One of the most sacred experiences of the workshops is sitting in a room of people who are each writing away, working on their separate stories, yet sharing the energy of creation and mutual appreciation. I wrote a poem about that, Writing in Concert, which I’ve posted below.
During this time when workshops are canceled and we all must hunker down at home, I think we can approximate that experience online. Join me in this experiment. No charge, no commitment, come and go as you wish. [Inspiration for this came from this article and others.]
Mondays from 9 – 10. Go to Zoom.us and sign up for meeting #485-998-886 with this meeting password: M2M.
Writing in Concert
We sit in folding chairs
and set our elbows on the plastic tabletop.
Its bumpy surface doesn’t slow us.
The mah-jongg game in the next room
erupts in loud laughter.
Still, we are not deterred.
Pens scratch.
Hands swish across smooth sheets,
pages are turned, paper rattles.
We hold our breath
or sigh.
Sip coffee.
Rest our foreheads in our hands,
eyes closed, thinking.
There is companionship in writing alone
together.
Our thoughts are secret
but our output obvious.
We start together with the same prompt
then wander separate paths,
secure in the knowledge that
each step is worthy of its effort
and will be celebrated.
Celebrated, whether spoken
Or silent.
Celebrated by our fellow writers
in the chamber music of creation.