Contemplative Poetry with Autumn Van Ord and Robin Williams

Sunday, May 20, 1:00-5:00

Fee: $60 includes materials

​After a period of guided relaxation that will help open the body to experiencing poetry through the senses, we will explore one or two poems using a contemplative approach. We will move into sharing poems. Bring two copies of one (or two) favorite poems. Poems should be short. Bring one that dazzles you or confuses you or comforts you or amuses you; bring a poem that speaks somehow to your soul. Short outdoor contemplative walks and mindfulness experiences will deepen our appreciation and awareness. A simple written experience based on the Japanese practice of seasonal viewing and the creation of poetry slips (tanzaku) will close out time together.

Autumn Van Ord is a poetry lover and likes to gather with other poetry lovers to hear new poems, to hear known poems, and to experience the sensual pleasure of the poem spoken aloud. Robin Williams attributes her love of poetry to her mother, who taught children (and adults) how to read and write and to find their voice through their own creative writing.