Poetry group meets every other Tuesday morning on Zoom.

Early in ‘lockdown’ a variety of groups meeting via Zoom were set up – a way for friends and
members still to meet and ‘see’ one another. The hope is that these continue a sense of belonging and help us to manage our currently changing lives.
I, Jenny Burroughs, expressed interest in a poetry group, to which the reply from Cheryl, The Octagon Secretary came, “I’ll put you down!”
I accepted the challenge, initially Cheryl set it up and I facilitated, this has developed into Lynne and myself working together to enable the group to meet fortnightly on a Tuesday morning, we open the Zoom room at 9.45am so we can start at 10am finishing at 11am.
There is a theme for each session, such as Friendship, The Natural World, Courage etc. and an open invitation for people to come along with a chosen poem on that theme, written by themselves or someone else. We share our poetry together with any thoughts about the choice and/or the poet. It is a different way of sharing a little about ourselves. We have all found it a real and pleasurable journey of discovery. There is time to explore our reactions to one another’s chosen poem. We are certainly very diverse in our choices and views!
So we meet every other week, a group of about 8. Everyone is free to drop in and out – no regular commitment. You may also turn up without poetry, just to listen and comment.
Before each session, an email of reminder is sent round and details of the Zoom connection. After each session, copies of the poems are sent to Lynne who puts them into a document for sharing so we each have a copy of the themed poetry.
That’s what we do, it is relaxing, enjoyable and we get to know each other a little better.
Jenny and Lynne

For more information contact oucsecretary@gmail.com