First-ever Forensicare's Writer's Festival unveiled

First-ever Forensicare’s Writer’s Festival unveiled

Featuring poems and stories by staff and consumers, Volume 1 of the Forensicare Writer’s Festival is now available.

Open to staff, carers and consumers, the first-ever Forensicare Writer’s Festival was an opportunity for our people to challenge themselves, and showcase their creativity.

We wanted to showcase the beauty–and power–of words. And now, in October 2020 as part of our Mental Health Month celebrations, we share these stories with you.

Why did we do the Forensicare Writer’s Festival?

Because being creative is a fantastic occupation. It supports self-reflection and self-expression–and it’s a great way to let go.

Creativity gives us an opportunity to express what might be hard to say–or to help someone understand how we’re feeling in another way.

It allows us to reflect on aspects of our life without censorship, and encourages us to be in the moment.

These stories, metaphors and experiences our authors describe often capture the experiences these people have lived. These experiences can be dark, lonely, and filled with the fear and despair that surrounds mental health. But these experiences also show acceptance, and hope.

And not all of these stories are dark. Some will warm your heart–and others will bring a smile to your face. And they’re all just as real and as important as each other.

We received a whopping 23 submissions for our inaugural writers festival, and while we’re sharing only snippets of the booklet externally, we hope you enjoy!

A poem by a Forensicare consumer: Untitled. Poem is: Asleep to wake and awake to dream. — A poem by a consumer in the 2019-2020 Forensicare Writer’s Festival.

Poem reads:Love!
Our love is more than just love. Our love is powerful. Our love is wonderful. Our love is not painful. Our love is entitled. Our likes are also entitled. If our angel wings are tufted, then our heart is tufted. But do you see, how much you mean to me? And you alone. For when I am all alone, just how good it is to have your voice over the phone. For our love makes me invincible. Our love is incredible. I adore you in every way. You take my pain away, as you take my breath away. — A poem by a Forensicare consumer in the 2019-2020 Forensicare Writer’s Festival.

Poem reads:You rise a good full hour before the sun;
And bid me make five things you will not eat;
Your Lego bricks are scattered - every one;
A little caltrop, waiting for my feet.
We dress you every day, and yet it seems each shirt, each sock, each hat's a new surprise; a clash of wills you had not forseen; and every explanation draws more "whys?". I feel I fail you every time a screen is used to entertain you while I look for the strength to face that dreaded bedtime routine: a bath, a book, a book, another book. But then at last, my little one, you sleep . . . and I had not conceived of a love as deep. — A poem by a Forensicare staff member in the 2019-2020 Forensicare Writer’s Festival.

Three little sardines: a poem.Three little sardines squished in a can, plucked from the ocean, put there by a man. Salty and saucy, stinky and soft, missing their tails and their heads been cut off. What a strange thing, a shiny little tin, to make a coffin to put poor sardines in, never to swim, frolic or play. So to eating sardines, I say "no way". — A poem by a Forensicare consumer.

Follow a Dream, a poem by a Forensicare consumer.

Thank you to all our writers for your bravery and openness in sharing your words with us–and congratulations on participating in our first-ever writer’s festival!

First-ever Forensicare’s Writer’s Festival unveiled