DATE: Wednesday 21 May
TIME: 7 - 9pm
LOCATION: East Quay Kitchen

All are welcome to join us for our informal spoken word evenings, held once a month in the East Quay Kitchen, hosted by Elaoise Benson. You are invited to share your words and thoughts in response to the invitational theme, or just come along to listen and enjoy a cup of tea in good company. The bar will be open for drinks and snacks. 

This month's invitational theme is The Blooming. As we sit in the transitional period between spring and summer, and the natural world begins to grow again; how are you blooming into your best self? The blooming could be the pursuit of the healthiest, most energetic or attractive part of oneself. You could get out for a writing walk, spend time with your friends, family or community; do those little things that make you feel cared for. And in turn, can we think about how we might nurture the planet and those around us so they too can bloom?

May's guest speaker will be Marueen Onwunali, a Dublin-born Nigerian published poet and two-time national slam champion. She is currently a Resident Artist at the London Roundhouse and has been featured by various musicians, radio shows, and organisations including BFI, Pearson, Penguin, BBC Radio London, and the Poetry Society.

‍Poetry Prompt: Alive Things pt.2// You Can’t Eat Flowers
‍BY MAUREEN ONWUNALI  

1. To the first person who put a flower seed in the ground and expected nothing in return. How did it feel to pour into the earth?
2. To the first person who put flower seeds in a ground that knew only the taste of crops and transactions. Did the townspeople mock you? Did they turn their
chin up at your selflessness?
3. To the seed in the ground. Do you know how loved you are? Held and tucked neatly in your flower bed.
4. To the soil that welcomed the seed. Thank you. Somewhere buried deep in the earth, there is a lesson to be learned here. This is an invitation to bloom free from expectation.
5. To the seed put into the ground. Grow into whatever you want for yourself. You are loved by a gardener who redefined what purpose should look like.

‍How the evening works:
- Open Mic Sign Up opens from 6:45pm for a 7pm start.
- MC Introduction and Guest Set
- Open Mic - 2 poems each (but bring a 3rd in case we have time for more)
- Please give trigger warnings for any topics that listeners may find upsetting.
- Elaoise will close the evening and tell you what’s happening next month.

We hope to see you there!