List Sanctuary Poems - About Sanctuary Poems

Sanctuary Poems

by StarFields

About Sanctuary Poems

This is a collection of poem-exercises I wrote in one sitting, using the images as the starting point for each poem.

I was using each picture as a portal to a set of thoughts to unfold without reservation.

I like each one for what it is, a snapshot of the moment and of the interaction with the image. The reason I collected them and made this website is to inspire others who write poetry to have a go and not to worry about a thing when doing it, for one thing.

For another, there is an underlying strategy that I'm employing when I do these.

It's much the same strategy I use for writing fiction, or hypnosis inductions, and especially in Project Sanctuary work, namely to slowly shift state until the thoughts become distinctly different as a response. If you have an interest in NLP, state and language, you can notice that drop down point into this "other" dimension in every one of the poems and its then they become interesting.

With a little bit of practice, that state shift becomes a lot easier and these days, I can do it usually instantly and as soon as called upon; when there are words and/or writing involved, it takes a sentence or two to step down and I think that is as much to keep rapport with any future readers than it is for any other reason.

I enjoyed doing these exercises and I'm sharing these exercises with you in the hope that you'll go right ahead and write/experience your own more often and more deeply too.

Silvia Hartmann

March 2000

* See also this poetry exercise.