Under the restrictions of coronavirus the members of CADAS Carlisle’s Creative Writing group have been carrying on via email. Normally we meet at the office one morning a week, but it’s just not possible at the moment.

I live alone and have been taking advantage of government guidelines to make myself get out for exercise. With the good weather I’ve enjoyed walking around green spaces and by rivers (these photos are taken along the River Caldew). It’s a good pastime because nature is still carrying on doing what it does and I’ve written a few poems about wildlife I’ve encountered. Here’s one I wrote a couple of weeks back after walking up to Susan’s Farm – another place where I would usually be volunteering. I was thrilled to see a goldfinch and wanted to share how it made me feel…

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The charm of goldfinches

Tell me just how tall is that finch?
It must be much more than an inch
A red and black flash on its head
In hedgerows it makes its nest bed
Bright sunny gold seen on the wing
A fortune that’s fit for a king
Black too on the wing and the tail
Brings joy to watchers without fail
The flash of sunshine disappears
With a twittering call for the ears
Could there be more charming birds?
If there are I don’t have the words.

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Over the weeks, members of the group have emailed round their own poems and copied out and shared pieces by their favourite poets. We’ve also told each other what we’ve been reading so I have new books to read and keep me interested. Talking about books, writing and even writing emails to each other are welcome distractions at the moment.

It’s a nice way to keep in touch with people in these unpredictable times.