Throw of the Dice : 3rd March 2020

-


Today in class we thought about, wrote about, and talked about chance. Interestingly, not one of the class linked the topic to the reasons they are in prison. It felt like the beginning of a topic and I expect the class will bring it up again later. The writing prompt was a pair of dice and nearly everyone in the class wrote, 'Life is a game of chance' somewhere.
It is always interesting to see how the students approach each writing task so differently. We had quite a few pieces in what we call the Commentary genre, so many that we had to further sub-classify into general commentary, spoken word - usually more polemic than didactic, and letters. The dice prompt produced all three, as well as short stories and poetry.
One student wrote about the power of dice and we talked about giving power over to chance.
We also spent time this morning reading and recognising the featured pieces in this blog so far. Each student whose piece is chosen to represent the class output receives a small prize and a print out of their work.
The piece chosen this week, is by a new student, R.N. who wrote a commentary piece on the topic which showed that even in the short time given for the exercise she managed to put her thoughts down with eloquence.

The Throw of the Dice
by R.N.

There are times we feel so weak. The strength to fight dies and our zeal turns to zero. The winds of misery blow out the light at the end of the tunnel. All that is left is darkness, and no track back.

We want to stretch our hands and spread some love to that poor beggar. But we remember it is our last coin, with no idea where the next will come from. We kneel down to pray for others, but then we remember the many unanswered prayers, and wonder if our prayers have any impact at all.

But do not despair in those times when you have no more strength to hold on. There is an angel to hold us up, to protect us when the enemy waits for us to give up.

Be a writer of your life and a reader of your mind. The more you know yourself the less you need the approval of others. Throw the dice, my friend, but only if you can afford to lose.




Creative writing class from Langata Women's Prison, Kenya







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not What You Think: 28th January 2020

-
Image
Obviously, for anyone spending time in prison, judgement has had a huge impact on their lives. However, quite apart from legal judgements, most people live looking through an almost invisible prism of moment to moment judgements. 'It's Not What You Think' was the theme of our writing exercise in class today. Students wrote in any form about a memory, or a story or poem which explored the theme. DB wrote a pair of tender poems which look at the two sides of judgement. One looked at the outer value judgements, and the voice of other poem is aware of the illusion judgement and moves beyond to compassion. JK wrote a wonderful story based in rural Kenya about an outbreak of typhoid. Joy, in quarantine, distrusts one medical workers seeming interest in her, and wonders what her motives are. When she drops her suspicion and fear, she discovers an opportunity she had never imagined. One of our new students, CNG, wrote about the dangers of instant physical attraction.
Read more

Moi's Milk: 4th February 2020

-
Image
Today, the former President of Kenya, Daniel arap Moi died. He has been a prominent feature of Kenyan life for many decades and how we feel about him, his era and legacy are not simple but multi-layered. Today in class we discussed this. We talked about memories, experiences, and impressions of a man who has had a profound influence on Kenya since Independence to the present day. Some remembered ‘maziwa ya Nyayo’ or Moi’s Milk; the name for the twice a week delivery of free milk to all children in schools across Kenya. For children mostly too young to understand the complex nuances of political life, children appreciated the milk and took it as a sign that their President cared for them. This feeling largely endured despite the darker periods of President Moi’s rule. His benevolence to children is remembered above all else. Nearly everyone wrote quite factual pieces today; unusual in our increasingly creatively confident class. One student, QXT, a Chinese nationa
Read more

In a Bar in Iceland: 21st Jan 2020

-
Image
In our class today, we did something different. Instead of the students writing individually from a prompt, we worked on a group exercise.  We imagined a place – a bar in a busy town in Iceland; a country none of us has ever been. We spent time on the details of the bar; décor but also its smell and feel. Everyone was given a different character with a few details. We then wrote individually from each point of view about why they were in the bar the night of the shooting. The group read each of their pieces out loud and amongst the laughter, it was clear that the collective piece impressed us all with its breadth and richness. Here is a composite of what the group wrote: Einar Our winter in Iceland was long this year. It is already March and the weather is still cold. It snowed the whole day today. I am alone at the bar. It is 10pm and already full. It’s always full but tonight is Ladies Night – which means free wine. But I don’t want wine. Last time I sat here I
Read more