A debutant poet at a Write Out Loud Zoom night delighted his fellow poets with a fully-fledged sonnet … about poetry on Zoom. Jamie Thompson, pictured, had attended a previous gathering of Write Out Loud Northumberland on Zoom as an observer. On his second appearance he delivered ‘Writing Aloud on Zoom’, which likened the session to “a technological kaleidoscope”,  including “smiles and laughter” as well as the words.

 

WRITING ALOUD ON ZOOM

by Jamie Thompson

 

A technological kaleidoscope

Glisters and changes on the laptop screen

Squares of light reflecting bright eyes of hope

Look backward and forward; what’s to be seen?

 

Shake the glass beads and watch angles shifting

Light grey turns white and look, creases of shade

That mark the smiles and laughter and list’ning …

Time-lapse sentences where meanings are made.

 

Listen to the words and watch the lips move

Feel rhythm, make sense, connect to the sound

Empathise, close eyes and into the groove

Surges of pleasure at what we have found

 

Mirrors, my vape smoke, computers and rhyme

As we slip in, and out of unreal-time

 

The event’s compere, Greg Freeman, said: “I was surprised and delighted by Jamie’s sonnet, which does sum up the fun and camaraderie of a typical Write Out Loud night on Zoom. I’m based in Northumberland now, hence its new name – it used to be called Write Out Loud Woking on Zoom. But many of our poet friends in Surrey still attend, as well as other poets from other parts of the country, and abroad.  

“At the session where Jamie made his debut, we had other poets from Lancaster, Southport, Berkhamsted, Swindon - and San Diego. Everyone is welcome!”

Jamie Thompson is retired and lives in rural Northumberland with his wife Di and border collie Tip. He is a father and grandfather, supports ‘The Toon’, and grows prize leeks as well as writing poems. He has already put his name down on the open-mic list for the next Write Out Loud Northumberland on Zoom night.  

Guest poet at last month’s session was Surrey poet Trisha Broomfield. The guest poet on Wednesday 11 December will be Barbara Hickson, from Lancaster. More details