Meditation and Writing Prompts

On March 5th, seven members — including two guests — gathered at the offices of Meg Hunnewell. Meg is Executive Director of the 501-C3 literacy and writing organization, “The Know,” which is launching “I WRITE NY,” a writing campaign for New York middle grade and high school students. WNBA co-recording secretary Sheila Lewis, who has worked as a curriculum developer and writer for “The Know,” led the writing session. Meg, a new WNBA member, graciously offered sushi and the cozy round table space.

Members cleared their minds using visualization and meditation techniques, as well as selected inspirational cards from Spanda Cards for the Entrepreneurial Spirit, co-authored by Sheila. Finally, participants selected from several writing prompts designed to get their writing to flow.

Below are two vivid and very different pieces from a multi-sensory prompt on writing about a New York neighborhood, in its past or present day incarnation.

Untitled Prompt, by Laurel Stokes

one foot in front of the other
plodding, thudding, skipping, and tip-toe
jumping puddles, sometimes rivers
sloshing through these streets

racing or carefully paced
cobble stones, sidewalks, park paths, and dirt paths
adventuring, unexplored routes
or traveling from A to B

the shortest distance between two points
is a straight line

uphill, downhill, incline, and roundabout
stepping up, stepping down
moving forward, backward, side to side
just walking through the many paths home.

Laurel Stokes is the WNBA-NYC Chapter President and a Sales Operations Manager at Harper Collins.

A NEW ANIMAL CENTRAL, BY CONSTANCE H. GEMSON

To my surprise, my neighborhood of the West 80’s has now become animal central. The recent presence of the Wild Bird Fund provides medical care and rehabilitation for the red-tailed hawk, the possum, and others.  Animals are treated and then released into the wild. Many locals have become active volunteers to raise funds. Special programs are offered to children to expand their knowledge of diverse urban life in an urban setting. Down the street, a store providing grooming service to cats and dogs. A few steps away is a veterinarians with  free bereavement counseling for grieving owners. We value these animals for their possession of fine fur or wistful eyes, They communicate their lives with barks, tweets and purrs. Children gaze at the window in the magic store windows, bright as holiday joy,

On the streets, the homeless sit on cold cement with their black haikus on stiff paper. A ragged man moans his tuneless dirge . Another shouts his unmet needs for the brief applause of coins or the fine silk of a welcome greenback. Others collect cans, a dull rainbow with sharp edges and no illumination. The homeless and the can seekers are present in this cold city. They are not noticed by those who rush past.  The wind blows like the slamming of a rural screen door.

Constance H. Gemson creates and conducts educational workshops. She coordinates a writing group for retired CUNY academics.

WNBA-NYC member since 2010, blogger, and co-recording Secretary. Sheila’s recent projects include editing and project managing the memoir: Joe’s Violin: A Survivor Remembers, and co-authoring with Andrea Adler, Spanda Cards for the Entrepreneurial Spirit: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Business Acumen. In her spare time, Sheila teaches meditation, coaches writers, and reads too many children’s books.