Article by Lily Rose King
The Brecon Beacons are an abundant source of inspiration for any writer, with a secluded retreat into their magic bound to stir creativity.
This was the outcome when fellow Hay writer, Beth Flynn, and myself, ventured to a nearby waterfall pool to immerse ourselves in nature and let our imaginations flow.
We walked from Brecon towards the Loggins at the foot of Pen y Fan, cutting off to a track by the side of a stone bridge and following the river up to a series of beautiful waterfall pools.
After enjoying a packed lunch and sharing some wine, we challenged each other with the five words game, an effective prompt for powerful poetry.
We each jotted down five words influenced by our picturesque surroundings, shared them, and set a timer for five minutes to individually craft a poem that weaved in all ten words.
After completing the task and reading our work aloud to each other, we went for a dip in the refreshing water.
Below are the words we selected and our resulting poems.
Reflection
Layers
Mossy
Rugged
Ancient
Moss
Stone
Crisp
Tangled
Flowing
Reflections
by Lily Rose King
time passes, moss on stone
yet her beauty remains crisp
the dark knots of her hair like tangled vines
flowing water chiselling her curves
inside she’s as rugged as the ancient landscape
but despite the layers her reflection never changes
soul howling through mossy undergrowth
to be free, to see light at last
Amongst the Moss
by Beth Flynn
Crisp is the memory of Spring beneath my step
A reminder of who I was then
Flowing beside pollen seed
Amidst the newness.
Somehow, I feel lighter here
Where the air strokes stone
Until she knits herself a mossy coat.
I sleep amongst her tangled branches where ivy once smiled
In a rugged blanket of browns and turning greens
I observe my reflection, thick with all that was before
Ancient beside all that is
I listen
I listen, biting the lip of her soil
Until my coat of heavy flesh bleeds all I think I should be
Planting layers of self in sediment
We rest here
Amongst the moss
THE HAY WRITERS 