“I was taking it all in, / filming the heart”
~ from “Take Two, They’re Small” by Cristina Norcross
In the last few months, the senior citizens in my creative writing class at Harwood Place have become very interested in poetry.
I know a lot less about poetry than I do other genres, so I invited Cristina Norcross, poet and editor, to lead the group this month. I told her the numbers tend to run small with three or four people in attendance. But after word got out that I had invited a published poet to meet with them, eleven (!) eager faces gathered around the table, some core members and some new to writing in general–a room full of enthusiasm!
Cristina is a gentle soul and an all around creative spirit. She came with paper, pencils, and prompts and stirred up memories that translated into 6-word memoirs and vivid descriptions. And, as so often happens in this group, writing fosters relations. One woman, who had never attended the class but recognized a few faces, told me later that she heard things she hadn’t known about the people sitting next to her. That is the thing I enjoy most about this group, witnessing the discoveries that lead to connections. That, and so much more.
Memories, stories, and poetry. An hour well spent on a Saturday morning.
Just for fun, here’s the beginnings of a poem I wrote after Cristina led us through a guided imagery exercise.
Sipping Turkish Coffee
Cardamom and grit
and a small, porcelain cup.
The drink is bitter
But the day sweet.
He sits across from me
Pachouli, a page-boy haircut,
A nervous grin.
The windows that frame him
Pull at the sunshine,
Light up the floor,
the table,
the faces
of his mother
on my left
his father
on my right.
Glowing.
Excited.
They must have known.
~
Are you a poet? You could be. Try one of Cristina’s prompts: What did you give away that you miss now? A favorite toy or jacket? A pair of shoes that no longer fit, but you still love them? A CD that you gave to your cousin?
Cristina M. R. Norcross is the author of Land & Sea: Poetry Inspired by Art (2007), The Red Drum (2008, 2013), Unsung Love Songs (2010), The Lava Storyteller (2013) and Living Nature’s Moments: A Conversation Between Poetry and Photography, with Patricia Bashford (2014).
Her works appear in North American/international journals and anthologies. She was the co-editor for the project One Vision: A Fusion of Art & Poetry in Lake Country (2009-11) and is currently one of the co-organizers of Random Acts of Poetry & Art Day. Cristina is also the founding editor of the online poetry journal, Blue Heron Review (www.blueheronreview.com).
Her new book, Living Nature’s Moments: a conversation between poetry and photography(Vox Novus Press, 2014) by Cristina M. R. Norcross and Patricia Bashford, is available online from Blurb. Signed copies are available on Etsy. Find out more about this author at:www.FirkinFiction.com.
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