The Blue Wardrobe and Chair

March 5, 2020March 13, 2020 | Sheree

A dull turquoise, maybe even duck-egg blue, worn and distressed

nestled into an alcove, pushed back to not intrude upon the small room.

What do you hold, what do you conceal? And you fine chair, straw seat

spindly legs and arms, who do you invite, who do you hold?

Passing questions, I hold, as I pass through this room. May I say

an artist’s room? Maybe. But the easel will hold the result. Hold the answers.

Typewriter

March 3, 2020 | Sheree

Don’t you just love the sound.

Click clack. The sound of metal keys

springing up to hit the taut paper

leave a black mark behind

that mesh together to make a word a sentence

a whole piece of writing.

The sound makes me feel useful

and diligent. The sound makes me feel

creative and inspired. The sound reminds

me of play and make-believe and efficiency.

The Birthday of Our Ancestors

February 18, 2020 | Sheree

18 February is the birthday of two iconic Black Women who have had a tremendous influence on my life and writing.

Happy Birthday Audre Lorde and Toni Morrison

**“In our work and in our living, we must recognize that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for destruction.” – Audre Lorde**

**“Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” – Toni Morrison**

White Blooms

February 13, 2020March 31, 2020 | Sheree

white blooms catch my eye

What? Early for the season?

I ask. No reply

This is how I’m feeling today …

February 12, 2020February 12, 2020 | Sheree

Thank you Jennifer Sterling x

Launch Event

February 7, 2020February 7, 2020 | Sheree

I was invited to the launch event of an exhibition bring the book Lost Words by Jackie Morris and Robert MacFarlane to life at the Sill this week. I’d seen the book and have admired the images, but I hadn’t spent much time with the text.

The premise is that generations of children are growing up not knowing the names of things in nature, or being able to recognise them. That this knowledge has slipped out of existence and this book was created as a way of recapturing the magic, bringing these lost words back to life. Such words and natural living things as bramble, conker and fern.

I had the most enjoyable evening talking to fellow visitors as well as hearing some of the spells within the book being read aloud. It was inspiring so much so that I intended to link into the idea of lost words, and lost worlds as I return this weekend to the Sill to facilitate a storytelling session about the multicultural communities from ether past who lived and worked around Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland.