On Friday 9th November, in Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall, United Kingdom, we welcomed Donna Worthington who led Rudiments (Year 8) pupils in spiritual creative writing workshops; taking inspiration from Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem «Windhover». This visit coincided with the Stonyhurst Literary Festival at the College.

The children used objects and images from nature and the Stonyhurst Collections (finding God in all things) to stimulate their writing.

The children showed real potential with their poetry writing which was skillfully revealed by Donna (faith-filled in themselves and in the beauty of God’s creation).

Butterfly
By Seb

Delicate

Mystical

Majestic

Fluttering like a windswept leaf

The fire-orange streaks

Across the sky

Stopping for only the best of flowers

The air

Its road tonight.

The Wolf
By Kai

A thousand hairs

None alike

Warmth and security

Paranoid pain

Snow white to miserable grey

Shell
By Jim

An elf’s shield

Makes goblins feel depressed

Water, light

Give it rest

Lily
By Natasha

Colour of angels

Smooth and unique

Loves Rain

Lovely lily

Bursting out

Ice healer

Sea Shell
By James

Silver

Smooth

Mermaids, krakens

Who would be frightened

Water, light

Infests this thing

This silver pearl

Spiral Sea shell
By Therese

I see the shell

Soft

Warm and shiny

Varieties of colours shining at me

The whooshing of the sea sounds in my ear

Like a staircase leading me to somewhere unknown

It captivates me

Sending me to places long forgotten