This week on our culturing creativity episode, we explored Sestina Poems and discussed how they can contribute to inspiring creativity. For this exercise, we used the instructions on the masterclass website linked below to come up with the Sestina Poem. Adhering to the strict structure was a challenge, but an enjoyable one! Click on the link if you are interested in creating a sestina poem yourself.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/sestina-poem-form
Below, you can find our poems.
Sarah's Poem: A Sestina for Julia
Nothing more fun than play
with your favourite person. A toothless grin,
your face an open book.
Between your gums, pools milk,
overflowing down your chin. As we sing
your eyes flutter closed.
The parks are closed.
Mummy, where can we play?
At home, my sweet. Coo and sing
to me, with those unpracticed lips. Grin
when you make a sound. Bottled milk
makes wet rings, resting on your book.
Too tired for a book.
Slumbering with the door closed,
you won’t stir for milk.
Tickling your toes, your nose. I play
with your hands. A sleepy grin.
But then you wake, and furiously sing.
Beep, beep, beep. The bottle warmer will sing
for us. Have patience. Maybe a story? A book?
Your frustrated pout is an upside-down grin.
Little fists clenched tightly closed,
I cannot persuade you to play.
You wail, demanding milk.
Now satiated, I watch you snooze. Creamy milk-
colored skin. How your beauty does sing!
Eyelashes longer than mine, they play
across rosy cheeks. So many things my book
never told me. I press it closed,
my chest swelling. If only hearts could grin.
Sometimes it grows, your grin.
Mouth full with a bottle of milk.
Dimples denting, and lips barely closed
around the nipple. Just wait until you can sing—
why waste a moment with a book,
when the world is ready to play?
You make my world sing,
and I could fill a book
about how prettily you play.
Ashley's Poem: Reconnection
These days, old friends are a memory.
Of a time we once connected.
Cried together, and laughed.
A relic of the past,
Where days last only a moment.
Gone in no time.
Other days, old friends are frozen in time.
A picture of a memory.
A moment.
Two souls connected
By a shared history, past.
One where we laughed.
Like that day we laughed
In the bar, that one time.
Sharing stories past,
And present. A memory,
Where we connected,
For only a moment.
Yesterday, I remembered you for a moment.
And I laughed,
Like we used to when we connected.
I thought back in time
To a memory
Of our past.
Perhaps I should reach into the past
And take a moment.
To pull out a memory,
Of us when we laughed.
Together. Bring back a time
When we could be connected.
Today, again, we connected.
And it was like the past
Never faded with time.
We talked for a moment,
Reminisced, and laughed.
To make a new memory.
Tomorrow I will remember that moment.
That time we laughed.
The memory.
