‘Two poems’

Wormit Boating Club invited the women from the English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class at Dundee International Women’s Centre out for a morning excursion at Woodhaven Harbour. We also encouraged the women to write about their experiences collectively or individually. Jade Wiggan, DIWC support worker, convened a post-excursion ‘fridge poetry’ workshop, and these two poems are the result. The first is written collectively by the women in the class; the second is by Monjita Dutta, whose lovely lyric essay can also be found by clicking HERE.

On the water

Cotton candy skies,
the oar is calling me to row;
 ‘Trust the team and trust the waves’ it says.

Smiling, sharing within the boat
Time stops. Peace flows.
Then back to shore  with tired arms…

Teamwork has made the dream work!

Where Rivers Speak

(By Monjita Dutta)

I met the Tay in a quiet land,

trembling with an oar in my hand.

Wide and steady, strong yet still,

the water moved with quiet will.

The wind spoke soft across the wave,

the river taught me how to be brave—

to lose my way, then find my pace,

to trust the water, trust the space.

Each stroke became a lesson clear,

in letting go of doubt and fear.

And in its flow, so calm and free,

the river gently changed me.