Shelter @sheltercharity is campaigning for all political parties to address homelessness and housing in their manifestos and to commit to building more social homes. I grew up in social housing in the 1960s and it made me feel secure and safe as a child. Even when things later went wrong, a settled start early in my life gave me extra resilience. In recent years I’ve worked with children and young people who don’t know where they’re sleeping that night. Not surprisingly, it really affects their wellbeing and their ability to learn. ‘Poem for a 1960s Welfare State Childhood’ is from ‘Love and Stones’ my @live.canon pamphlet . ID text of poem by Josephine Corcoran Poem for a 1960s Welfare State Childhood Each night I fell asleep in our council house with no thought in my head that someone would want to take away our home. We moved rooms and beds depending on who was ill, or home from college or work. I took possession of the landing for play, and the hallway, and windowsills painted gloss to slide along, line-up my family of dolls. I was given everything: school meals, milk, uniform vouchers, bus fares, library books. The man on my doorstep with a blue rosette tells me I have it wrong. It’s luck I’ve grown up strong, secure, even when my world unravelled. I’m misremembering how cared-for I felt. And consider the cost! I let him keep his leaflet and tell my children how my sister gave me her beautiful coat, two sizes too big. You’ll grow, she said fastening me into love and my future. . #socialhousing #endhomelessness #shelteruk #buildmoresocialhousing #socialhomes #voteforhome #josephinecorcoran #poem #poem #childhoodpoems #childhoodpoem
Friday 17 May 5.30pm - 6.45pm POETRY, PIMM’S AND PUNCH @trowbridgemuseum I’m looking forward to reading some poems from my pamphlet ‘One Deliberate Red Dress Time I Shone’ (poems after art, self-portraits, odes, seen-while-walking poems - all poems to do with clothes, fabric or making) next Friday at Trowbridge Museum, one of the events for WEFT, the West of England Festival of Textiles. This mini collection of poems was a winner in last year’s Coast to Coast to Coast Poetry Prize organised by artist and writer Maria Isakova Bennett. It would be lovely to see you at the museum! Tickets £7 from the museum (ticket includes a glass of Pimm’s or non-alcoholic punch). 🧵🪡❤️💃🍹 ID Josephine’s pamphlet which is stitched into a red fabric cover. Design, creation and stitch by Maria Isakova Bennett. . #poetryreading #trowbridgemuseum #weft2024 #westofenglandfestivaloftextiles #poems #josephinecorcoran #discovertrowbridge #creativetrowbridge #visitwiltshire #trowbridgewiltshire #poetrycommunity #poetry #poetryevent
Hello! I’ve just added a new poetry workshop at The Makespace on Saturday 18 May, 2pm - 4.30pm. Join me for an afternoon of writing exercises and prompts that will fill your notebook with the beginnings of new poems. This workshop is for anyone who always wanted to write poetry but hasn’t known where to start; anyone who used to write poetry but didn’t keep going for whatever reason; anyone who’s coming back to poetry after a break; anyone who’s trying to write poetry regularly and would like more support and guidance. All welcome. Cost of workshop £30. Small group (maximum 7 participants), lovely setting. Please get in touch (link in bio and highlights) if you’d like to book a place. . #poetryworkshop #poetryinbradfordonavon #josephinecorcoran #bradfordonavon #tithebarnworkshops #stonepaperscissorsboa #writingpoetry #visitwiltshire #visitbradfordonavon
After the quickfire pace of April, it would be wonderful to imagine May gifting us a slowing-down energy. Some time to integrate all the shifts, changes and new ideas that have come through over the last 4 weeks. Alas, this will not be the case. The pace of business (and life) will continue to quicken with a growing need for agility, innovation and technical integration to stay at the top of your professional and personal game. Especially, from May 25th. Therefore, if you have the opportunity for a break to give your mind, body and nervous system space to recalibrate, I suggest you take it! To find out what’s in store for you, read your stars on the link in bio! #horoscopes #april2024horoscopes #businessastrology #astrologyreadings #astrologysessions #astrologynews #astrologyforbusiness #josephinecorcoran #careertips #careerchange #2024stars #yourhoroscope #2024stars
Still experimenting with making marks on paper but not drawing. Scrunch poem. Very lovely shadows this afternoon, as well. I scrunched up four pieces of paper and photocopied them. . #vispo #visualpoem #paperandpen #penandpaper #josephinecorcoran #visualpoetry #visualpoems . Alt text added.
A poem is unfolding . #vispo #visualpoem #visualpoems #visualpoetry #penandpaper #josephinecorcoran
I’m so looking forward to taking part in this year’s West of England Festival of Textiles (WEFT) at Trowbridge Museum on Friday 17 May, 5.30 - 6.450pm. I’ll be talking about and reading poems from my limited edition handstitched mini-pamphlet ‘One Deliberate Red Dress Time I Shone’ - poems to do with clothes, cloth, fabric and making - which was a winner in last year’s Coast to Coast to Coast competition. I’ll add a link in my News/Events highlight. Tickets are £7 and include a glass of Pimm’s or non-alcoholic punch!🍹 . #trowbridgemuseum #weft2024 #westofenglandfestivaloftextiles #josephinecorcoran #handstitched #poetry #trowbridgewiltshire #discovertrowbridge #poetrypimmsandpunch #wiltshire #southwest #westofengland #textiles
What is a political poem? How can you transform your passion and energy for issues that matter to you into effective poems? In this workshop we will read and discuss a selection of contemporary poems that engage with a range of social issues. We will examine different poetic techniques and strategies available to us and consider what makes some political poems successful and others, less so. In a safe, encouraging, small group we will begin to write and share our own political poems. All levels of experience are welcome. Cost of workshop £30. Please email me josephinecorcoran13 at gmail dot com to ask questions or arrange payment or leave a message on my website (link in ‘workshops’ highlights or in bio). . ID Writing Political Poetry. Read, talk about, write and share poems in this informal, encouraging workshop with Josephine Corcoran. Saturday 13 April, 2pm - 4.30pm at The Make Space (part of Stone, Paper, Scissors) Tithebarn Workshops, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1LF. Book a place or find out more www.josephinecorcoran.org/creative-writing-at-the-make-space/ . #bradfordonavon #tithebarnworkshops #josephinecorcoran #poetryworkshop #stonepaperscissorsboa #poetryinbradfordonavon #writingpoetry #timeforwiltshire
Keep trying for peace . ID small black and white photocopies of Picasso’s dove of peace glued one on top of the other as if flying together and continuously on top of which I’ve pasted the words ‘Keep trying for peace’ which I made using letters cut from magazines and then photocopied in black and white. . #visualpoem #vispo #wordandimage #textandimage #picassosdoveofpeace #peace #poemforpeace #josephinecorcoran #photocopyart #collage #cutandpaste #paperandglue #mixedmedia #cutandstick #imageandtext #text
A little wildflower poem for spring Celandines (by Josephine Corcoran) first lights of spring, buttercup bright guiding satellites for early queens pulsing yellow - will wasps & bees return? will swallows stream closer in lengthening light? nights still raw, we starry sisters fold green once more, keep our faith for snowless skies, we have nectar for hoverflies - will butterflies dip by? . #celandine #celandines #wildflowers #spring #springflower #springflowers #wildflower #poem #josephinecorcoran #wildflowergarden #springequinox
On #worldbookday #worldbookday2024 - a big thank you to my publishers! . #smallpress #smallpresspublishing #indiepublishing #indiepublishers #talllighthouse #ninearchespress #livecanon #readpoetry #poetrypublishers #poetrybooks #josephinecorcoran
I’m very happy to be reading with Arji Manuelpillai and Lucy Ingrams on Monday 11 March 7.30pm at the former United Reformed Church, 294A Banbury Road, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7HN. Tickets are £5 bookable via Creation Theatre (link in my News/Events highlights) . #creationtheatre #livecanon #poetryreading #summertownoxford #josephinecorcoran #lucyingrams #arjimanuelpillai
I’m teaching two Tuesday morning creative writing workshops in Bradford-on-Avon next month, on 5 and 19 March, 10.30am - 12.30pm at The Make Space @makespace2023 (part of Stone, Paper, Scissors @stonepaperscissorsboa) in the @tithebarnworkshops. Everyone welcome, especially beginners or near beginners. We’ll be reading, talking about and writing short fiction, dialogue and poetry. Book a place for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Link in my workshop highlights or send me an email with any questions [email protected] . #writingworkshops #creativewriting #bradfordonavon #tithebarnworkshops #josephinecorcoran
I’ve made a postcard for World Book Night United Artists - responding to the line “You who would not kill a mouse, a bird” from Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem ‘The Sweet Arab, the Generous Arab’ from her book of selected poems ‘Tender Spot’ (Bloodaxe Books, 2008). . World Book Night is organised by Sarah Bodman & Linda Parr from @cfpr_research The theme this year is ‘In Praise of Birds’ - read & respond to a text or book about birds then make a postcard inspired by birds to send for an exhibition & mail art swap. Deadline 1 March 2024. Google ‘World Book Night 2024 In Praise of Birds’ or search on @cfpr_research website for more information. Thank you @hazardpressuk for telling me about this. . ID text of the poem in small font pasted onto a postcard. On the left, swirls of green, red, black and white in shape of the flag of Palestine and a small cut out copy of a dove of peace by Picasso. . #worldbooknight2024 #worldbooknight #wbnunitedartists #inpraiseofbirds #postcardart #naomishihabnye #josephinecorcoran #collage #collageart #wbn2024 . text of poem: The Sweet Arab, the Gentle Arab by Naomi Shihab Nye Since no one else is mentioning you enough. The Arab who extends his hand. The Arab who will not let you pass his tiny shop without a welcoming word. The refugee inviting us in for a Coke. Clean glasses on a table in a ramshackle hut. Those who don’t drink Coke would drink it now. We drink from the silver flask of hospitality. We drink and you bow your head. Please forgive everyone who has not honored your name. You who would not kill a mouse, a bird. Who feels sad sometimes even cracking an egg. Who places two stones on top of one another for a monument. Who packed the pieces, carried them to a new corner. For whom the words rubble and blast are constants. Who never wanted those words. To be able to say, this is a day and I live in it safely, with those I love, was all. Who has been hurt but never hurt in return. Fathers and grandmothers, uncles, the little lost cousin who wanted only to see a Ferris wheel in his lifetime, ride it high into the air. And all the gaping days they bought no tickets for spinning them around. . #freepalestine #ceasefirenow
With the long summer break behind us, the pace of February has us firmly back in work mode. There’s a quickening that is taking place affecting the pace of change and transformation on an individual and collective level. Equally the call to be our authentic selves at work and in our personal lives will get louder. Notice where you yearn for freedom and what you’re willing to fight for. Learn more this shift In my February Horoscope and what’s in store for you according to your Sun sign. Wishing you an extraordinary and insightful month ahead. x Josephine Corcoran Link in bio! #horoscopes #octoberstars #february2024horoscopes #businessastrology #astrologyreadings #astrologysessions #astrologynews #astrologyforbusiness #josephinecorcoran #careertips #careerchange #2024stars #yourhoroscope #2024stars
Somewhere between winter and spring… . (feeling very wintery today, however…) I’m adding some seasonal poems to my next poetry workshop at The Make Space (@stonepaperscissorsboa) Tithebarn Workshops, Bradford-on-Avon. How to capture each changing season in only a few lines? I love this part of the planning, reading through my extensive poetry library, working out which poems sit well together, which ones might inspire a person to write. My next workshop is on Saturday 27 January, 2pm-4.30pm and there are three places remaining. This workshop is for anyone who would like to read, talk about, write and share poetry. All levels of experience welcome. A friendly and encouraging small group. More details in ‘highlights’ or on my website or send me an email or message here. Which are your favourite seasonal poems? . Image is of a round table by a sash window on which can been seen a pot of small yellow daffodils and a range of poetry books. . #poetryworkshop #bradfordonavon #stonepaperscissors #tithebarnworkshops #josephinecorcoran #poetryworkshops #poetryinbradfordonavon #writingworkshop #writingtheseasons #workshopplanning #poetrywriting #writingpoetry #poetryclass
Welcome 2024! This January Horoscopes with a focus on your business and career, the energies are ripe for setting your strategy for the year ahead. By mid-month the Sun, Mars, Mercury and Pluto are all in Capricorn, the sign which symbolises the CEO! It’s the ideal time for reviewing what worked and what didn’t work in 2023. Plans committed to will then act as your anchor over the course of what will without question be a turbulent year with plenty more changes in the way we operate in the world. But of course, as we know, with change comes opportunity so it’s important you are setting yourself up with the right mindset and habits that enable you to embrace things as they come your way! If you want to know more about your own sign, then click the link in bio! #horoscopes #octoberstars #october2023horoscopes #businessastrology #astrologyreadings #astrologysessions #astrologynews #astrologyforbusiness #josephinecorcoran #careertips #careerchange
As challenging as this may sound so close to Christmas, the week ahead is one to MAKE time to S L O W D O W N. But there's good reason to do so. The planets are sending a clear message it's time to pause and consider your next ADVENTURE. Obviously incredibly apt at this time of the year with 2024 just around the corner! At the start of the week, you’ll have a chance to consider relationships and finances and the changes you’re ready to make to boost a sense of abundance in both areas. Then on Wednesday, the New Moon in Sagittarius is your annual opportunity to think about the goals you’re excited about embarking on next year. The invitation is to open up your mind to brand new possibilities, to believe that what you want IS possible and to get down on paper a clear statement of what that looks and feels like for you. Just hours after the New Moon, Mercury stations retrograde in Capricorn. Be ready for things to go awry whether with communication, travel or technology associated with business – because it’s in Capricorn afterall. So as always, allow extra time to meet deadlines, just in case! The remainder of the week brings the opportunity to start new chapters in work or life as well as forgive others who’ve upset or hurt you in the past. Then on Sunday give yourself permission to R E S T. Sending love and inspiration for an amazing week ahead! x Josephine #holisticcareercoach #intuitivebusinesscoach #astrologyforleaders #theconsciouslead #josephinecorcoran #2024planning #adventures #sagittariusnewmoon
‘Self-Portrait in Stained Glass’ 1958 by Pauline Boty which I first saw online at the @nationalgallery and is now on display in the gallery I’ve been told. Swipe to read my poem ‘One Deliberate Red Dress Time’, one of a series of poems after self-portraits I’m slowly writing, this one published in my limited edition hand-stitched pamphlet (made by @mariaisakovab for the Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast competition). I first found out about Pauline Boty from a free FutureLearn and Centre Pompidou course about Pop Art and then when reading Ali Smith’s book ‘Autumn’. . Alt text added for screenreaders . ‘One Deliberate Red Dress Time’ after 'Self-Portrait in Stained Glass' by Pauline Boty, 1958 One deliberate red dress time I shone with work. Even as I carried flowers, wore colour at my throat, my strong hands burned from chemicals and paint. The year was brittle glass held together by strips of lead. The decade fading on a workshop radio. As expected, I framed my life then smashed convention into fragments, became lustrous from the invention of myself. . #paulineboty #popart #feministartist #stainedglass #nationalgallerylondon #ekphrasticpoetry #ekphrasis #josephinecorcoran
A cold but beautiful day @tithebarnworkshops yesterday and an Elf Trail taking place while we were writing poems in my workshop at The Make Space @stonepaperscissorsboa Thanks so much to all participants for contributing generously to our poetry discussions and writing wonderful first drafts of your own poems. More workshops being planned for next year. Thank you to Mary P @stonepaperscissorsboa and all at @tithebarnworkshops for making us welcome! . #poetryworkshops #poetryworkshop #bradfordonavon #josephinecorcoran #themakespace #stonepaperscissors #tithebarnworkshops #elftrailboa18
WARNING - emotional week ahead! Typically at this time of the year, we find ourselves inspired to get out and about and connect with others. Usually, we can rely on the Gemini Full Moon to activate the desire to absorb information, socialise, share ideas and juggle numerous projects to completion before the year’s out. However, under this week’s Gemini Full Moon vibe, tension, confusion and fatigue are key features. To that end, don’t be alarmed if you read, hear or learn things that leave you with the sense that more information is required before you can see the whole picture. Things can be forgotten, travel plans can go awry and events may not quite go to plan. And so, if your battery’s low or your mind is foggy, instead of pushing through ...Pause, Breathe and allow space for clarity to eventually unfold. Then, and only then, move on to your next to-do action. Wednesday to Saturday there are strong themes of letting go as either you or others realise it’s time to close the door to a significant chapter in your life. Outdated relationships or financial arrangements no longer aligned to your future direction come to an end. By Sunday, your ability to focus on practical tasks returns, but until then, be kind to yourself and others. Everyone is going through the same big squeeze and is doing their best to get through to the end of the year! Sending you much love and inspiration to shine brightly! Josephine #josephinecorcoran #theconsciouslead #holisticcareercoach #astrologyforbusiness #astrologyforleaders
Sunrise 🌞. New opportunities await. New ways of thinking are possible. About to dive in and do my laps. Amongst many things, Spring 🌼 has honed focus on our health and I’m loving it! With Venus now ingressing through Virgo ♍️ , our desire to feel well and be well has amped up. 10 days ago she entered Virgo and it’s since then my commitment to lap swimming 🏊♂️ has been reset. I’m curious, where are you establishing new healthy habits in your everyday? Enjoy your weekend Sending love 💕, Josephine Xx #josephinecorcoran #spring2023 #lapswimming #healthandwellbeing #oceanswimming #oceanpool #avalonbeach
Thank you @stonepaperscissorsboa for stocking my books! I’ve just popped into the shop before running my poetry workshops next door at The Make Space ❤️ . #bradfordonavon #indieshop #josephinecorcoran #poetrybooks
Join in with National Poetry Day (that’s tomorrow, Thursday 5 October) at The Make Space, Tithebarn Workshops, Bradford-on-Avon. Poetry Workshops at 11am, 12pm and 1pm. Link in highlights. . ID a pot of golden marigolds and an open blue door at The Make Space. . #poetryworkshops #bradfordonavon #tithebarnworkshops #josephinecorcoran #nationalpoetrydayuk #npd #nationalpoetryday #nationalpoetryday2023
Welcome to October stars! Have you noticed yourself really ready to step into your own power? New courage may be rising up within you to take a path that’s more authentic for you. Know that you have what it takes! Energetically, the month ahead points to the need for truth. We find ourselves amid another intense period where secrets are being brought to light and people are demanding justice. To find out what’s in store for you, read your stars on the link in bio! #horoscopes #octoberstars #october2023horoscopes #businessastrology #astrologyreadings #astrologysessions #astrologynews #astrologyforbusiness #josephinecorcoran #careertips #careerchange
I’m looking forward to listening to poems from the open-mic and reading poems from my @live.canon pamphlet ‘Love and Stones’ - along with my fellow pamphleteers Matt Bryden and @isymeadpoet tomorrow night at Uncut Poets Live, Exeter Phoenix 7.30pm. Our thanks to organisers Alasdair Paterson and Chrissy Banks. Some tickets still available at the Box Office. . ID Three Live Canon pamphlets laid out on grass. . #livecanonpoetry #livecanon #josephinecorcoran #isabellamead #isymeadpoet #mattbrydenpoet #uncutpoets #exeterphoenix #poetryreading #poetryopenmic #poetryevent #livepoetry #exeter #poetrypublisher #poetrybooks #poetrypamphlet
More pictures from the launch of the winning pamphlets in the Coast to Coast to Coast Poetry Prize at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool. Art by Sandra Suubi for the Liverpool Biennial. Thank you Ron Davies for pictures! Final image by Jeremy Dixon (@hazardpressuk)Shout out to Oxfam Online for my red dress! My pamphlet is called ‘One Deliberate Red Dress Time I Shone’ after a line from one of my poems about a self-portrait in stained glass by the artist Pauline Boty in which she is wearing a red dress. Alt text added. . #coasttocoasttocoast #handstitchedpamphlet #openeyegallery #openeyegalleryliverpool #rondaviesphotography #mariaisakovabennett #rachelspence #benmcquire #josephinecorcoran #sandrasuubiartstudio #oxfamonlineshop
New Moon Virgo ♍️ journaling 😂🐈…. Happy Sunday …. Energy still strong for setting this months goals / intentions!! And a great time to recommit to a regular wellness practice - however that looks for you 💕 #goalsetting #holisticcareercoach #intuitivebusinesscoach #journaling #josephinecorcoranholisticexecutivecoach #josephinecorcoran
I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for my first poetry workshop at The Make Space @stonepaperscissorsboa Bradford-on-Avon. A fantastic group of writers daring to try something new, to be open to different types of poetry, to share work and bring new ideas and encouragement to each other. Thank you to everyone who came to the group today and thank you @marypetrovskaartist and @timharperfurniture @tjharp43 for providing this gorgeous space. News about my next workshops coming soon . #poetryworkshops #poetrycommunity #poetryworkshop #creativeworkshops #bradfordonavon #tithebarnworkshops #josephinecorcoran #writingworkshops
Spring is in the Air and the Stars reflect welcome change and expansion after a couple of months of doing some major “inner work”. Here in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the time of year, where you know that Summer is around the corner and it’s time to detox, declutter and re-organise so you are full of vitality and able to expand and finish the year strong. The start of the month brings 3 very important shifts, read on to find out what they are and your own stars for the month! Link in bio :) #horoscopes #septemberstars #september2023horoscopes #businessastrology #astrologyreadings #astrologysessions #astrologynews #astrologyforbusiness #josephinecorcoran #careertips #careerchange
I’m thrilled to be teaching some poetry workshops at a beautiful new space, opening soon in Bradford on Avon. The Make Space is next to, and an extension of, the wonderful artisan shop ‘Stone, Paper, Scissors’. To be begin with, I’m teaching two sessions on consecutive Tuesdays (5 and 12 September, 10.30am-12.30pm) when, in a group of eight, participants will have the chance to write new poems and receive feedback. More details on my blog (link in bio ‘Poetry at The Make Space’) and in highlights (‘Workshops’). . #comingsoon #poetryworkshops #josephinecorcoran #stonepaperscissors #bradfordonavon #tithebarnworkshops #themakespace #poetry #bradfordinavonpoetry #poetryinbradfordonavon
August is a month to tune into what’s authentic for you, especially in relation to your Career and how you lead in Business. Why, because the Sun is transiting through the sign of Leo which invites us all to tune into our heart’s greatest desires. With the Sun travelling through passionate, creative and entrepreneurial Leo PLUS Venus retrograde in Leo all month, it’s time to look within and ask yourself….. Who am I? What do I most love doing? How can I work in a way that is inspiring, impactful and have fun doing it? The sign of Leo also invites you to lean into your Inner Sovereign. The leader within you that knows what it wants and courageously and passionately pursues it. And so, this August, if your Career/Business is not providing the platform for you to fully express your unique set of innate abilities or partner with people who inspire you and vice versa, you’ll be seriously reviewing your options. There are a number of other key themes at play this month - so jump in to my Horoscope column to discover what August is all about and more specifically what’s in store for you based on your Sun sign. And if you’d like to explore how you can thrive in your Career as Conscious Leader, then love to chat. You can book a meeting with me here. https://bit.ly/46x66hJ Here’s to an Auspicious August. X Link in bio! #horoscopes #auguststars #augusthoroscopes #businessastrology #astrologyreadings #astrologysessions #astrologynews #astrologyforbusiness #josephinecorcoran #careertips #careerchange
We are in a period of huge change !! The opportunity to upgrade into a more expanded version of ourselves continues to beckon. And in order for this to occur first requires a “letting go” or shedding of the old. What this looks like of course, will be different for each of us. The key theme for this week is “TURNING POINT”. Astrologically there are a number of reasons for this, but one of the most powerful energies at play right now is Pluto's intense aspect to the Nodes of Destiny. This is an invitation to head in a new direction. Of course, change can be scary, especially if you prefer to have everything in life under control. But at this point, even though the pathway ahead is not that well-lit yet, your inner knowing will well and truly be letting you know “it’s time” to do what you know you’re ready to do. With the North Node in Aries, the pioneering spirit within you is a driving force. This week we can also expect to hear, read and receive plenty of news. Ideas abound on Monday which is ideal for innovative thinking. Then on Friday Mercury meets up with Venus and trines the North Node. A wonderful day for meetings, making new connections and having new ideas drop in to support you to work and live more authentically. This can be one of those days you meet someone that you end up partnering with for the longer term OR you reconnect with someone from your past! Then on Saturday Mercury ingresses into Virgo, a sign he rules which sharpens thinking and makes it easier to focus on the details. Wishing you an incredible week of ideas, courage and expansion! With love, Josephine. Xx #theconsciouslead #holisticcareercoach #astrologyforbusiness #astrologyforleaders #intuitivebusinesscoach #josephinecorcoran
Fallen cosmos flowers and poppy petals. Even in our overgrown, pollinator-friendly garden, I’ve noticed fewer insects this year. . #visualpoem #vispo #wordandimage #weedsandwildflowers #lovepollinators #insectapocalypse #insectfriendlygarden #pesticidefree #reducecarbonemissions #reducecarbonfootprint #josephinecorcoran
👀A little bit of planning going on for some new poetry workshops, coming soon to Bradford on Avon. Stay tuned! . #poetryworkshops #bradfordonavon #writingworkshops #comingsoon #planning #planningworkshops #writing #writingpoetry #poetrywriting #josephinecorcoran
New visual poem for #Palestine . #supportbds #boycottdivestmentsanctions #bds #palestinianrightsarehumanrights #palestinianrights #stoparmingisrael #fromtherivertotheseapalestinewillbefree #supportpalestine #speakupforpalestine #sonnet #visualsonnet #vispo #visualpoem #wordandimage #josephinecorcoran
Blame falls on the young. . Visual poem hastily made from fallen garden debris in response to recent civil disturbances and riots in France and elsewhere that have followed the deaths of young people after their interaction with authority/the police. . #visualpoem #vispo #wordandimage #josephinecorcoran
I’m reading some poems from my new @live.canon pamphlet ‘Love and Stones’ next Thursday lunchtime and I’m delighted to tell you that I’ll be joined by fantastic poet and friend Pey Oh @msiagirl and concert series organiser Nick Sorensen @nick.sorensen.wordsandmusic. It would be great to see you if you have some spare time! . ID a poster advertising a lunchtime concert of poetry and music. Thursday 6 July 12.30pm. Norton St Philip Concert Series. Music by Nick Gould (guitar) and Graham Dent (piano). St Philip and St James Church. Norton St Philip. Tickets £5 on the door. A picture of Josephine Corcoran and the cover of her pamphlet ‘Love and Stones’ featuring an ink drawing of Avebury Stones by Sue Burns. . #nortonstphilip #lunchtimeconcert #josephinecorcoran #peyoh #nicksorensen #poetryandmusic #nickgould #grahamdent
Join Josephine Corcoran THURSDAY, JULY 6TH, for a lunchtime poetry reading and music! #JosephineCorcoran #LunchtimeReading #PoetryEvent #LiveMusic #July6th #PoetryLovers #PoetryPerformance
I loved reading in the Poetry Showcase for Penarth Literary Festival on Sunday night. The audience were so welcoming and attentive and I’ve never had so many people telling me afterwards they liked my reading - I must be doing something right!! Wonderful poems by Tôpher Mills (red shoes) and Abigail Parry (furthest right) and music by Michael Munnik (hat) all introduced by Stephen Payne (next to Abigail). Big thank you to all @griffinbooksuk for organising and selling books. My heart is full! (📸 photo credit Elin from Griffin Books). . ID A line of performers holding up their books and smiling in front of a banner from Griffin Books. Michael the musician is holding a guitar and one of his CDs. . #penarthliteraryfestival #griffinbooks #griffinbooksuk #independentbookshop #penarth #poetryandmusic #poetryevent #josephinecorcoran #abigailparry #tophermills #michaelmunnik #stephenpaynepoet #parthianbooks #livecanonpoetry #livecanon #bloodaxebooks #happenstancepress
"'Last Chance Strawberries' reads a sign on a scrap of cardboard. Let's not leave here without tasting a handful of something wild and sweet." - Love and Stones, by Josephine Corcoran Purchase a copy here: https://www.livecanon.co.uk/store/product/love-and-stones-josephine-corcoran #LastChanceStrawberries #LoveandStones #JosephineCorcoran #poetry #book #supportsmallbusiness
Driving back from dropping my son to catch his 6:30am 🚌 to school…. I was greeted by this magnificent image 🌈 from nature 🌳 Taken from my balcony with #nofilter I love the synchronicity in it all. Rainbows are considered a symbol of hope, optimism and trust that all will be well. They also represent healing ❤️🩹…. The beauty that’s available after the storm ⛈️ Today Jupiter, the planet which represents hope, expansion, abundance, big picture beliefs and spiritual connection is making a connection to the North Node - our feted destiny. Equally there are tense energies at play causing us to lean into what relationship means to us. But the tension helps us better understand what we do want vs what we don’t. I invite you to spend today leaning into what you Do Want! Allow yourself to BELIEVE. Focus not on what is in your current reality BUT on what you want to create. That…. Is the WORK. The rainbow reminds us to keep the faith in ourselves and the world around us. Have a magical day ✨ #josephinecorcoran #holisticcareercoach #theconsciouslead #intuitivebusinesscoach #astrologyforleaders #astrologyforbusiness
A few readings coming up. I had a great time reading from my new pamphlet ‘Love and Stones’ at the Bedford, Balham, last Sunday (second pic, thanks for the product placement Kitty H!) and I’m reading in Trowbridge, Exeter and Penarth in June. I’ve added a ‘Readings’ page to my website/blog and added links to my ‘News/Events’ highlight here on instagram. . ID first image: June calendar on a wall behind the large leaves of my homegrown avocado plant. Second image: a picture of me reading at a microphone on a small stage in a low lit bar, in the foreground a picture of my pamphlet ‘Love and Stones’. . 3 June. 2-4pm at Drawing Projects UK, Trowbridge. I’m reading with the other two winners in Live Canon’s pamphlet competition, Matt Bryden and Isabella Mead plus support from Mark Engesson, Sarah Hemings and Nina Parmenter. . 15 June, 6-8pm St Mark’s Church, Exeter. I’m reading as guest support for Anthony Wilson for the launch of his sixth poetry book ‘The Wind and the Rain’. . 25 June, 7.30pm at All Saints Lesser Hall, Penarth, I’m reading with Abigail Parry and Tôpher Mills plus music from Michael Munnik for Penarth Literary Festival. . #poetryreading #poetryreadings #trowbridge #exeter #penarth #poetry #josephinecorcoran #readings #savethedate
A box of my new book has arrived! It’s a chapbook, a pamphlet, a mini book, a small collection and it’s beautiful! Thank you @heleneastman7705 @live.canon for publishing me. Thank you @sketchsueburns for the beautiful pen and ink drawing on the cover. Thank you @katrinanaomipoet and @jenniferwswong for the blurbs! I’m looking forward to reading at The Bedford, Balham on Sunday night and some other places I’ve listed in my highlights. What a great start to my weekend 💛 . ID a boxful of copies of ‘Love and Stones’ by Josephine Corcoran. The cover image is a pen and ink drawing of Avebury Stones by Sue Burns. . Writing on the back of the book reads “Poems of love, family and the climate crisis, set in a Wiltshire landscape of henges and standing stones in the days of extreme weather, a global pandemic and turbulent times.” . “From a handprint on a Neolithic standing stone to a baby’s virtual birthday party in the lockdown, Josephine Corcoran’s poems in Love and Stones capture the complexities of human relationships with intuition and perceptive storytelling. Her adept use of form and voice transforms the everyday into gems, bringing wisdom and healing.” (Jennifer Wong) . “ Love and Stones is a joy. Josephine Corcoran is a poet of the humane, giving equal space to the harebell and the human. Her poetry mixes politics, love, loss and life in a way that’s both engaging and engaged, offering the reader contained narratives of honesty, reflection and surprise.” (Katrina Naomi) . #newbook #newchapbook #newpoetry #livecanonpoetry #livecanon #josephinecorcoran
The paint is still wet on this first attempt and experiment in painting words on a page in a kind of written self-portrait, poem about process, thinking and doing. I’m not sure where this is going. I’m writing a series of poems after art and self-portraits so this might tie in with that project. Basically, thinking aloud and posting it on Instagram! . ID a page of painted words which run into each other without any gaps between the words as follows: SELF-PORTRAIT. CLOSE YOUR EYES TRY TO SEE YOURSELF LOOK IN THE MIRROR DRAW WHAT YOU SEE LOOK TO THE SIDE OR SOMEWHERE TRY TO SEE THAT PERSON WHO IS THE ACTUAL PERSON WHO IS LOOKING SOMEWHERE. . #workinprogress #visualpoem #process #creativeprocess #paintingwords #paintingletters #text #writing #experimenting #experiment #josephinecorcoran
Huge thank you to artist Sue Burns @sketchsueburns (@sueburnsartschool) for supplying this beautiful drawing of Avebury Stones for the cover of my new chapbook ‘Love and Stones’ coming soon from Live Canon @live.canon Everything is starting to feel very real! . Image Description - pen and ink drawing of Avebury Stones by Sue Burns, 2023 . #penandinkdrawing #sueburns #bookcover #bookcoverartist #handdrawn #inkdrawing #aveburystones #avebury #aveburywiltshire #newbook #newchapbook #newpoetrybook #poetrychapbook #poetrypamphlet #josephinecorcoran #loveandstones #livecanon #livecanonpoetry #smallpress #indiepress
Hold on to your conscious hats....this is another BIG week with the second lunation of this eclipse season. On Saturday the Full Moon Partial Solar Eclipse in Scorpio very much points to major endings. Note, that if you have planets at 14, 15 or 16 degrees of the fixed signs (Leo, Aquarius, Taurus or Scorpio), you will experience this more intensely. Just remember, these are feted times. So whatever is unfolding, welcomed or not, it is offering a new, more aligned pathway forward.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The week starts off with Pluto (the Full Moon’s ruler) stationing retrograde. This intensifies the impact of the Full Moon and underscores the energy of the truth being revealed! Pluto is also the energy of transformation – birth, death and rebirth, so it’s plausible we’ll see many more well-known public figures + leaders passing over the coming 6 months.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Then on Tuesday evening the Sun and Mercury meet up signalling the half-way point of Mercury retrograde. This can help you understand what you’re meant to be reviewing, revising and redoing this Mercury retrograde. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ At the end of the week Venus is active. Thursday and Friday be mindful to be compassionate with any relationship issues. And on Friday, there is a lovely connection with Venus and Jupiter that is ideal for launching and sending out well received communications for your business. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Sending love and inspiration to consciously lead in alignment with your purpose.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Josephine Xx⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #theconsciouslead #astrologyforbusiness #astrologyforleaders #holisticcareercoach #josephinecorcoran
Hope everyone is having a happy weekend. I’ve been working from my desk, reading through and amending the first proofs of my new pamphlet/chapbook ‘Love and Stones’ (which will be published next month by @live.canon), writing an updated bio, writing acknowledgments, giving feedback on the cover, sending over blurbs. The launch of this pamphlet, as well as pamphlets by two wonderful writers, Isabella Mead and Matt Bryden, will be at The Bedford, Balham, London SW12 on Sunday, 21 May 7-9pm and will be live-streamed. Tickets are free and I’ve linked to them in ‘Free tickets’. You can also pre-order the pamphlet using the same link. . ID picture of a desk and chair in front of a wall fixed with a jumble of pictures and notices, a computer, books and papers on the desk. . #littlestoriesofmylife #writing #poetrywriting #publishing #newbook #newpoetrybook #poetry #josephinecorcoran #livecanon #poetrychapbook #poetrypamphlet #forthcoming #mydesk #whereiwrite
A little visual poem I made last year in May. I’m interested in how the flowers have kept their colours, must be because they haven’t been exposed to light since they’ve been closed in my notebook. You too could make such a wildflower poem, especially if you take part in No Mow May! . ID A line of wildflowers pasted onto a blue page. Text reads wildflower palindrome. Daisy, green alkanet, herb robert, forget me not, forget me not, herb robert, green alkanet, daisy. . #vispo #visualpoem #palindrome #wildflowers #josephinecorcoran #wildflowersandweeds #nomowmay
Stephen Lawrence isn't on the national curriculum by Josephine Corcoran #guiltyfeminist #josephinecorcoran #stephenlawrenceday #stephenlawrence
I tuck you in with long ago & far away, pull the blanket of it wasn’t us, it wasn’t here, around your heart although I know that five inches is 13 centimetres, that 130 yards would cost a lot of blood. There’ll be Rosa Parks & Martin Luther King for homework, there always is & someone saying it’s good we teach them that, but no-one has a map of south east London, today your teacher didn’t say his name. I teach you this: he spelled it with a ‘PH’ not a ‘V’, in 1993 he was eighteen, he wanted to be an architect, he was waiting for a bus. Stephen Lawrence isn’t on the National Curriculum Josephine Corcoran #josephinecorcoran #stephenlawrence #poem #poetry #poem #poemoftheday
I’ve just heard that I am one of four winners in this year’s Coast to Coast to Coast Journal Prize. Twelve of my poems (about fabric and cloth, including self-portraits, poems after Pauline Boty and Louise Bourgeois, seen-while-walking poems and odes) will be made into a limited edition, hand-stitched pamphlet by writer and artist Maria Isakova Bennett. Plus there’ll be a reading in Liverpool at the Open Eye Gallery. Thanks to Maria and congratulations to everyone mentioned and commended in this year’s prize. 🧵🪡🥰 . ID Poster announcing winners in the 2022/23 Coast to Coast Coast Journal Prize . #mariaisakovabennett #coasttocoasttocoast #handstitchedpamphlet #handstitched #poetryprize #poetry #poetrycommunity #micropamphlet #pamphlet #poetrypamphlet #josephinecorcoran #poetrynews #poetrycompetition #openeyegallery
That yearning inside of you to follow your heart’s desires AND work in a way that you love is possible. The old way of working wasn’t cutting it for you and even the hybrid approach is losing it’s shine. Deep down, you know you have a calling. You know you’re here to do something bigger than you are right now. And you know you’re here to be part of the change the world desperately needs. But…. The voice of fear in your head is telling you to play it safe. It reasons with you to stay where you are because it pays the bills and affords you your lifestyle. And it has you questioning how on earth you could do something different. We are on the precipice of huge change with old doors closing and new ones opening. This is one of the most powerful times in history for working in alignment with your purpose, experiencing deep meaning and setting yourself up for longer-term financial success. But the key is staying true to what your heart wants to create and not letting your mind overrule that based on past experience. And to do that you’re going to need new, more conscious “leadership tools” in your professional toolkit. We are launching into a profound period of breakthroughs, innovation and collaboration like we’ve never known. Now’s the time. But I get it. It’s difficult to break patterns. If you need guidance, click the link and I’ll show you how. https://bit.ly/3RX972P #josephinecorcoran #leadership #careerchange #consciousleadership #consciousleadershipco #consciouscareers #holisticcareercoach #intuitivebusinesscoach #authenticpurpose #meaning
A poem for spring and for hope returning. I’ve had some wintry times lately (about ten months of them) and I’ve had cause to feel supremely glad for the love of my family and the support of some beautiful friends. . Description: 1. a poem by Josephine Corcoran which reads ‘Seen while walking, one large cotton rug, one pair of underpants on a washing line’. Throw down the first afternoon birdsong returns like the sweetest neighbour you thought had died. Take off your clothes for the pink stripe in the sky even if your yard is concrete. Each of us is given only so many stone-grey winters. Published in Under the Radar magazine, 2022. 2. Three white people arm in arm seen from behind. 3. swathes of spring flowers growing through grass in a public park. . #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #josephinecorcoran #spring #hope #gratitude #seenwhilewalking
I made a daisy necklace and crown of flowers for poet George Crabbe to take into my visual poetry and collage workshop @trowbridgemuseum tomorrow (Saturday 18 March, 10.30 - 12.30). Free, drop-in workshop, open to all (7+). Find out more about George Crabbe, take a peek at his herbarium of dried flowers and plants kept at the museum, and make your own collage or visual poem inspired by his work. . ID collage made from an image of George Crabbe onto which have been pasted small cutout flowers. . #collage #papercollage #cutandpaste #cutandstick #georgecrabbe #josephinecorcoran #trowbridgemuseum
Starry sisters, buttercup bright / looking for bees in lengthening light . Here’s a rhyming couplet I wrote about celandines to take into my visual poetry/collage workshop @trowbridgemuseum on Saturday 18 March (10.30-12.30 - free, drop-in workshop open to all). Poet George Crabbe was well-known for writing long narrative poems in rhyming couplets and he was also a keen botanist, collecting a large herbarium of plants and flowers which is kept at the museum. At the workshop, you will find out a little more about George Crabbe, who lived and is buried in Trowbridge, and make your own visual poem or collage inspired by his work. All welcome! (7+). . ID: black and white images of celandines growing between stones, hand painted yellow. Two celandine flowers on their stalks lie on top of the image, as does a torn piece of paper with the words “starry sisters, buttercup bright, looking for bees in lengthening light.” . #celandine #ficariaverna #rhymingcouplets #georgecrabbe #trowbridgemuseum #josephinecorcoran #visualpoem #vispo #textandimage #handwritten #tornpaper #flowerpoem #springflowers #wildflowers #firstwildflowers #earlyflowers
A couple of recent poems by me. A ‘seen while walking’ poem (version of it) published in Under the Radar magazine, Issue 29, 2022, and ‘True Crime’ published in The North magazine, Issue 66, 2021. Alt text added for screenreaders. . #poem #poems #internationalwomensday #josephinecorcoran #undertheradarmagazine #ninearchespress #thenorthmagazine #thepoetrybusiness #smithdoorstop
✨ A Day to Indulge your Loves✨ Can you feel it… a desire within to enjoy the pleasures of life? AND Can you feel the call to courageously step out, do your thing and trust it WILL work? The heavens are lit up today as Jupiter and Venus unite. Together they help us to see our hearts desire to create AND to enjoy the creations of others. Professionally you may be feeling a call to strike out in your own or initiate a new project. But it can also play out at home, with hobbies, in your community. What area of life are you feeling this right now? …. Love to hear And BTW your birth chart reveals exactly which part of your life these energies are available for you. And provides clues as to what you’re ready to step into. Sending much love Josephine 💕✨💕 #holisticcareercoach #astrologyforleaders #astrologyforbusiness #josephinecorcoran
Pantoum, Villanelle, Sestina. . Description: Three visual poems made by first creating swirling patterns in different colours with a sharpie pen on paper (sometimes called doodling!) then cutting the patterns into lines to correspond, in terms of repetition of rhyme, lines of poetry and end words, with the given poetic forms. . #visualpoetry #visualpoem #visualpoems #vispo #cutandpaste #pattern #repetition #poeticforms #pantoum #villanelle #sestina #repeatingpattern #doodle #josephinecorcoran #poems #colour #penandpaper #sharpieart
Old Age visual poem inspired by the work I’ve been doing with the George Crabbe archive and herbarium at Trowbridge Museum @trowbridgemuseum. The plants that George Crabbe (born Aldeburgh 1754, died Trowbridge 1832) collected, preserved and meticulously labelled are still exquisite nearly 200 years later. The plant in my poem is an old begonia which just keeps growing leggily and is still flowering, although sometimes a branch falls off as has happened here. It has changed as it’s grown older but is still interesting. The text in my poem is something I read in an interview by actor Harvey Keitel when he was 80 when he was asked if he had plans for retiring (“No, not really”). . I’m running a free drop-in visual poetry and collage workshop at Trowbridge Museum on Saturday March 18 (10.30am - 12.30pm) open to all (7+). There’ll be an opportunity to find out more about George Crabbe, take a peak at his herbarium kept at the museum, and make your own visual poem or collage inspired by his work. . Visual Description: a small branch from a begonia plant laid across a white page as if a line of poetry. In places the pink of the plant’s small flowers is turning brown with age. The second line of the poem is five individual flowers and leaves in varying stages of ageing and discolouration. The handwritten text reads “old age is actually infused with youthful things”. . #visualpoem #vispo #textandimage #handwritten #handwrittentext #againstageism #oldage #growingold #flowers #georgecrabbe #trowbridgemuseum #josephinecorcoran #instagrampoem #instapoem #naturalmaterials #foundmaterials #inspiredbynature . NB This post has been amended as an earlier version incorrectly called the plant a hellebore instead of a begonia.
Februllage Day 18 ‘House’ . #februllage2023 #februllage #house #visualpoem #vispo #visualpoetry #collage #collagecommunity #collagework #collageart #scissorsandglue #papercollage #textandimage #housemusic #cutupmagazines #cutandpaste #cutandpastecollage #collagechallenge #josephinecorcoran #textart #tearandpaste #tornpapercollage . Visual Description: The letter ‘h’ cut from a magazine article about house music. The letters o u s e places inside the arch of the h. Cut out musical notes coming out of the ‘chimney’ of the letter h. Torn strips representing sky and clouds, a front lawn and flower bushes.
A visual pantoum, made by drawing swirls on paper with different coloured sharpie pens which I’ve then cut into ‘lines’ of poetry. The pantoum form repeats the second and fourth lines in the first and third lines of the following stanza. The final stanza repeats the first stanza’s first and third lines as the second and fourth lines. . Visual Description: visual representation of the pantoum form as described above with swirls of colour cut up into lines and stuck onto paper. . #visualpoem #vispo #visualpoetry #pantoum #visualpantoum #pattern #colour #josephinecorcoran #workinprogress #wordandimage #penandpaper #sharpiepen #repeatpattern #swirls
Late entry for @februllage a paper boat in a puddle. Day 15 ‘Boat’. . #februllage2023 #boat #collage #februllage #cutandstick #cutandpaste #scissorsandglue #visualpoem #vispo #puddle #paperboat #wordart #textandimage #papercollage #cutandpastecollage #collageclub #collagecommunity #collagechallenge #josephinecorcoran . Visual Description: an image of a puddle with the letters b o a t cut out from a magazine and arranged in the puddle.
Italian, English and Spenserian sonnets made by creating patterns with different coloured sharpie pens on paper, cutting into lines and sticking with pritt-stick. Paper was sourced from a box of materials being given away by a neighbour whose relative had died, other materials are leftover from my own now grown up children. The colours correspond with rhyming lines in the corresponding sonnet. A turn/volta is shown by black dots/dashes. . #visualpoems #visualpoem #vispo #visualsonnet #visualsonnets #josephinecorcoran #recycledmaterials #workinprogress #wordandimage #italiansonnet #englishsonnet #spenseriansonnet #colour #pattern #repeatingpattern #penandpaper #sharpiedrawing #sharpiepen #rhymescheme
Three visual sonnets, watercolour and ink on paper. . Visual Description: lines of colour on paper with each colour corresponding to the rhyme scheme for a Spenserian, Italian and English sonnet. The turn/volta in each is represented by dots. . #visualsonnet #visualpoem #vispo #visualpoetry #visualpoems #josephinecorcoran #colour #pattern #rhymescheme #workinprogress #14lines #fourteenlines
I’ve made a few of these to bring to ‘Reimagining the Sonnet’ @drawingprojectsuk on Saturday, a session that will be run by two of our lovely poetry group, including @nick.sorensen.wordsandmusic . Visual Description: stripes of colour on pink paper, pasted on top of orange paper. Each stripe represents a line from an Italian or Petrarchan sonnet, corresponding to the rhyme scheme a/b/b/a, a/b/b/a, Turn/Volta which is represented by dots, c/d/e, c/d/e. . . . #vispo #visualpoem #visualpoetry #visualsonnet #italiansonnet #petrarchansonnet #sonnet #josephinecorcoran #workinprogress #rhymescheme #pattern #colour #14lines #fourteenlines
English Sonnet. Stripes of watercolour paint on pale pink paper. The volta/turn in the sonnet is represented by lines of dots. . Visual Description- stripes of colour on pink paper, pasted on top of green paper. Each stripe represents a line from an English sonnet, corresponding to the rhyme scheme a/b/a/b c/d/c/d e/f/e/f Turn - which is represented by dots - g/g . #vispo #visualpoem #visualpoetry #visualsonnet #englishsonnet #sonnet #josephinecorcoran #workinprogress #rhymescheme #pattern #colour #14lines #fourteenlines
Just an incredible treat and privilege to hear Danez Smith read their poems tonight in Bristol. I have never been so moved by spoken poetry. #danezsmith #raisethebarbristol #arnolfinibristol #rtbspokenword #bristolpoetry #josephinecorcoran