Fragments of Life as 'Small Stones'

Silhouettes
in pale sun through mist -
Blue-tits, suspended,
intently mining seedballs.

I've made a new, very simple, very gratifying discovery over the last couple of weeks - 'Small Stones' - the term given by Fiona Robyn and Kaspalita Thompson to the recording of one, intimately engaged and closely observed moment of your life and your interaction with the (inner or outer) world.

I've been enamoured with reading Haiku for a while now, but never felt that I get their creation quite 'right' - that I don't 'follow the rules' accurately enough, get the syllable arrangements all wrong...they just don't seem to come out well. (Who's got a vocal inner critic in this matter, then?!).

'Small Stones', it seems to me, don't have 'rules' as such - therefore freeing me from requirements of form and allowing me to just capture a moment in time. Being an avid journal-keeper myself and encouraging others to do so as well, I cannot think of anything more encouraging than to be able to say 'for just a minute - Stop. Look, listen, think... write'. A minute a day - we can all afford that, can't we?

We can spend many more minutes, afterwards, playing with the words, re-arranging them on the page, but capturing the essence, the fleeting moments of our lives (and what are all our lives but millions of present moments, linked together?) can be done in a minute.

The grave of Oscar Schindler

In Judaism, a stone is often left on a grave as a mark of remembrance, to show that the grave has been visited and that the incumbent is not forgotten. (I can't think that anyone who has seen the last scenes of 'Schindler's List' could be unmoved by this ritual). Having run my own memoir writing workshops, I can see 'Small Stones' utilised in future sessions in the same way. I will be encouraging participants to use them, beautifully employed to capture 'small stones of memory' which can later be further built upon.

Capture in a moment, savour forever. Sounds like a wonderful deal to me.

Thank you for formulating this concept of 'Small Stones', Fiona Robyn, and bringing the gift to my notice, Debora Palmer. I am grateful to you both.

 

Comments

[Sara]

And thank YOU for sharing it further...I like the concept. I guess I've been practicing something like it all along but never thought of it in these terms. I like it.

[Darla]

A very appealing idea Roz. As you know only kept a journal in fits and starts. Often inspired by something you've written. I wonder if this "idea" would take hold for me.

Darla

[annie]

I have dropped in after a long absence and was delighted to find this connection to the how-to of writing small stones. I love haiku and write haiku quite a lot but this less structured style is very much to my liking. Thanks so much for sharing it here.

[Margaret Lambert]

Capturing moments in time is a concept which has intrigued me my whole life, and I have rarely ever captured one with a camera. It is words and memory which are always at hand, and I appreciate that it is a personal enough process that we needn't worry about being too 'correct', though I appreciate that as well. In others' words!

[arby]

This is a truly lovely post. You have explained this tradition in such a lovely way. I've seen blogs that speak of "stones" as in 2stones, 3 stones, etc. but did not know what it meant. Many thanks for stating it so clearly and for the photo of Schindler's grave. Many thanks!

[Jamie]

I have somehow become unsubscribed (unintentionally) and missed this original post. I LOVE IT. I think this is something I do, though. And I've been loving yours. :) xox