Philosophy Blog

I was delighted to receive an email recently from Christchurch poet Gavin Kingsley, who shared the wonderful news that a poem he began during one of our WEA workshops had been accepted for publication in Catalyst magazine.

The prompt that afternoon invited participants to respond to the element of earth and to the feel of rock beneath their feet. Although we cannot reproduce the poem here, as Catalyst holds the publication rights.

I was equally pleased to hear that Raina Kingsley also has a poem included in the same issue of Catalyst. Congratulations to both of them!

If you would like to discover Catalyst and support independent literary publishing, you can visit:

• Catalyst Journal Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/catalyst.journal/

• Catalyst blog: https://catalystnz.blogspot.com/

• Subscription information: https://catalystnz.blogspot.com/p/subscriptions.html

Ngā mihi nui, Gavin, for sharing this happy news. I am already looking forward to the next workshops!!

Every time
it gets me.

Far away from the noise and fury of social media,
far from the madding crowd of the open space,
from dysfunctional, power-based relationships,
from the idiotic, robotic, generated nonsense

there is a space.

No competition.
No pettiness.

Only people trying to connect to themselves and to others through their poetic self.

Thank you all who came this afternoon, gathering around Bachelard's Earth and Reveries of Will and Earth and Reveries of Repose for this delightful mini retreat!

Cultivate Your Imagination

This poetry workshop is an invitation to slow down and reconnect with a quiet form of imagination.

Inspired by Gaston Bachelard and his works Earth and Reveries of Will and Earth and Reveries of Repose, the session explores the grounding, contemplative, and energising dimension of the imagination - through simple writing invitations, poetic images, and moments of stillness.

Sunday 3rd May, 2–4pm — Cherish (52, Bealey Ave. Ōtautahi)
Koha — bookings: lucie@philia.co.nz

I would like to offer a very warm thank you to the lovely people who took part in this cycle of poetry writing, inspired by Bachelard.

It has been an absolute joy to share such beautiful, elemental poetry together. Each session has been incredibly heartwarming.

Today, I smiled so much my zygomatic muscles hurt! The participants were wonderfully talented—full of spirit, heart, and wit.

Thank you for sharing your brilliance with me. Your love of poetry is a true gift.

Yesterday at the CWEA, we gathered around à fire and shared our poetic memories. At least it felt like it. We shared memories of prayers in front of a candle, or marshmallows cooked on a camp fire.

It’s been one of my favourite sessions. I am so humbled by everyone sharing their experience of poetic reveries. Connecting like this on a poetic level feels like something so primal, that humans have always done and yet we rarely do it now.

Thank you Lottie and the CWEA to allow us to gather like that! It feels really precious.

The photo is from a memory that came back as we were writing of my spending a few seasons in a beautiful castle where a friend of my uncle had very kindly invited me to stay. The open fire had been my best friend through this winter. Comforting me, keeping me warm, but more importantly, allowing me to dream and drift off in reveries…