Four schools of the seven have already taken part in this project in the creation of poetry, with another three to go. The days begin with a nature stroll, perhaps down to the river or along green lanes from the school grounds. Each pupil is armed with a pencil, a strip of card and the instructions to 'word harvest from Exmoor' although there is much more to it than this!
On the journey pupils cast their eager eyes and ears across the hedge backs and wooded valleys to capture words and phrases ripe for a poem. By the end of the morning cards are filled (often pupils ask for new!) and pencils worn flat with their creativity.
the malicious salmon swiftly searches, lurches, leaps out and dives for its tasty prey
Pupil words from their word harvesting workshop
silky water slicing through the blades
sprinting down
the isolation of the steady flow
vaults of water gush and deepen
vibrant teal blue foam simmering under
ice water flows near pink flowers
and goose grass
clouds above stream bright white
horse tails
radiant
River Barle
As I prepare for the next schools, the current poems are being laser etched into stencils ready for installation onto the pavements of Dulverton for the Lorna Doone festival (29-30th June) and also the courtyard of the Museum of Somerset in Taunton. Both locations, once poetry installed should be visible throughout the summer but they will only reveal when it rains!
Here is a link to my Lorna Doone page on the Jelley website
And finally, here is a little riddle written by Exford school through their workshop.
always out of reach
not a type of tie
not a weapon for Robin Hood
not made of chicken, rubber, magnetite or wood
child of sun and rain
leprechaun home
where their gold is hid
play space of the unicorn kid
seven colours ribbon arc
in the sky beneath the lark
what am I?