Wishing Poems

One of the joys of bringing a team of artists is that we get to collaborate and try our ideas that might never have occurred to us otherwise.

Poet, Dominic Williams and myself went up to the cannon overlooking Tramore and sat on it sharing poems with passers by.

We also did an experiment in 'poet presence'. 

We stood opposite each other at the cannon and he read a line of his poem interspersed with a line from me, reading Ger's words that I had made into a poem about the very area where we were sat.

A passer by filmed for us and took photographs.

It was a very moving experience.

As we came back down from the cannon to town, I felt I had a better understanding of Dom.

Having completed my piece somaKanta on the Saturday, I spent the rest of Sunday writing wishing poems with people on the street and playing ukulele.

What was lovely is that folk came to look for me, like this little lad with his lovely Mum who had been at the Launch on Friday, taken part in my somakAnta promenade on Saturday and now sat to write a poem on Sunday.

I met all sorts of people but it was more of a family day out with large groups of young people, all ready to join in the fun.

I met this group (above) as I was trying a new songwriting technique.

I walked along the Promenade and the street strumming my ukulele, and watched. 

If someone/a gathering of folk, smiled or jigged from side to side, I started singing a song about them, then and there on the spot with the ukulele, by asking their name.

For instance, a little girl was wearing a peppa pig t-shirt. She was with her mum eating ice cream. Her name was Beth.

Beth likes walking by the sea

Eating ice cream with mum-my

At The Promenade on the coast

Beth likes Peppa Pig the most

And then I carried on walking, leaving the groups of people smiling, laughing and wondering what had just happened!

When groups of young people responded really well, joining in and having fun, I stopped and worked with them, sitting on my shawl writing wishing poems sitting on the street.

It was great trying a new way of working but the funniest thing I think was working with the Karate team on the Promenade.

I asked the leader if he minded me playing ukulele as I thought it might put them off, but he said that they were entering an International Contest next week and that they were practicing here on the Promenade specifically to work on focus and not to be taken from that focus by the festival. 

So, I set about playing music that was a complete off beat counter rhythm to what the karate routine was following. I can honestly say I have never done that before! I couldn't help chuckle to myself.

And so the final day of the festival was coming to a close. Time to head on up to Mother of Pearl Cafe where I had asked all 11 of the Welsh Artist Team to come together at 4.00pm and share a final hour of the festival led by Ron, Paul & Anne, before meeting with Sean and his team.