within the yogic tradition the fourth chakra is our connection between matter and spirit. It is located at the centre of the body near our hearts and is also called the heart chakra, which is our source of love and compassion. Dana explained how she uses poems as a way of working with her own chakras
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and a little of her own process when working with clients. We began with a wonderful guided meditation and Dana’s gentle voice brought me to a place of complete relaxation and calmness. The David Whyte poem The Opening of Eyes proved to be an excellent choice, as the writing shared by the group was heartfelt, poignant and honest. Dana provided us with two prompts at the end of the session: What emotional memories do you still need to heal? What relationships in your life require healing?
‘Rattling The Geraldine Campbell
Bones’
My own workshop was a combination of poetry, reflective writing and movement meditation. The concept of ‘rattling the bones’ is a practice used by Native American and African tribes. The practice helps release tension, fear and anxiety held in the body. This meditation involves a shift from movement in rhythm with the drumming to complete stillness and silence. This frees us up to explore the rhythms of the empty spaces within. I was both moved and intrigued when participants shared how the process had impacted upon them. Ger lives in Co. Kilkenny and is training to become a PTP mentor with iaPOETRY. For details of Actionweek 2018, keep an eye out on https://iapoetry.org/
Book Review
Theresa Kelly reviews ‘I Never Told Anybody’ by Kenneth Koch If you are interested in running workshops for older people this is definitely a book I would recommend. The text focuses on a number of workshops Kenneth Koch ran in a nursing home in New York where the average age of the participants was 70. As some of the participants were infirm and some not able to write due to their infirmities, Koch had a ‘helpers’ to transcribe the poetry for the participants. Many of the group had limited or no education, working in manual type jobs in their younger years. These participants were removed from poetry and writing so the experience of these workshops were new for them.
A challenge for the facilitator is to bridge the gap between the older group’s understanding of what poetry is (rhyming, using metaphor etc.) and the potential poetry and writing of poetry could have for them. Koch had to give the older person a sense of the pleasure they could get from writing while creating a safe environment where they did not feel they were being examined, or had to produce a certain standard in the workshop. By giving the participants examples of various types of poems, he taught them different ways of working with words. In his workshops he ’taught them what poetry could be, by suggesting subjects and forms, by reading them great poems, and by reading aloud and commenting on their work’ (p.9). Some of the key points in the book emphasise how to make the most of such workshops. I feel that these pointers could help others who wish to work with poetry with groups of older people. These points are also well made for poetry workshops in general and are summarised as follows: 1.
Present suggestions for subjects which are evocative – using feelings, impressions & associations. Subjects that always ask for personal responses and invite thinking and remembering.
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2.
Propose a certain form maybe a repetition or list poem as it can help the student to write in lines.
3.
Don’t rush your instructions, as with an older audience it may take a little longer to ensure that all students understand what is being asked of them.
4.
Read out the contributions with pleasure and praise, creating an excitement around the process for the students.
5.
Focus on the positive in their writing so that that gets repeated, rather than on the negative.
6.
Use humour
7.
Use collaborative poems as they take pressure off individuals and create a good atmosphere.
8. The use of touch to evoke feelings – bringing in sea shells, material, flowers etc 9. Believe that the student can indeed write poetry . I Never Told Anybody is a good book to help generate ideas for working with an older group and his workshop summaries step you through the process of how he conducted each of the sessions. A book to be recommended.
A Year of Growth – IPTN Report 2017 We welcomed two new officers to our committee last year, Bernie Walsh (Treasurer) and Imelda Maguire (Secretary). There will be six qualified Poetry Therapist Practitioners in Ireland in 2018: Dr Niall Hickey (RPT), Carol Boland (PTP), Theresa Kelly (PTP), Geraldine Campbell (PTP), Suzanne Power (PTP) and Dr Shelley Tracy (processing). Activities during the year included a PT session in Hollyfort, one with Gorey Writers, and one at the Pen Fest, Carlow. Our Strategy Forum in February’ 17 set goals for IPTN and a report is published on our blog.
Last year we concentrated on raising our profile with overseas PT organizations, including IFPBT and NAPT (USA) and Out of the Blue (Wales) and Lapidus (UK). Indeed, IPTN, Lapidus and iaPoetry are running a tripartite conference in Ireland in October ‘18. IPTN was represented at the iaPOETRY Actionweek in New York and Breathing Space Conference in Wales. This has assisted our goal of raising IPTN’s profile worldwide. In October 2017, IPTN’s annual conference was held in Ardgillan Castle
‘First Flight’ Takes Flight
A Poem A Day To Save Ourselves In our last edition we interviewed Dennis Tynan in relation to his project of writing a poem a day for a year. Dennis’ year is fast approaching its conclusion and if you would like to read Dennis’ poems you can find them on: https://apoemadaybydennis .wordpress.com/ If you would like to support Dennis in reaching his target for raising funds for MHI please log into: https://give.everydayhero.c om/ie/a-poem-a-day
in Balbriggan. Geraldine Campbell, Suzanne Power and myself each facilitated a session. Our conference attracted new and previous participants coming from as far afield as Northern Ireland and Kilkenny. We are pleased to announce that we will shortly have an Ireland-based PT mentor as Geraldine Campbell is currently training as an iaPOETRY Mentor. I thank all our members and supporters for their continued encouragement and support of IPTN and look forward to another productive year in 2018. Carol Boland (Chair)
Greystones Scribblers are a group of writers that have met fortnightly in Greystones for over 9 years. What makes them so special is that they are the only writers group in Ireland who are living with or are affected by Multiple Sclerosis. Supported by MS Ireland, and facilitated by Carol Boland, the writers are launching their first book of poetry and prose, First Flight, on 30th May 2018 - World MS Day. First Flight will be launched by Simon Harris TD, Minister for Health, in Glenview Hotel, Co. Wicklow. All profits from sales will go to MS Care Centre in Dublin. Each book costs €10 and can be purchased from publishers Boland Press.
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IPTN’s Tripartite Conference 2018 At
the
‘Breathing
Space’
conference in November ‘17, I had an opportunity to meet Clare Scott, chair of Lapidus, a UK based network for people interested in writing and creativity for personal development. Clare, a writer, has been focusing on psychogeography and our relationship with the natural landscape, as part of her Creative Writing PhD. Recently, Clare contacted IPTN to discuss introducing Lapidus to an Irish audience, and it was agreed that IPTN could facilitate this by extending their annual conference to a two-day event. In addition, we are delighted to welcome Jill Teague of Out of the Blue and Executive Director of iaPOETRY as the third member of the tripartite event, introducing a ’Treading Softly’ element to the weekend. Currently, IPTN is in the process of putting together a 2018 programme that will appeal to all those interested in self-discovery and personal well-being through poetry and prose. Details of this exciting, ground-breaking conference will be published on our blog, Facebook and in our Autumn Ezine. This is one IPTN conference you will not wish to miss!
About Lapidus Lapidus promotes writing and words for wellbeing through its work with many organisations. It supports its members who are interested in, or working with others to encourage the use of writing for health and wellbeing. A wealth of events, courses, training, workshops and meetings are happening across the UK - from writing with refugees, the elderly and families, to new ways of engaging with stories and poems. In healthcare, education and the community, Lapidus are working in ways which inspire and also promote communication, physical and emotional health, and enjoyment. Whether you want to write creatively yourself or use writing in your work with others, Lapidus: the Writing for Wellbeing organisation links you to the information and networks you need. The Lapidus Journal provides insights into the writing activities of poets, writers and facilitators working in diverse settings from prisons, to schools, to hospitals, to the community. It also debates the ways in which writing contributes to the wellbeing of communities. https://www.lapidus.org.uk
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Poetry Therapy on RTE Radio 1 In the 'Poetry Programme', presented by Olivia O'Leary on RTE Radio 1 on the 1st April, a very interesting discussion took place on the use of poetry and how it aids our mental health. Olivia was joined by psychiatrist Jim Lucey and poet Jean O'Brien who read various insightful poems. Jim Lucey read Philip Larkin’s ‘The Mower’ Elizabeth Bishop’s ‘One Art’ Emily Dickinson’s ‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers’ and Louis MacNeice’s ‘Thalassa’. Jim also quoted from Roekthe's 'Lost Son'. Jean O'Brien read her poems 'My Mother Ate Electricity', 'The Backward Step' and 'Skinny Dipping' from her collection 'Fish on a Bicycle' published by Salmon Poetry. In addition, Rachael Hegarty, winner of the 2018 Shine/Strong poetry award, read from her collection 'Flight Paths over Finglas' also published by Salmon Poetry. You can listen back to the programme on : https://www.rte.ie/radio1/thepoetry-programme/#102772590 Theresa Kelly