As many of you now know, we've begun hosting a monthly Writer's Workout here at Loving The Process the first Wednesday of every month.
We do so to make sure our, often introverted, writers get some proper social time with their fellow creatives, as well as to have a bit of fun together with writing prompts (based on randomly chosen archetypes).
Last week the randomly chosen archetype turned out to be The Alchemist. As is customary, I read some engaging prompts inspired by that archetype and every one had 5 minutes to just write, free form, whatever it inspired in them (personal or fiction). And what came out of one of our writers on that call was so beautiful, and poignant to the times, that I asked her if I could share. So without further ado please enjoy....
The Days of Alchemy by Elizabeth Uter
They say that certain eclipses of the celestial bodies
happen once in a life time, or even rarer, once every thousand years
- 365,000 days must come and go, moon and sun cycles
turning the yearning earth over and over. Then an alchemist appears as if hatched from half silver, half golden egg - such a man or woman may appear
- maybe we cannot tell if the male principle or the female principle rules them,
for they are slippery, shifting in this aspect.
As if emerging from the wilderness, they arrive in the world today, look around, see the chaos, of greed, of trees chopped down for profit, earth scorched for profit, the minds of the people soured because money like a shard of glass
has shattered in their eyes.
Our alchemist feels, senses the disease within the myriad
hustling, reaching people. Every mind transparent.
This one could hear and feel each hurt, each love, each wrong
that everyone might do and with a breath larger than the blast of
all Tsunamis that have come, have gone, this shining soul blows the broken shard from every eye, untwists our cramping, grasping minds and we become whole.
No more politicians, no more governments, no more poverty, no more violence.
There is a saying from ancient Chinese Philosophy - if the people need ruling with governments, kings and politicians then they have failed, for each human should govern their own self and then power, control, coercion would disappear, be forgotten within the deep memories of the people.
Now, with the alchemist amongst us, we have reached this stage.
We see what needs to be done.
Each man, woman, child leans their back into the work of the earth
and the soul of the world is renewed.
If you'd like to catch more of Elizabeth's work check out the following links:
Award-winning poem ‘Slough Homecoming for’ HOME Slough, Bring Your Own Future poetry competition.
3 Video poems for the online literary magazine ‘Bakings’ (third video down!!!) http://www.thebakehouse.info/index.php/bakings?start=22
Other Lives in Samuel Pepys’s Diary: A Collection of Creative Writing inspired by Pepys’s Journal of the 1660s (PEPYSHistory, Reimagining the Restoration for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and University of Leicester). Free copy.
The Glorious Life of Mingo - PEPYSHistory
Elizabeth Uter - work within the creative writing anthology: 2020 Writings From Inlandia -3 Videos
Nature, Framed - An Anthology of Nature Writing; Editor, Amanda Tuke (1st poem)
***Holly Payberg-Torroija is a writer/writing coach and founder of Loving The Process, a coaching program designed to support writers in getting out of their own way, so they can write the stories they were born to write. Book a free consult by clicking here