creative writing
Old wives tales?
Some of the Materia Medica jars have been dusted off and used for a creative writing session as part of the Manchester Science Festival 2014. Many lovely people turned up for the event and used the jars as inspiration to write some poetry. Here are some of the poems that were produced:
Cancer Defeated by Nick Duffy
Radioactive
Energy
Medical
Experiment
Defeated
You
The Old Ways: Alternatives by Diane Duffy
What is left of the old ways?
Old wives’ tales,
Old wives.
Shrivelled nature dried under glass,
Decayed matter on a shelf.
On the shelf
The woman and her cures become one
A metaphor for the past.
Alternatives?
Alternative – no alternative.
Wise woman translated into WITCH.
Which to choose?
Now we have a choice!
The Materia Medica by Jemma Houghton
Down the spiral staircase
Through that old wooden door
Find yourself in a magical place
Strange looking jars from ceiling to floor
Through that old wooden door
Big jars, little jars, flat and tall too
Strange looking jars from ceiling to floor
Look them up and see what they do
Big jars, little jars, flat and tall too
Find yourself in a magical place
Look them up and see what they do
Down the spiral staircase
Thank you to poet Tony Sheppard, for running an interesting session, and to all who turned up to the event.
Herbology Manchester 