For our new term, we’re approaching topics through a different ‘door’; a different ‘way in’. Our term’s themes are inspired by a poetry anthology exploring themes that get right to the core of us as humans- that which speaks most intimately to who we are. From this, we’ve picked a poem and a theme each session to explore. Do have a read of the poem beforehand if you have the time (they’re all short!). We’ll use this as a springboard to get our discussion going! ***This week:* HOPE** A vision of a future that propels us to keep living- our motor power. To rise up, keep going and hope again. A feeling; a virtue; a way of living; a craft? A deep intimate thing that may be too vulnerable to express at times, perhaps because we fear it being shut down by others or perhaps we fear it’s too wonderful to express in words- a true secret in us. Or perhaps our secret is we have very little hope? **"The Darkling Thrush" by Thomas Hardy** *'I leant upon a coppice gate* *When Frost was spectre-grey,* *And Winter's dregs made desolate* *The weakening eye of day.* *The tangled bine-stems scored the sky* *Like strings of broken lyres,* *And all mankind that haunted nigh* *Had sought their household fires.* *The land's sharp features seemed to be* *The Century's corpse outleant,* *His crypt the cloudy canopy,* *The wind his death-lament.* *The ancient pulse of germ and birth* *Was shrunken hard and dry,* *And every spirit upon earth* *Seemed fervourless as I.* *At once a voice arose among* *The bleak twigs overhead* *In a full-hearted evensong* *Of joy illimited;* *An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,* *In blast-beruffled plume,* *Had chosen thus to fling his soul* *Upon the growing gloom.* *So little cause for carolings* *Of such ecstatic sound* *Was written on terrestrial things* *Afar or nigh around,* *That I could think there trembled through* *His happy good-night air* *Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew* *And I was unaware.'* Come with your thoughts and questions. We'd love

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