I think there’s something powerful and meditative about your pantoum. And that line about the dial tone really stood out to me and carried tension so it was interesting to hear that it came from something you’d found funny!
The no dial tone carried tension for me too. My writing in this piece took me a different direction, not toward that tension. But it's still there, and I appreciate you bringing it up. I'm holding to see what it has to say. Thanks!
I love reading what you have written for us, dear Emily...and it is so special to share some of those retreat memories and experiences. Thank you for all you contributed to our community during that time, and all you bless us with here.
This is so special. I am not very familiar with pantoum, though as soon as I read your poem, I realized that I wanted to try it for myself. Thank you so much for sharing your process. I'm going to use it for my writing prompt tomorrow morning. The phone booth resonates with me as well @claudia, whenever I hear my grandmother's wisdom, I often picture a long curly phone cord, the kind we had back in the 70s.
It's funny you wrote a pantoum during your retreat; I have been experimenting with this form since December, and I really like it --like you said, it's an unexpected way in. I feel I have no idea what the final product will be like even if I know all the pieces of the process.
And the phone booth reminded me of a very vivid dream I had a long time ago (maybe I was in my twenties), of just calling my dead aunt and talking to her, and it all making so much sense to me.
A very nice piece Emily. I love how you describe the creation of your pantoum (I love it) and the thinking behind the words and phrases. I'm going on a silent retreat at my favorite thin place in the middle of March. What I find remarkable in a place of silence is the closeness of community, despite the silence. Thank you for talking about the importance of holding space for others.
Thanks Steve. I love the idea of the closeness of community, as you say, despite the silence. I am wondering if there is a particular way we notice community in silence and solitude that we do not notice when we are physically with a community. I am going to ponder this!
The timing of your comment made me laugh. I'm posting in a couple of weeks a kairos moment I had at my last silent retreat last October. I try to go into a retreat with open palms but I've been intrigued by our community in silence context. Lol, I think you confirmed this contemplation for me.
I think there’s something powerful and meditative about your pantoum. And that line about the dial tone really stood out to me and carried tension so it was interesting to hear that it came from something you’d found funny!
The no dial tone carried tension for me too. My writing in this piece took me a different direction, not toward that tension. But it's still there, and I appreciate you bringing it up. I'm holding to see what it has to say. Thanks!
I love reading what you have written for us, dear Emily...and it is so special to share some of those retreat memories and experiences. Thank you for all you contributed to our community during that time, and all you bless us with here.
Thank you Joanna! Love to you.
I haven't done free writing for ages and this has inspired me to have another go! Always so interesting/strange to see what bubbles up.
I love the interesting and the strange! Thanks Kate
This is so special. I am not very familiar with pantoum, though as soon as I read your poem, I realized that I wanted to try it for myself. Thank you so much for sharing your process. I'm going to use it for my writing prompt tomorrow morning. The phone booth resonates with me as well @claudia, whenever I hear my grandmother's wisdom, I often picture a long curly phone cord, the kind we had back in the 70s.
Thanks so much, Jocelyn! I’m glad you’re going to try it. I need to remember to do it more often, and yes to those long curly telephone cords :-)
It's funny you wrote a pantoum during your retreat; I have been experimenting with this form since December, and I really like it --like you said, it's an unexpected way in. I feel I have no idea what the final product will be like even if I know all the pieces of the process.
And the phone booth reminded me of a very vivid dream I had a long time ago (maybe I was in my twenties), of just calling my dead aunt and talking to her, and it all making so much sense to me.
We will have to talk pantoums at some point! It is so interesting to see what emerges. I love the dream about your aunt, and yes, it all makes sense.
A very nice piece Emily. I love how you describe the creation of your pantoum (I love it) and the thinking behind the words and phrases. I'm going on a silent retreat at my favorite thin place in the middle of March. What I find remarkable in a place of silence is the closeness of community, despite the silence. Thank you for talking about the importance of holding space for others.
Thanks Steve. I love the idea of the closeness of community, as you say, despite the silence. I am wondering if there is a particular way we notice community in silence and solitude that we do not notice when we are physically with a community. I am going to ponder this!
Hmmm, you’re on to something!
If you discover something around this while on your retreat, let me know! No pressure though:)
The timing of your comment made me laugh. I'm posting in a couple of weeks a kairos moment I had at my last silent retreat last October. I try to go into a retreat with open palms but I've been intrigued by our community in silence context. Lol, I think you confirmed this contemplation for me.
Ha! Yes, love that.