About the Offering

Sundays on February 7th, 14th, 21st, & 28th at 3pm to 5pm (Eastern)

Do you remember the classic Sesame Street segment when Grover tires himself out explaining near and far? When he’s near the camera (and nearer to us), he speaks calmly. But when he runs repeatedly away to demonstrate distance—back and forth and back and forth—he quickly loses his breath. Sometimes we trick ourselves into believing our best poems live far from us, on the exotic isles of grand ideas or in the log cabins of retreat. To be sure, it’s nice sometimes to “get away” and make a thing. But what if we could be teased into nearness, to lay hands on the reasons we want to escape, and then choose to stay right here?

In this generative workshop, we’ll draft 3-4 poems, exploring nearness and proximity to our surroundings, to the earth, to ourselves and to one another. What do we notice? What are the sights, the sounds, the feels we take for granted or flat-out ignore? Through a series of writing prompts and brief mindfulness readings, you’ll be invited to experiment with stillness, breath, and, yes, even distance in poetry. No need to confess, just notice. As a community, we’ll activate our humor and compassion and get comfortable exchanging and gifting lines to one another.