The Backwards Book - Eisteach Review

Eisteach, IACP magazine,Vol 15, Issue 4, has reviewed The Backwards Book by Niall Hickey (Boland Press). Here is a selection of comments from the reviewer, David Keane:
'The reader is immersed in Poetry Therapy from the get-go, albeit in a gentle manner'
'This book explores a wide variety of symbols, metaphors and text that can be used in Poetry Therapy . .  samples of experimental and experiential work are also provided . . . it serves as a primer, whetting the appetite. For anyone interested in Poetry Therapy and therapeutic arts it will make a good read.'
'The book itself, not merely its content, serves as a lesson in Poetry Therapy.'

Poems from Rhythm of Life Workshops

Thank you to all those who attended our 4th annual Poetry Therapy Conference 2015. The feedback from participants has been very positive and we would like to share some of the poems composed on the day. For confidentiality purposes, authors are not listed:




The Secret Garden


I wandered along the way,
collected seeds and bulbs.
gathered pebbles,
bright and dark
small and big.
While walking on a path,
a door opened on a secret garden.
I stepped in and unravelled a thread.
Slowly and consciously.

Unravelling

Stopping.


Planting seeds
Putting a stick in the ground
and tightening the thread around it.


I kept moving in different directions
going straight
Forming a circle

Stopping

Planting seeds
Putting stick in the ground
and tightening the thread around it.


Then, I displayed the stones around it
creating a carpet.
I sat down
contemplating
breathing
As I looked at each seed growing
at each buds opening and blooming.
I heard my own heart beating
"Thank you" and "Kindness"
I opened the door,
I invited others
to pick my growing flowers
to collect seeds from it
to plant their own garden.



Rhythm

Recognising the rhythm of life.

Happening in ourselves.

Yelling it to the world.

Taping it on our heart.

Hoping to keep it while

Moving amongst other beats.

Rhythm of Life

My drum sits silent

for long stretches, gathers

a layer of dust, and waits

until my energy stirs, rises,

lifts, becomes the tingling fingers

that must touch skin, must tap,

must make their mark on

the silence, must pull the sound

from the air, must call the blood

to keep pumping, keep pumping,

must make the feet start

to move and move.

My drum calls me, tells me my

name, over and over, it calls

out my name, and says Here I am,

again and again. Here I am, it says.

Yes, here I am.

Say to them

Say to them,

the people who call you to battle,

the crisis-shouters, the ones who won’t

believe there is a future

brighter than today:

say to them that your heart is what

you will give; your breath, and your salt tears

if they want them, but not your hand,

and not your hardness.

Say to them that

there is no battle, because we all want to sleep

the night through with the breathings of our babies,

safe under our roofs, and we all want to put our bones

down, in our own time,

in peace.

Say to them that your breath is not theirs,

your blood is not theirs,

your heart is not theirs.

Rhythm of Life

Rhythm of Life : Sunday 11/10/15

Rhythm of Life
We are delighted to announce that IPTN's 4th Annual conference will, once again, take place in Hotel Kilkenny in the city of Kilkenny. This year, the one day workshop of self-discovery is on finding your rhythm of life through poetry.
Facilitators, all qualified Poetry Therapy Practitioners, are:
Morning sessions: Carol Boland and Theresa Kelly
Afternoon session: Ger Campbell

Cost of event: €70 pp/€60 IPTN members/students - t/c is included

To register, and for further details, email: irishpoetrytherapynetwork@gmail.com or phone Ger on 0868182261

Congrats toTheresa Kelly PTP

Theresa Kelly (L) with IPTN committee

We are delighted to announce that yet another IPTN committee member, Theresa Kelly, has qualified as a Poetry Therapy Practitioner with iaPOETRY, mentored by Niall Hickey.
Congratulations Theresa from all at IPTN.

IPTN Peer Group Session

Carol Boland (PTP) facilitated a Self-Discovery through Poetry group session on Sunday 26 July at her home in Hollyfort, Gorey. The theme was 'Self Love' and the poem used for discussion was  'Love After Love' by Derek Walcott. We began with each person looking into a hand-held mirror and naming one feature of their face that they liked about themselves. This feature was then used as the title of each person's cinquain poem. Following a lively discussion surrounding  personal reactions to 'Love After Love', the writing prompt 'The time will come' was used to elicit further feelings brought to the fore by the group discussion. Feedback from the attendees was very positive. Here is the group poem written at the end of the session, with lines contributed by each of the twelve woman:

For Molly

We need empathy not sympathy
only the brave
feast on life
take down the love letters from the bookshelf
do as you choose not as you should
give back your heart to yourself
faultless to a fault
sitting in a circle laughing, feeling free
uplifting senses will fulfill the heart.
I feel blessed and grateful
the rain has turned into sunshine,
from under the last rainbow shower
will form diamonds of every hue.
Freedom.

Ger and Michael Murphy at IPTN
Conference 2014

We are delighted to announce that Ger Campbell, chair of IPTN, is now officially a Poetry Therapy Practitioner (PTP) having qualified with iaPOETRY under Niall Hickey, PoetryReach.
Many congrats from all at IPTN.

There will be celebrations!

IPTN Peer Group Session - Sun 26 July

Our next poetry therapy - self-discovery through poetry - workshop is on Sunday 26th July '15 in the garden at Gove Mill, Hollyfort, Gorey, Co. Wexford.
Carol Boland PTP will facilitate the session which runs from 2 - 5pm. Fee €10 (€5 for members) to be paid in advance.
For further details email irishpoetrytherapynetwork@gmail.com
All those interested in poetry therapy are welcome.

Report on Peer Group Meeting 28/3/15

A most interesting and in-depth peer group meeting was held on March 28^th in Kilkenny Campus.  The first exercise involved choosing two prints of famous paintings which were presented to the group.  Each person chose two prints that appealed to them.  Our chosen prints provided the springboard for various creative writing exercises.  They also allowed us to discuss and voice opinions, emotions and feelings that surfaced as a response to the images.

The first exercise called upon the power of the imagination. People were asked to place themselves in their picture. To place oneself in a picture and write freely for about five to ten minutes is a very freeing experience.  Each participants writing was different and unique. Although it was not necessary to share the writing everyone chose to share.

The second exercise we all agreed was not an easy task as it involved the creation of a conversation between people in the pictures. When writing a conversation in this way we are looking at assumptions.  We can only assume what we think the people might be saying to one another or what we would like them to say to one another.  Although the task was difficult it did bring us to some touching, humorous and sad places that allowed for a heightening of awareness.

Our chosen poem for the day was “The Gift” by William Stafford. We read it together a number of times and discussed the impact of the various lines and the meaning we took from them.  The following group poem was created using the first line of William Stafford’s poem.  It is a really wonderful group poem which we called “Aerial View”

Aerial View

Time wants to show you

A different country

A road trip full of wonder

And waiting.

Across the continent of your life

We must explore

And try new things

And push the boundaries

Of peripheral vision.

Climbing mountains

To get a better view.

Take the risk and move

Towards the edge, lie down

And crawl or spread your wings

And fly, fly, fly.

Ger Campbell

Chairperson IPTN

Exciting year ahead for IPTN

2015 IPTN Committee

It's full steam ahead for IPTN in 2015. Following a year of peer group sessions and our successful Poetry Therapy Convention, we are pleased to announce the election of two new officers to our committee: Maria Bradfield (PRO) and Therese O'Connell, who replaces our retiring Treasurer, Kay Meany. (Many thanks Kay for your ceaseless efforts during your time as Treasurer.) Our chairperson's report may be read on 'About Us' page.

Agreements at our AGM include:
Peer group sessions will be organised in St. Kierans's College, Kilkenny on a monthly basis and will be chaired by Ger Campbell. Additional sessions will be run elsewhere to facilitate iaPoetry trainees - minimum 80 peer hours over 2 years. The cost remains at €10 per session.

The annual IPTN membership fee is now €15. Members will be entitled to a 50% reduction on €10 session fees.

To help us raise the profile of IPTN, we welcome Maria Bradfield to the committee.

The AGM was followed by the first peer group session of the year.

IPTN AGM - Sat 31 January, Kieran's College, Kilkenny

IPTN's annual general meeting will be held on saturday 31 January 2015 at 2.30 in Kieran's College, Kilkenny. With all that has happened over the last year, we have much to discuss. In particular, we would like your input on the future activities of the Network, including workshops, monthly meetings and annual conference. If you can't make the AGM, please email us with your suggestions.

The 2015 IPTN committee and officers will be elected on that day and our new constitution ratified. If you would like to get more involved, please feel free to put your name up for election!

Wishing you all good mental health for 2015

Carol
Secretary IPTN