Saturday, September 7, 2013

I Remember



I remember the night at writers group
when Ellen Stood Up,
 because she was so outraged 
over some local issue or other.
(I don't remember what it was.)
Her strength and fury and standing up
silenced us into awe and, ever after,
we remind each other:
"Remember the night when Ellen Stood Up?"

One other Tuesday night,
then 72 year old beloved Betty, 
raging granny of the blockades,
who had survived living with four husbands
and bearing eight children,
(two of whom succumbed to cancer as adults)
Came Out,
to our applause
and cheers and laughter. 

I remember the young woman
who wrote her pain all through that winter
about her mother's murder
by her father's hand
and what that had done
to her childhood,
to her heart,
to her life.
I remember her poem about 
dreaming of her mother
as a bird, a feathered being,
ending her poem with a plaintive
"What were you trying to tell me?"


I remember that group
of incredible, unique, talented
and blew-me-away-forever women,
and how the energy felt
when the prompt was set
and someone said
"Five minutes! Go!"

In the late 90's I was privileged to be one of the founding members of the Clayoquot Writers Group, which continues today, with many published authors among them. This is what poured forth in response to Karin's wonderful prompt over at dVerse: Try To Remember. She offered her own "I Remember" post here, and that definitely triggered mine. Women in writers' groups get to know each other at a very deep level, because we write our deepest truths. What a privilege it was to write my way through that first winter with that amazing group of women. Check out the offerings at dVerse. There are sure to be some great reads over there.

27 comments:

  1. Sherry this is amazing, and beautiful and wow...wish I could have been in that group with you all!

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  2. I was drawn right in and I will be heartily disappointed if even one character is made up... I love them all already!

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  3. tribute and memoir


    ALOHA from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    =^..^= <3

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  4. Nope, all true, kids....I have such great material I never have to make anything up!!!!!

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  5. what a lovely tribute to that writer's group, Sherry - must have been wonderful to be part of that

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  6. Hey! You take me there! What a way to memoir! Strong people images.

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  7. oh heck... sounds like a group of awesome people..i was almost in tears about that woman who survived four husbands
    and seven of her children...how tough that must be - how someone can still live on and in such a brave way - kudos - wow - that really took my breath away

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  8. Great evocation Sherry of these women Sherry! It is also quite moving: the woman who survived so many loved ones and the young woman whose father killed her mother.

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  9. This is nourishment to my soul. This is a great example of how love manifests and perpetuates. When someone shares someone elses' life through word with a human caring heart. For this we thank you Sherry

    Gracias mi amiga

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  10. How wonderful to get to know one another through writing, as you did with these women. I can imagine the wonderful closeness you all felt in the sharing. Writers are indeed amazing people. Count sours elf among them, Sherry.

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  11. What strong remarkable women Sherry ~ You are lucky to have that group of writers encouraging and supporting each other ~

    Thank you for sharing this part of yourself ~

    Happy Sunday ~

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  12. very cool...i love writers groups where people really pour their heart into a piece...the emotional ones are def the ones that i remember most vivid, when i can hear their anger, their heart, that energy you were talking about....cool piece sherry

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  13. What a wonderful memory of a writing group... Have never experienced anything like that, but I can clearly feel that writing has a purpose... yes I think that's important...

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  14. Reminds me of my writer's group... nothing like getting together in person.

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  15. What a privilege that sounds like. I miss it too. In my case, it got down to one woman and I and we still meet one in a very rare while, but we would assign a topic, a short period of time, and then write and read aloud. It is such a great way to know people, to work on your writing -- in that unedited fashion many very deep things come out as you describe and you become close to your fellow writers in such a deep loving way. Thanks for reading my exercise, and thanks for posting such a polished and loving poem. So glad to know these things go on. Much much enjoyed. Thank. k.

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  16. Sherry,

    You always have such wonderful stories full
    of real life people with real emotions. I've never been part of a writers group but, it sound a bit amazing.

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  17. Sherry, everytime you write I get goosebumps. Enjoyed.

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  18. Wow..you really have had a life Sherry.So much to tell and for us so much to enjoy!

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  19. I'd love to be a part of a group like that...the fullness of it all well felt here.

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  20. I think maybe we have the ability to take in each other's waves and amplify them-- multi-frequency brains we women have--this is vivid and very evocative, Sherry.

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  21. Great memories Sherry. Love the authenticity of the girl's pain in the middle of it all. A reality check for sure.

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  22. I've belonged to many different groups but never a writing group. Don't know if I could. I take so long to write anything. That's why I don't post more often. It's nice learning about your memories.

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  23. Wow, sounds like an amazing group of people.

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  24. Terrifically inspirational. Thank you.

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  25. This is spectacular, beautiful and you.

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