On Tuesday 13 October 2026, I facilitated a carers’ poetry session at Ignition Brewery in Lewisham, supported by Imago. We explored our surroundings, shared thoughts about poetry, and used drawings to express feelings through words. What mattered to me was giving carers space to create and hear one another.
I began by sharing how writing became part of my own caring journey. As a former carer for my mother, who lived with schizophrenia, and an ongoing carer for my two non-verbal autistic brothers, I know how difficult it can be to explain what caring involves. Writing books helped me raise awareness, while poetry gave me another way to communicate experiences and emotions in a few lines.
I reminded everyone that no poetry experience was needed. Poems did not have to rhyme, and sharing was optional. I wanted this to be a carers’ peer support space, with poetry helping us connect.
Noticing the world around us
Our first exercise invited everyone to look around the brewery or step outside and notice what they could see, hear and feel. From those observations, they were encouraged to write six to twelve lines.
The rainy Tuesday morning provided plenty of inspiration. Poems captured umbrellas, passing traffic, autumn leaves and people going about their day. Others noticed the welcome inside the brewery, familiar faces, a cup of tea, and even the sound of the projector.
It was interesting to hear how differently people experienced the same surroundings. A busy street could suggest movement and energy, but also loneliness. The weather could feel dreary, while life continued around us.
As carers, we can spend so much time doing things and responding to other people’s needs. This exercise offered a moment to pause and notice where we were. When poems were shared, I asked the group what stood out. Listening and offering encouragement became part of the activity.
Here are two poems from our observation exercise, capturing the same morning through different eyes.
Serena’s poem about the Tuesday morning
Rushing, waiting, beeping, honking,
Tuesday morning’s rush hour is well on the way.
People walking, shopping, gazing,
Umbrellas up on the go.
The sky is grey,
The rain drizzles upon the pavement,
Yet the air is still warm,
No shivering or quivering of lips in sight.
The trees sway with the breeze,
Autumn season turning the leaves,
Yellow, brown and shades of grey.
Sybil’s poem about life continuing in the rain
The sky is dull and dreary and rain falling,
But people still going about their business.
Some people going to work and some are shopping.
No matter the weather, life still goes on.
The buses still run their schedules,
The shops still open, tantalising everyone.
Indoors, we go to the carers’ home,
Writing poetry, everyone having a try.
God knows what we will come up with,
But it is good to exercise our brain.
Everyone will have a laugh to the end of the day.
What does poetry mean to us?
We then discussed what a poem is and what it means to each of us. Some described self-expression, personal thoughts or a way to put unspoken feelings onto paper. Others were still discovering their relationship with poetry.
The conversation brought in childhood memories, Scottish ballads, Louise Bennett’s Jamaican poetry and the work of Benjamin Zephaniah. We explored how poetry can carry a serious message as well as entertain. Participants also reflected on writing as a way to find comfort or work through questions.
This mattered to me because carers bring their own histories, cultures and ways of expressing themselves. Making room for those differences helps everyone contribute.
Turning feelings into pictures and poems
For our next exercise, participants drew something representing how they felt, gave it a title, identified three details, and used those observations to write a short poem.
This was more challenging, so we took time to offer prompts and encouragement. Faith and Nadine also helped others take part. A simple shape, a colour or a few lines could provide a starting point.
The resulting work covered a wide range of subjects: light amid chaos, sunflowers, confusion, a mango tree, recycling, family time, love and the wish for a brighter life. People showed their pictures and read their words, with support available for those who felt shy.
Seeing these drawings alongside the poems added another dimension to the session. Each person had found something different to communicate.
These two pieces from the drawing exercise show how colour and images opened up reflections on faith, hope and happiness.
Light Amidst the Chaos
So I’m feeling lots of things at this moment.
Matthew gave me these colours,
The colours that you see in the picture.
The picture made me wonder how vulnerable I want to be today.
I wasn’t really sure.
When I look at the picture, I feel as though life is a whirlwind.
There’s always so much to do.
But there’s a light peeping out in the corner.
And I know that he is guiding me,
Strengthening me and holding me.
I know that I will be okay
Despite the chaos of this season.
Be Yourself
I enter to find happiness.
As the sunflower points upward to the sky,
My heart soars upward in happiness.
As I ponder on God’s masterpiece of creation,
I see the brilliant yellow colours of the petals
That reminds me of the sun shining,
That brings happiness to everyone,
Everyone, everyone around.
Poems reproduced from the session transcript, with light punctuation edits and line breaks.
Thank you to Imago and everyone who joined us
There was laughter, thoughtful conversation and plenty of encouragement throughout the morning. I asked participants to keep their work so they could return to it and reflect on what they had created.
Thank you to Imago for making space for a carer-led session at Ignition Brewery, and to everyone who took part. For me, the value of the morning was hearing carers express themselves and seeing the group support each other as they did so.
