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Wednesday 4 February 2015

OTHER PERSPECTIVES - Poem & Workshop Idea


Soldiers

He stands at attention by the gate,
dwarved by his Batman backpack,
armed with a tupperwear box full

of the day’s rations – sandwiches
cut into little shapes and cucumber
wrapped in foil. His uniform

is shiny-new; in regulation
Velcro shoes and a navy blue
jumper, his eyes soar with adventure.

‘Stay strong’ I tell myself
as ‘goodbye’ tumbles out
like a pilot with a failed parachute.

I’m a control tower
engulfed by smoke;
the empty shell

of a burnt-out tank.
My smile is a shield
held together with Sellotape.

‘I love you mum’, he says,
as he marches for the front.
I dry my eyes, salute, head home,

and wait.



Try writing poems that adopt different perspectives. Start by creating a timeline of significant events in your life. In the light of the poem above, pick an event and write about that very event from someone else's perspective. What effect does this have on the creative process? What is it like putting yourself in 'someone else's shoes'?