ACCORDING TO THE POET ROBERT FROST, POETRY IS WHEN AN EMOTION HAS FOUND ITS THOUGHT AND THE THOUGHT HAS FOUND WORDS.
Gwen Brasier of GemLife Highfields completely agrees with the sentiment and is now dedicating her time to teaching other homeowners how to bring life to those emotions through verse.
“I fell in love with poetry when I was in grade five at school,” she said. “And I carried that love with me all through my 40-year career as a preschool teacher.”
There are eight regulars who meet at the Country Club to sharpen their pen and challenge their creativity on the many different poetry styles available – in fact there are more than 150 poetry types to explore.
Not all poetry rhymes, it’s all about getting the meter and flow correct, says Gwen.
“We start with a topic and a poetry style – it could be quatrain, acrostic, or tanka (related to Japanese haiku), and I give the writers homework to do as well,” she said.
“Recently, I got them to write four verses with eight syllables on each line. It’s a lot harder than it looks! It’s really testing and sometimes takes more than one try to get right but in the end it’s worth it.”
Gwen’s passion for the literary artform has seen her meet with other poets in the region.
“I’m a member of another poetry group at Darling Heights and I’ve joined the bush poets of Toowoomba,” she said.
“I’m in awe of the bush poets. Although I love to do it, I’m nowhere near the level of some of the other members. It is really something special to listen to.”
Below is an excerpt from one of Gwen’s poems.
From little things big things grow
It was on a warm sunny Spring morning
When I was dropped from the sky,
In tow with the wind, I travelled on high
Then all of a sudden, I fell without warning.
Hitting the ground, with forceful might
I became concealed in the earth, extremely deep,
And there for some time, I would quietly sleep
Until the next morning, I awoke with the light
Week after week, I struggled to grow
Under the forest canopy, light is dim
But my will to find it, was strong within
Pushing and squirming I made it so.
Now many years later with warm sun and rain
I’ve grown so tall, my canopy wide spread,
Though, through years, bark and limbs I’ve shed
But now I’m strong and here I’ll remain.