In this group we talked about poetry. What is a poem? Maybe it rhymes, maybe not but it probably has a rhythmic quality, and perhaps it will use symbolic language; speak to us in metaphors and veiled imagery, maybe it will be able to talk about difficult and taboo subjects in aesthetic and acceptable ways. An ordinary topic gets made mysterious, or a difficult one becomes beautiful, emotions can run, flow more easily into wistful, torrential linguistic expressions.
Some members shared poems which they had written, others remembered poetry from childhood and we looked these up. And together the group wrote a poem:
Ups and Downs
What’s the difference between up and down?
We come from all over the town
We might wear a smile or we might wear a frown
What’s the difference between up and down?
Up is light and down is shite,
Mixed emotions, spinning head
I’m glad I got outa bed
Come to the group and deal with all the things inside ma heid
Or suffer Paul’s bad jokes instead
Or was it better staying in bed?
Liz’s calm meditations led
It’s great to see our Thursday friends
‘cos my week’s been driving me round the bend
If I miss three weeks I make amends
Why does the darkness precede the dawn?
We offload all our thoughts and grief
Feeling better as we leave
After check out we can breathe
Feel strong to tackle the week ahead
Now it is time to get fed
A Life Worth Living 
I love how poetry and fiction writing can communicate so much, and is built in with our love of language and expression. Huge fun putting our shared input to our poem, tho’ I dinnae thing we’ll have the poet laureate worried or their job quite yet!. Ta.