Fire
I think that this project is a wonderful experiment, one that I’m fascinated to see realised. The Fire film, in particular, struck a deep chord because of my mixed race background…half of my family are Pakistani Muslims and the burning of the cloth that is traditionally used by girls to cover themselves, to preserve their ‘modesty’ brought something fiery and angry in my response.
Earth
The Earth film seems to me to be somehow dark, mysterious and sensual…and I had a sense almost of voyeurism that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. This led me to write about the stranger in the woods and a primeval fear of being watched or hunted, but the woman is clearly undisturbed as she moves around and I wondered why that might be… that she might be more afraid of her own mind or events in her life.
Deborah Alma has an MA in Creative Writing, teaches Creative Writing at Worcester University, leads writing groups for children and uses poetry to assist communication with people with dementia. She is also Writer in Residence for the Arvon Foundation at The Hurst in Shropshire and Poet in Residence for the NHS Mental Health Conference in October. She can also be seen driving her vintage ambulance as Emergency Poet, travelling to festivals around the country.
Contact kittythefish2@aol.com or emergencypoet@gmail.com
Elemental Dialogues 