nine o’clock in the morning
and you’re late
it takes twelve giant steps
to cross the wide road
ninety-five babies to get to
the corner – seven skips round
and just one hop to squat
on the ground and wait for
the snail to…catch up
all creamy grey and tender
flesh that shrinks then swells
and very nearly topples
the delicately balanced shell…………………………………………………… ……..you smile
and in that endless moment
time shimmers in its track
Through the eyes of a child: exploring early memories
- Write for five minutes describing one of your earliest memories of the ‘natural’ world.
- Write for five minutes – describing the first journey you remember. (Don’t worry if the memory is incomplete e.g. it doesn’t matter if you don’t remember arriving at the destination.)
- Write for five minutes – describing the first room you remember
- Now go through what you’ve written and identify which of the 5 senses most often crop up spontaneously i.e. sight, sound, smell, taste, touch. Memory can show us our natural use of the senses. Are you drawn to one sense more than another? Or does it vary from piece to piece? Why do you think that is?
Tips
- Try writing the memory in the present tense. This will help place you in the moment and give your writing a sense of immediacy.
- Try writing the memory in the 2nd person (you), as if you are watching your younger self. This can give you a fresh angle on the memory as well as being a useful way of distancing yourself from autobiographical material.