I was blessed to visit members of SPARC over the past couple of weeks and write poetry with them. SPARC members are adults who come from all over Northern Virginia to enjoy adaptive activities that enrich their lives just as they enrich the lives of everyone around them.
We used two poems that appear in Thirty Years of Cardinals Calling as models. These poems are based on writing prompts I got from poet Kathy Smaltz and writer/artist Kerry Molina. After SPARC members heard my poem, we discussed what it meant, how I came to write the poems and how to use imagery, simile and metaphor. Attendees then took off on their own paths. They talked about their super powers. They talked about their abilities. They talked about what they love and how those things make them feel. As they did so, they drew us into their worlds. They taught us. They uplifted us. I came away refreshed, renewed and excited about possibilities. I’m sure I got more out of the program than the participants did.
Thank you to Executive Director Debi Alexander for inviting me. Thank you to Octo for sponsoring this steAm-powered educational program through the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. And thank you, SPARC members, for being such an inspiration!
