Originally Published 13 July 2004

They say that there’s a time and a place for everything and Millennium Place seems to sum that up. A group of Open Studies Creative Writing students recently visited Millennium Place to absorb the vibes and get some inspiration.

Last year some of class had visited Susannah Heron’s exhibition in the Mead Gallery and were inspired to visit her water feature by Coventry Cathedral. It was a hot, sunny, day and the students took in the four main features, the waterfall, the Whittle Arches, the time zone clock and the glass walkway.

Each student wrote their thoughts and then swapped them with a neighbouring student to extract the line which seemed to stand out as being ‘bright’. This poem was compiled by the class tutor creating a unified effort which she describes as a true collage of the day.

A pierced parapet
The building opposite shimmered and shimmied
through the rippling window
looking for all the world
that it was melting in the heat

Iridescent bubbles
vivacious, teasing which dance and scamper
until lost to sight
a curtain of cascading water
beaded rods of liquid

I smiled and the waters
engulfed me with pleasure

The arch split into two
and stretched forward like a giant pair of wings
Smooth and oppressive the half-spheres
swept in great curves
above my head

Like huge, menacing, armoured limbs
the winged arches hover
across time zones of the world
Peering from the blue snaking walkway
blossom falls to earth

I laughed and the shadows
went their own way.

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