Workshops with John Fox

Welcome to the group for participants in John Fox's weekend workshops. We are creating a space to share poems with others who have experienced this healing work either online or in person through John's workshops.

We invite you to participate in this virtual poetry circle by creating a new post to share your poetry and reading other posts to respond to each other's writings. Please respond to other shares by reflecting back the words or lines that resonate with you.

Consider sharing a poem on the Poetry Commons forum in addition to this group -- that group is open to anyone in the Institute for Poetic Medicine Community, not just those who have attended one of John's workshops.

We hope that you enjoy creating this space together and look forward to all the poems we have to share. Remember to respond with respect and kindness. This is not a place for criticism or unkind words. Please consider these requests before posting here. More details about the why and how of these requests can be found below.

Notes for our Group: It can be daunting to share what you've written, as most of us have questions on if the poem is good enough. We are aware of the vulnerability felt when sharing from our heart, and allowing ourselves to be seen. Therein lies the powerful work of poetry. When we create a visible expression of what is hidden inside, we can allow ourselves and others to hold it with reverence and respect. This in itself is a healing act. This is all to say, please share yourself with us and be seen! We so look forward to the growth and communion that can happen as we regularly write together.

There are two important guidelines for this group that we ask you adhere to:

The first is confidentiality. It is important to create a safe space where we don't have to worry about our words or writing being shared outside of the circle without our permission. If you are excited to share your writing with a wider audience, please say so. If you decide to share your writing on your own website or other page publicly, include #PoeticMedicine so that all of our posts can be found together.

The second guideline is respect. We come from many different perspectives, and even if you disagree, it is important to honor and show respect for one another's experience.

Poetic Medicine is about allowing each person in the circle to be themselves and to listen to themselves more deeply. Feel free to comment on words or lines that resonate with you, express a feeling evoked by what you read or a quality that is interesting and you're curious about.

If you see a post that does not align with these agreements please contact us - our admin team will respond appropriately if any of these guidelines are not being honored.

We are building community and that takes time, compassion, patience and a willingness to work together.