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.
