A windfall apple is an apple that has fallen from a tree. When we gather windfalls, we help ourselves to apples that happen to have fallen.
In this exercise, we help ourselves to words that have arrived by chance, and use these to inspire our own creative endeavours.
How to use our ‘windfall words’ exercise
Here is a short extract from Benjamin Zehaniah’s poem ‘People Need People’ (2000).
People need people,
Benjamin Zephaniah, ‘People Need People’
To walk to
To talk to
To cry and rely on,
People will always need people.
To love and to miss
To hug and to kiss,
It’s useful to have other people.
To whom to moan
If you’re all alone,
It’s so hard to share
When no one is there.
There’s not much to do
When there’s no one but you.
People will always need people.
Zephaniah’s poem is about the importance of human connection. It is an uplifting piece of writing that inspires hope.
We’ll use ‘People Need People’ to generate our collection of windfall words. Can you write a short description of someone who you feel supports you, which uses as many of these words as possible?
Your windfall words are…
Cry – Talk – Love – Miss – Moan – Alone – Need – Share – You
Are your reflections about a person that cares for you similar to Zephaniah’s sentiment about human connection? Or do you feel differently?
Write in the Head 