It has been many months since I have sat down to add anything here.
Many many months . . . and yet it’s not for lack of inspiration. But for procrastination, lack of motivation, and a serious lack of prioritisation. And the only reason I’m here now is because of the prompting of another writer, and one day, I believe, a published author.

Recently I started a fortnightly writing workshop with a group of young people. The first task of which is to spend a few minutes in ‘automatic writing’ or ‘free writing’ whereby one writes whatever comes to mind in that moment.

At this very first workshop, one of my group looked out the window, saw this tree, and with those 3 minutes, created the piece below:

(permission granted to share anonymously)

The tree’s branches are so stick like, that they just snap like a carrot.
The tree has no leaves, like it’s dead.
It’s still alive on the inside, but it looks dead on the outside.
Where the birds sit and nest, and where school play items get stuck.

Speaking personally, the part that resonates with me is:
‘. . . items get stuck.’

It causes me to reflect on those parts of me that are stuck.
Such as the ‘writing’ part of me.
The part of me that wants to exercise and get fit.
The part of me that can organise anyone else’s home,
but when it comes to my own, I’m not quite with it.

I see a hula hoop and a basket ball.
Both are a source of fun activities.
But to who’s benefit are they
if stuck and thereby non functioning
in the purpose they were made for?

How do they get free,
from the branches of that tree?

So, as the tree I may be?
I wonder what needs to come down?
What should I set free?
What do I need to ‘let go’ of?
To release the stuck parts in me.

Or be I the hula hoop or the basketball.
I am of no benefit to anyone,
if I remain stuck and out of reach,
only a memory of past laughter and fun.

Whoever I be,
any one, or all of those three.
Identifying the stuck parts of me
is the first step to getting free.
Let function and purpose be my decree.

So, just as I have challenged myself,
is there a part of you
that also resonates with this piece?