About writing

My friend Sarah wrote this about our creative writing activity at Seeds of Peace this summer- thought you might enjoy.
love to everyone, c

Creative Writing from Seeds in the woods of Maine- by Sarah Norton

Flashback to the last night of session 2, summer 2008 at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine. On this camp wide 'bunk night' the nine 'seeds' and 2 counselors from bunk seven crowded on and around two beds and fixated on the M & Ms and treats in front of them. As we joked around with one another, shared hugs and stories, we were all stunned that it was the last night. In retrospect, I was equally amazed at how different the scene described above was from that which had transpired three weeks earlier where, on the first night, we had all sat rigidly in a circle outside eager to make friends, but unsure how to proceed. The awkward and sly glances that had passed between individuals that first night, were replaced by direct eye-contact during earnest conversations on that last night. As the M & Ms were devoured, we shared our camp highlights, our epiphanies, and our fears about returning home. The ties that now connected the previously hesitant Americans, Egyptians, Israelis, and Palestinians present were tangible as everyone had something to say and the words fell on individuals rapt in attention. The words spoken by every one of my campers were precious, but one Israeli girl said something that I think of every day. She said:

“this place doesn't change us, it allows us to become ourselves”

These words resonated- albeit differently- with every member of the group. And, upon reading it, will mean something different to each and every one of you. So, I will qualify what follows by saying that this phrase has special meaning to me as a counselor, educator, and mentor at a place as unique as Seeds of Peace. There is something special about the safe-haven in the woods of Maine that allows one to exist in a time and place where a lot of the societal pressures that youth experience the world over are removed. Here, we are provided the somewhat rare opportunity to think our own thoughts, speak our own minds, write our own narratives, and to be ourselves.

Central to this article is the idea of our unique narratives. Fellow counselor Carrie O'Neil and I took it upon ourselves to create and offer a creative writing special activity during the summer 2008. The idea behind this program was to allow a groups of Seeds the chance and the space to comprehend and express the intense experience that was life at camp. The exercises ranged from 'free writes,' to observation poems, to quotation prompts, to thematic exercises where campers were provided with a single word prompt such as 'rain,' 'garbage,' friendship,' etc. and asked to either take three minutes for 'free association,' jotting down every word that came to mind, or eight minutes to write a piece of prose using that word as a starting point. The campers took advantage of these opportunities, and the responses were, I believe, remarkable.

Keeping in mind that fact that the examples included are 'first' drafts, I invite you to enjoy some writing from second session seeds. Below, you will find some observation poems that are representative of their work. These poems were written on a gorgeous summer day while sitting on the girls dock. They were asked to write poems about all of the different senses- sight, smell, hearing, feel..

Poem
I knew how I was brought here, but not why

Everybody here presents me with a new conflict

At first I didn't understand

Why me? Why now?

They say love is a battlefield but what about myself

My country is at war like many others

In some ways we are all connected

But our experiences are differently

Although, we are all here and we all have our flaws we're the same

Our common goal is peace

Everyone keeps saying 'trust the process' it works

At times I feel the pressure or get a look

I can feel so alone in a crowded dining hall

I knew what I had to do and now I know why I have to get there

It's not easy to explain yourself

It's hard to make others hear your story

But that's why I am here to find myself

And to begin a new chapter in my life

Not to start over, but to move forward

And to believe in myself and that I'm doing what I need to

Observation Poem by Lareen (Israeli Seeds, 2008)
I know what I want to say.

But I still haven't figured out a way...

I'm supposed to write a poem about.

Something... But I still got some doubt...

I'mma give it a try anyway,

Here at the dock, As I lay.

I can see so many things.

I can feel what this situation brings.

I can hear a lot of sounds,

like that boat making rounds.

I can even feel the drops of water unite.

Something which is uncatchable by sight,


I can see the trees standing still.

And I can see the clouds touching that hill.
I can see stuff,
I can hear things,
But what is above all,
Is the feeling that it brings.

Three months have passed since we sat on the dock and penned the poems and words which appear above. As I read over what I and the campers wrote in response to the various exercises, I am amazed as to the many different directions that our thoughts took, as well as by the willingness to express our emotions, to make a difference and, to FIND ourselves. Paramount in the lessons learned through this exercise is that the campers (as amazing, and unique individuals) all have the capability of expressing their thoughts in different mediums. While not everyone can speak what they are feeling, many have a unique gift-- a gift that allows them to write. A gift to write their own narratives.

Thus, as I sign off for now, I will leave you with one thought and one task. Find a scrap of paper, a pen, and a quiet setting. Now, imagine a place that has allowed you to be yourself-- if you are a seed or a delegation leader, this may be the dock on the pines side or your bunk at night. If you are a teacher in Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, India, Pakistan, or the United States, this may be your classroom. Or, as citizens of the world, it could be any place, anywhere, any time. Now, take eight minutes and share your thoughts- on paper with yourself or with your students. Tell us what that phrase spoken on that last night mean to you-

“this place doesn't change us, it allows us to be ourselves”

Free association. As was true to our small enclave in the woods of Maine, there is no single correct answer or experience. Even if it is hard to speak what we are thinking, it is often possible to write.