My second published poem was accepted not long after I came back from the Arvon poetry tutored retreat at Totleigh Barton. The wonderful tutors, Katrina Naomi and Fiona Benson, and the 14 poets, (most of whom were more experience and established than me), were supportive and inspiring; it was a life changing experience, before this I had contemplated giving up writing. Tuscan Sea Scenes was published by the lovely ezine, Writing at the Beach Hut, and reflects some of my times in Italy since retiring:
Tuscan Sea Scenes
The Caribeann white sands of Vada
have lost their spring banks of seaweed.
Fishing lines and tattered plastic lace
mingle with towels and migrant men
patrolling, selling, wave after wave.
In Rosignano Solvay
the factory with pluming towers
releases bi-carbonate waste
into turquoise sea.
Tuscan town and village life survives.
In Pomaia red-robed Buddhist monks
meditate, watching fields
roll down to a distant milky sea.
Lowering sun anoints it with gold
in defiance of fading light.
From Castellina hills
a fiery mushroom cloud sunset
barely disturbs slate sea.
Jenny Robb Poetry 