Ruby Grimshaw tries out something new

I really enjoy my weekly creative writing class. One needs to be fairly confident though because we read our work out loud every other week, and criticism is given. But the criticism must be constructive – always the sandwich of a positive comment either side of any negative one – and we have learnt to trust each other.

At the beginning of each term we are given a suggested homework exercise for each week but last week there was no set exercise for Friday, probably because we had to hand in a piece of assessment work. Our tutor is adept at finding challenging things for us to do at a moment’s notice.

“You are all to do something you have never done before,” she said, looking pleased with herself. “Tell it or write it.”

Daughter C was a bit worried when I told her. She said I did not need this sort of encouragement. Yet I had great difficulty in thinking of finding something interesting. A friend told me I should not listen to Radio 4 all day and that Radio 3’s beautiful music would be a soothing background to my writing and reading. I tried this but had to give up at 11am with withdrawal symptoms for extended news and weather forecasts. (I fear this says something rather sad about me.)

“Our tutor is adept at finding challenging things for us to do”

I wondered if I should have a go at writing poetry, something that I have always shied away from. I decided to aim high and have a go at a Haiku. When I googled it I found there were many rules to producing one correctly; I nearly went back to Radio 3, but it was already Thursday and too late to think of anything else.

Apart from an amazing birthday balloon ride, most people in my class had done very simple but pleasant things, like cooking a proper meal when alone or walking through
the park instead of taking the bus, or buying a lottery ticket. I read out my Haiku and you can judge it for yourself below. But I throw out the challenge – always assuming there are a few of you out there reading this – do something this week that you have never done before.

Blue flash of jay’s wings
Through the rustling falling leaves
Worth more than sapphires.

(Well, you see if you can do better…)