October 3rd, October 8th

At our October meeting we were fortunate enough to have a visit from the local poet Joan McGavin. She brought along some of her poems and read them to us, analysing each one as she did so. It was an enlightening and fascinating experience to listen to a poet explaining the thinking behind her technique and inspiration. Joan's poems were 'Birthday Sleepover 3', 'Dining with the Dead', 'At a Distance', 'One Use of a Painting', 'Salt' (a most enigmatic poem), 'Soft', and my own favourite 'The Tremulous Hand Speaks'. Everyone in the group found the afternoon engrossing, and indeed the break for refreshment prompted so much small-group discussion it took a while for us all to refocus because we all had so much we wanted to discuss.

Members of the Poetry Reading Group have also had an open invitation to visit Sunrise of Bassett, the sheltered faciltiy for elderly residents. With the help of the Activities Co-ordinator and a young volunteer, some of the resident ladies and gentlemen have formed their own literary group which includes poetry reading and they have invited us to join them and contribute to their discussions. I have already done so, taking along Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, and Carol Ann Duffy's sonnet 'Prayer' for discussion. It was a delight to meet more people with an interest in poetry.

I hope everyone enjoyed and participated in National Poetry Day on 8th October. A lady next to me on the bus was reading the Faber Book of Blake's Verse. I read my Princeton Encyclopaedia of Poetry and Poetics. Two of the members of the PRG were fortunate enough to get tickets for Carol Ann Duffy's appearance in Winchester.