Woking Writers Circle

A welcoming writing community where we share words and grow together and where creativity, feedback and encouragement come together

Tag: poems

  • MINUTES OF WOKING WRITERS’ CIRCLE MEETING AT ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, HORSELL ON 19th JUNE 2025 

    PRESENT: Simona, Liz, Nathan, Harry, Sarah, Keith, Tricia, Natasha, Heather 

    APOLOGIES: Alan, Catherine, Hilary 

    Welcome and Introductions: 

    We were delighted to welcome Natasha to the meeting. Natasha had previously attended a WWC meeting, but had not met everyone, so introductions were made. Natasha writes mainly short stories and book reviews. 

    Competition News: 

    Heather circulated a summary of current competition opportunities (attached for those unable to attend) and will continue to do so on a monthly basis.  

    NEWS: 

    1. Nathan had won 3rd prize in the Poem Stellium Mental Health Awareness Week Poetry Competition with his poem, Bridge of Freedom and received an Honourable Mention in the Dark Poets Competition. 
    2. Harry was commended for his poem, Learnings from 25 years of ADHD in the Binstead Prize, South Downs Poetry Festival. 
    3. Liz provided an update on the Book Group’s activities. Isabel Allende’s book, Violeta, had been enjoyed by Tricia. The next book to be considered by the Book Group will be Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. 
    4. Liz reported that the Ambassadors Theatre had announced a new open mic event, the first of which takes place on Monday 30th June. Entry is free and the event takes place from 7.30pm to 10.30pm. 
    5. Write Out Loud’s monthly open mic poetry event will take place on Thursday 26th June at 7pm at the Fiery Bird, Woking. 

    READINGS: 

    Nathan read his prizewinning poem, Bridge of Freedom, which was greatly appreciated. In fact, Nathan’s audience couldn’t understand why he hadn’t been awarded 1st prize. It was interesting that this poem had a regular rhyming scheme which added to its power without in any way limiting its emotional range and depth. The poem finished strongly with a stand-alone final line. Nathan also read a trademark haiku – Tainted, which was enjoyed, while there was recognition of the discipline imposed on content by the strict haiku ‘rules’. Nathan said that he often writes a haiku to relieve writer’s block and was encouraged to write a short article on this subject for the WWC website. 

    Nathan had also written a poem inspired by thoughts shared with him by Simona on the subject of Home and what makes somewhere (or possibly someone) feel like home, in particular considering the totally different sensory experiences associated with town and country. Simona read this beautifully evocative and moving poem. 

    Keith read a prose piece, The Summer of 69, (Bryan Adams) which provided a vivid picture of his time in the Butchery department at Butlins, Bognor Regis (the ‘last resort’) before starting Art College. Everyone enjoyed Keith’s lighthearted but acutely-observed memoir and in particular the characters that populated it, brought to life so vividly by Keith’s spirited delivery. The New Victoria theatre better watch out! There were some lively and memorable anecdotes within the piece, including the baked beans episode which resulted in a child finding and inflating a Durex at breakfast time. 

    Heather’s poem, Dusky Pink Dress, was a rather muted affair by comparison, but was generally enjoyed for its dreamy nostalgic quality and imagery. 

    Tricia had used the Homework topic of Scent to inspire her poem. The poem began with exploring a cat’s world of scent and considered the different world inhabited by humans, where scents such as coffee would be a significant attraction for many. The poem cleverly and persuasively conveyed the navigation of different worlds by scent and was enjoyed by all. 

    Liz had also been inspired by the Homework theme and had written a beautiful and perceptive poem, Roses, about the roses in her front garden. It was noted that not once did she describe the colours of the roses, other than ‘the red bud’, leaving listeners to form their own picture. The scent of the flowers was conveyed sensitively and skilfully as passers-by and others paused, breathed and found a measure of peace. 

    Sarah contributed a beautifully written piece about a visit to Jane Austen’s house at Chawton and about the marriage proposal that Jane received and initially accepted, before turning down her suitor, Harris. Sweet peas (not called that then) with their implied fragrance featured prominently throughout Sarah’s piece, particularly in Harris’ proposal letter, where thoughts were aired about the wedding arrangements. All agreed that this was lovely, gentle writing, entirely appropriate to the subject matter.   

    Harry read two very different poems, Burning of the Witch, and Iambic Escape. The first poem is an informal sonnet and follows the iambic pentameter structure, but was also a very powerful piece which certainly made one listener feel quite uneasy! The sentence, ‘I’ll chase your eyes’ was the stuff of nightmares for this sensitive soul! There was an interesting discussion about witchcraft and associated rituals. Harry’s second poem came as light relief – a tongue-in-cheek mockery of the poet’s yearning to perfect his use of the iambic pentameter and thus honour his poetic forebears. Very clever and very amusing. 

    Date of Next Meeting: Thursday 17th July at 7.30pm 

    Homework: A poem written in Iambic Pentameter.

    Chairperson: Harry 

    Minutes, Milk & Biscuits: Simona      

    Wine: Nathan 

  • MINUTES OF WOKING WRITERS’ CIRCLE MEETING, ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, HORSELL ON 18th of OCTOBER 2024

    Present: Nathan, Simona, Sarah, Alan, Tricia, Keith, Olivia, Liz, Peter, Hayden 

    Apologies: Harry, Heather 

    Introductions for Hayden, a welcome visitor.  

    NEWS 

    1. Simona asked for the members that intent to be part of the group for the next 12 months to either pay their membership (£35) via bank transfer or in cash at the next meeting. Simona or Heather will circulate the details.  
    1. The reading group lats book was ‘Island of Missing trees’ by Elif Shafak. Everyone was invited to join them in reading their next book by Percival Everett – James. 
    1. Liz informed the group that the Lionsheart Bookshop is now under new management and that we should seize to opportunity to help them put together another event.  

    READINGS 

    Hayden shared the first chapter of his book, written in March 2019 in Oxford. Keith inquired about the intended audience, while Peter noted that although there were some strong elements, certain parts might need to be removed for conciseness. The writing was praised for its expressiveness, but it was suggested that it could be sharpened and distilled to better convey the core messages. Simona pointed out continuity issues with timing, suggesting that more descriptive content could enhance the narrative. Tricia commended Hayden for his beautiful reading style and writing quality. 

    Keith then presented three poems. The first poem was written for a competition whose topic focused on justifying abortion, titled “To Be or Not to Be?“. The second poem, while unnamed leaned on audience mind manipulation and stage presence to deliver its message. His third poem, “Gunpowder Plot” received positive feedback. Simona wished him good luck with the first poem, expressing that it had a strong impact. Tricia appreciated the tone of “Gunpowder Plot” noting that it effectively conveys that not everyone celebrates in the same way, particularly highlighting the verse about the head on a spike. Liz also enjoyed the poem and suggested a revision in the last verse, praising Keith’s excellent performance. 

    Nathan’s piece, ‘On The Edge’, was originally intended as a poem, but Nathan felt that prose was more appropriate to convey the message. Tricia expressed her admiration for the evocative language, particularly phrases like “breath of hopelessness,” and noted that the repetition enhanced its poetic quality. Keith asked about the subjects in Nathan’s prose, and Sarah appreciated his experimentation with different formats, suggesting tweaks to align it more closely with poetry. Liz praised the physicality of Nathan’s writing and its strong verbs, while Sara felt that it was definitely a poem to be selected for his future book. 

    Tricia shared her homework piece, which was written in a tanka format and then converted into a haiku, titled “Absent Friends“. Olivia interpreted it in the context of British rule, while Tricia emphasized the importance of the reader being the one to give understanding to the message behind the poem. 

    Olivia’ untitled piece drew inspiration from a sentence she had heard, transforming it into her take on how she wished a breakup should have gone. Simona noted on the tone of one of the paragraphs and how the sentiment in it is somewhat contradictory to the rest of the piece but though that the switch between present tense and future tense was done seamlessly. Liz enjoyed Olivia’s performance and suggested some edits that would enhance the finality of one of her paragraphs. Hayden praised the vivid imagery, while Alan appreciated the themes of regret and inevitability presented in her work. Sarah noted that Olivia has a very unique, feeling voice, and made Sarah experience the feelings herself. 

    Peter’s poem remarked on the comparison between life and poetry. Simona said that the poem as an apt metaphor for life, with Alan noting the effective contradiction between the first and last lines. Liz expressed interest in the originality of the language used throughout the poem. 

    Liz introduced a Korean form of haiku known as “sijo” to the group, which she composed in three minutes as part of a workshop she had recently attended, earning appreciation from the group. Liz also wrote a villanelle which featured the phrase “So much remains unsaid, undone.” Simona commented on the power of repetition in her villanelle, and Tricia acknowledged how strongly it conveyed the futility of war. Liz noted that she used the metaphor of war to depict the futility of communication and solution within a long term relationship when one of two partners has dementia.

    Alan’s piece was written with the homework in mind, ‘Absent friends’, to the delight of the group. The piece had Alan’s fast pacing characteristic and contained a significant amount of information in a very short form.  

    Sarah presented her audio project, inspired by Poetry Day, which she plans to upload to YouTube. This project features a calming four-minute guided breathing exercise, a poem and a song. Peter noted that the pieces not produced by Sarah, including works by Emily Dickinson and Shakespeare, could potentially distract the audience. Olivia agreed that while all three pieces are strong individually, they might not work well together. Finally, Alan expressed enjoyment in singing the sonnet, finding it appealing to his understanding. 

    Next meeting 21st of November 

    Homework: Fame 

    Chair: Tricia 

    Minutes, Milk and biscuits: Simona 

    Wine: Keith

  • MINUTES OF WOKING WRITERS’ CIRCLE MEETING, ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, HORSELL ON 19th of SEPTEMBER 2024

    Present: Tricia, Nathan, Simona, Alan, Harry, Liz, Sarah

    Apologies: Heather, Peter

    NEWS

    Liz presented a leaflet advertising the Poetry Hub, due to be launched at the Woking Library on Fridays

    READINGS

    SARAH read a piece titled ‘A Postcard from…’ inspired by her recent trip to Agatha Christie’s place which encouraged visitors to be in the moment and write. Sarah also encouraged the audience to guess where the ‘postcard’ location might be. Simona found it impressive how Sarah describes mundane events with such exciting vigour and Tricia noted that the language and turn of phrases are quite powerful and that Sarah is very good at observing people and making them come alive in her writing. Liz said she found the piece very delightfully physical and noted that Sarah is becoming bolder with her imagery. Harry loved the mix between comedy and imagery and said specific descriptions bring him back to his childhood. Alana pointed at some vividly specific descriptions.

    HARRY read some of his older poems and described them as having a darker vibe. His first poem, ‘Spotlight’ was discussed by the group to gain an understanding of some of the imagery. Simona noted that the use of some of the first-person pronouns disrupts the immersion. Sarah liked the concept of the poem but encouraged Harry to build on the poem and create a little bit more suspense. Hi Second poem ‘All consuming darkness’ was noted by Nathan as being in contradiction with his first poem. Nathan also suggested that due it’s length it could easily be used as a book extract. The group agreed that the sinister presence was felt in both poems.

    NATHAN’s poem, ‘Approaching judgment’ was well received by the group with similar feedback from Simona relating to the use of personal pronouns when generating the context of the poem. Tricia praised the poem as really powerful and liked the imagery of the last verse and noted it is almost not noticeable. Harry noted the poem being very anti-establishment with French revolution nuances and liked the transposition between wealthy nobles enjoying life before being ‘cut in half’. Liz said that Nathan’s strength comes from conciseness and that some words should be considered for removal. Nathan’s haiku, ‘Embers of love’ was discussed at length and the group offered some suggestions for making it even more powerful.

    TRICIA delighted the group with a draft of the next instalment of her Tanzania adventures. All of her pieces will be posted on our website, so please do give them a read!

    ALAN’s piece was aligned with the homework set at the last meeting and was titled ‘No unauthorised entry’. Harry loved the snappiness of the dialogue and noted that it almost sounds rhythmic, poetic, and that he would love to see it as s skit. Liz noted the piece as really effective and enjoyed that she could follow. Sarah suggested that the piece has some performative attributes.

    LIZ, inspired by a recent museum trip wrote a series of seasonal ‘Haiku from the Hogsback’ grounded in her experiences and memories on the family farm (Blackwell Farm). Simona said that while Liz is skilled at condensing experiences into haikus, she prefers Liz’ memories in a longer format as they add significantly more detail and connect with the reader much more. The group noted that perhaps Simona’s feedback comes from having already been exposed to Liz’s memoir work hence the strong preference. Nathan suggested that Liz can intersperse her memoir with haikus.

    Next meeting: Thursday, 17 October at 7.30

    Chair: Sarah

    Wine: Nathan

    Milk & Biscuits: Alan

    Minutes: Simona

    Homework: Absent friends

  • MINUTES OF WOKING WRITERS’ CIRCLE MEETING, ST MARY’S CHURCH HALL, HORSELL ON 20th  JUNE 2024

    Present: Keith, Liz, Alan, Nathan, Simona, Olivia, Heather

    Apologies: Sarah, Trisha, Peter, Hilary

    Welcome: Olivia

    News  

    Liz has published a book of Haikus and has been attending various venues where she has sold a number of copies.

    Liz has returned from a greatly enjoyed trip to Newcastle and also caught up with Greg Freeman, a long-standing stalwart of WWC before moving to Northumberland.

    Regular Events for Poets

    Write-Out-Loud open mic: The last Thursday of every month (27th June) at the Fiery Bird, Goldsworth Road, Woking, GU21 6JT (next to the Fire Station). Large free car park. Event starts at 7pm, but please try to arrive around 6.45 to put your name down for reading. The cost is £5, payable in cash, and hot drinks are available, price £1.50.

    Write-Out-Loud open mic Zoom meeting: Arranged by Greg Freeman, dates advised on monthly basis. Meetings start at 7pm.

    Lionsheart Bookshop: Lionsheart have generously welcomed WWC poets to read in the first half of their poetry evenings, held on the last Saturday of each month, (29th June) starting at 7pm. Food is available but should be ordered beforehand.

    Introducing Olivia

    A warm welcome was extended to Olivia, who was invited to tell the group about herself and her writing. Olivia writes poetry and prose, serious and comic, and is a regular performer at various open mic events at the Fiery Bird.

    Readings

    Simona read a further instalment of her momentous Kilimanjaro trip. The writer is having a conversation with herself about the nerves and excitement felt during the preparation for the last leg of the climb. The remarkable thing about this piece was the fact that tension was maintained throughout all the practical details of the preparation; the desperation about getting some sleep was particularly vividly conveyed.

    Keith contributed 2 poems, focusing on his love of cricket and football. The first poem, War and Peaceful Pastime, illustrated the contrast between village green cricket and the game played at a faster pace. The humour of the away team being fed too many scones was appreciated. These poems were greatly enjoyed, with discussion about the ‘lost England’ quality of village cricket and memories of the fast bowling of Andy Roberts. Keith’s second poem was about his involvement with Southampton football club when, having done well in the selection process, he decided the accompanying violence/bullying wasn’t for him. It was suggested that some of the metaphors could be strengthened by shortening the lines and intensifying the language.

    Nathan’s enigmatic  poem, Lilacs and Laments, was very well-received. A complex piece, expressing strong emotions, it stimulated quite a lot of discussion, and there was debate about the importance or otherwise of grammatical correctness in poetry. As usual, Nathan also presented a haiku, Sunshine, which was enjoyed.

    Olivia read 3 pieces. The first, Dawn Rises over the Serengeti, was very amusing. The feedback from the group included the advice to read more slowly to enable the listeners to fully appreciate the humour. What if I Never Met You? was inspired by Sliding Doors and reflected the ‘what ifs’ of life. This was a thoughtful piece, humour often emphasising rather than detracting from the strength of feeling. The last piece, Make me Forget my Name, was virtually a prose poem and contained some beautiful lines, including the last line, ‘…in that moment, I became someone that both of us could love.’

    Alan’s short story, About Face, was inspired by the homework subject of ‘Smiles’. Pace and tension, the usual Alan hallmarks, were very much present and the story succeeded in securing the listeners’ involvement in a story contained in just one side of A4.  The story features identical twins – one pleasant, one ghastly – but the denouement is so skilfully handled that this explanation still came as a satisfying surprise.

    Heather contributed a poem, Hardwired, which sought to capture the indelible nature of memory when a traumatic event occurs. It was generally agreed that the poem succeeded in doing this, but there was much useful discussion about the appropriateness of the title. (The poet’s grasp of technology being flaky, to put it mildly, she has since changed this to Etched in Seconds and drawn a comparison with the ‘pastel  prettiness ‘ of earlier memories. Just saying!)

    Liz used her time to talk about her northern trip, which included two poetry performances. She was keen to discuss the content and the format for recording these vivid memories. The group enjoyed hearing about Liz’s journey and her infectious enthusiasm, appreciating the nostalgia flowing from revisiting old haunts and seeing people not seen for many years. There was a feeling that Liz could make more information available to the reader/listener as they were not with her on her journey.

    Next Meeting: Thursday, 18th June at 7.30pm

    Chair: Nathan

    Minutes: Simona

    Milk and biscuits: Liz

    Wine: Heather

    Homework: Scavengers