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luminouspoes · 3 years

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lookin' at you, like a star

pairing: poe dameron x reader

rating: teen warnings: grief, canonical character death

read on ao3

You try not to shiver as you step out from the base, eyes on the sky as you pull your sweater closer. There’s a chill to the D’Qar air tonight which sent just about every other officer inside but you.

It’d been almost a year since you joined the ranks of the Resistance, leaving behind a promising medical career on Lothal to do it, but you had no regrets. All you ever wanted was to help others, and there was a dire need for healers in the Resistance. You were happy to provide aid wherever you could, to whoever needed it.

Besides, the Resistance had become a new family to you. Before you usually kept to yourself, always feeling the need to erase parts of yourself for others’ comfort, but something about the people here brought out the best version of you, made you come alive.

Few people were as good at making you come alive quite like Poe Dameron, the shining star in the sky you were currently impatiently waiting to return with the rest of Black Squadron. You didn’t know much about the mission he was on (or any of the many other missions he’d been dispatched on recently), only that it was important to the General and, more frustratingly, classified.

What you absolutely knew for certain was that Poe had been different these past few weeks. There was a tension in his shoulders that wasn’t typically there, he was more irritable, and he was spending a lot of time isolated from others when he wasn’t on a mission. One day last week, you’d found him in one of the gyms, taking out his frustrations on a particularly beat-up looking punching bag.

What had stuck with you was how exhausted he’d looked recently. There were bags under his eyes and his usual upbeat attitude was chipped down. You just wanted to reach out and help him, understand whatever it was that was eating away at him, but vulnerable Poe was not.

You straighten up as four ships enter the atmosphere. Immediately, you hail the attention of the ground-crew, heart hammering in your chest, smile wide on your face until you realize what’s horribly, terribly wrong.

Five ships left.

Four came back.

Oh no.

It takes an agonizingly long time for all the ships to make landfall. You push and shove your way through the landing crew to get to the front, searching desperately for a sign of your bloody idiot flyboy —

First, you see Snap hugging Kare, then Jessika walking away, wiping tears from her eyes and your heart plummets down, down, down. He can’t be -

No. No, you’d know. The stars wouldn’t be twinkling so brightly, so beautifully if you were currently standing in a universe without Poe Dameron in it...right?

Wordlessly, you move forward to the remaining members of the Black Squadron. Your struggle to keep your voice steady as you call out, “Snap?”

He looks up, eyes shining. He squeezes Kare’s arm, presses a kiss to her cheek, and moves to meet you.

You’re on your tippy-toes, still searching for a head of thick black curls and a boisterous orange flight suit when Snap pulls you into a hug. You accept it but pull back quickly, “Snap, who didn’t make it?”

Snap sighs and lowers his eyes. “L’ulo got shot down. Oddy, too.”

You inhale sharply, tears rapidly springing to your eyes. You didn’t know L’ulo well, but he was a kind and fun fellow, and he meant everything to -

“Where’s Poe?”

“He took off as soon as we made landfall. Beebee-Ate went after him but...he’s not doing good. He also needs medical attention but I don't think he's in the right headspace to be thinking about that.”

“How badly was he hurt?” You demand as a fierce level of protectiveness rises through you.

“Terex stabbed him in the hand. Poe wrapped it before we made it home, but he —”

“Still needs to get it looked at.” You confirm and try not to groan. “I’ll find him.” You start to turn away to do just that but you hesitate and turn back to Snap. “I’m sorry about L’ulo and Oddy.”

Snap’s smile is too weary and too heartbreaking for you to focus on when he replies, “Part of the job.”

You dash through the base, any chill forgotten, as you rush into the medbay. Doctor Kalonia is still on duty and looks up with concern as you enter. “Is something wrong?”

“Dameron requires medical attention.” Your voice is calm and steady as you head to your station to collect a medpac. “He was stabbed in the hand.”

“And he doesn’t think that’s a worthy excuse for a trip to sickbay?” Kalonia asks with a blink.

You hesitate. You don’t want to spread gossip, certainly not about Poe, but it’s Doctor Kalonia. “He’s — he lost someone important to him today. I’m not sure he’s even thinking about sickbay right now.”

Kalonia’s expression turns soft. “Poor boy, as if he hasn’t lost enough already.” She gives you a gentle pat on the shoulder and smiles. “If anyone can help him, you can.”

You frown as she slips away, not sure what to make of her comment, but you decide to push it away for the time being so you can focus on finding Poe. You do a quick sweep of the base, even stop by his quarters, across from yours. You don’t get a response when you knock and there are no lights on inside as far as you can tell, so you decide he probably isn’t there either.

Which leaves one likely option.

And sure enough, you find him on the roof.

Beebee-Ate is nowhere to be seen, it’s just Poe alone, his legs drawn up to his chest as his shoulders shake. You freeze, unsure if you should give him a few minutes alone or try and comfort him. Once you spy his bandaged hand and the blood soaking through it, you decide you can’t wait any longer.

“Poe?”

Your voice comes out quiet, small, and unsteady. You have no idea what to do in this scenario. Sure, you have some experience in bedside manners, but seeing Poe break down factures your certainty.

He tenses, his jacket rustling as he tries to wipe away tears before you can see them. “What are you doing here?”

You take a step closer to him. He still hasn’t turned to face you, and you’re almost afraid to look at the heartache sure to be found on his face.

“Snap said you got hurt…” You whisper, bending down in front of Poe. His eyes are red-rimmed and his cheeks shine from the tears he tried to hide. “Oh, Poe.”

Gently, you place your hand against his cheek. Poe leans tiredly into it, closing his eyes with a sigh. “We lost Lu’lo and — Oddy — he’s gone too.”

You open your mouth to say sorry again, but you hesitate. You remember the anger you felt when all anyone had to say to you were platitudes and “sorry”s when you lost a friend to the First Order. Sorrys didn’t change the story, didn’t alleviate the grief. Instead, you ask, “What can I do?”

Poe stays quiet for so long you wonder if he missed what you said or if he fell asleep from exhaustion. Just as you’re about to ask again, he mumbles, “I thought I wanted to be alone but I don’t think..I’d mind some company.”

You don’t hesitate. “I’ll stay, then.”

“Thank you.”

You nod and sit down on your butt, folding your legs lotus style next to him. “Can I see your hand?”

Poe hums in confusion before it dawns on him. “Oh, right. Terex stabbed me.” He holds up the injured hand for emphasis. You gently take it. He wrapped it pretty well, but the cut still needs to be treated. You slowly start to unwrap the fabric as Poe continues, “I beat him. Terex. Not after the stabbing, Beebee-Ate did that but —” he cuts himself off so abruptly that you still, afraid you’ve hurt him trying to unwrap his hand, but the look in his eyes says otherwise.

“But what, Poe?” You ask as you open the medpac to pull out a canister of bacta-spray. You hold his gaze as you continue, “You can talk to me.” Please talk to me.

Poe opens his mouth a few times, trying to gather the words. Just as you think he’s going to slam up all the walls you know he has, he finally admits, “I let the First Order take Terex.”

“He got away?” You ask as you begin to administer the spray. Poe winces as the medicine hits the injury and your heart-rate spikes. You don’t like hearing him in pain.

“No. No, he didn’t.” Poe’s voice is colder now. You look up and he’s staring fixedly on the horizon.

You exhale and lean back as the medicine starts to set in: you have to wait a few minutes before you can rebandage his hand, so you elect to watch his profile. There’s a single curl that’s fallen in front of his face that you want to reach out and push back, but you refrain from doing so. “Talk to me. What happened with Terex?”

“He betrayed the First Order. They showed up to capture him and I - I knew what they'd do to him. I didn’t ask for them to show any mercy or to give him to the Resistance. I asked for a minute with him. I gloated. We won and he lost everything and I told him…” Poe closes his eyes again, taking a deep breath. “I told him the First Order would take the rest and I still handed him over.”

You look down at his hand, at the jagged wound still raw and red there. You can’t muster up any sympathy for Terex, whoever the hell he was, not if he hurt Poe. Not if he had any hand in Lu’lo’s death.

“The scariest part is that I don’t regret it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. What kind of person does that make me?” Poe asked.

“I don’t know,” you admit. “But I know you’re still you. Poe Dameron, my neighbor, and friend. I know when it comes down to it, you always put your life on the line for others, for a cause much bigger than any of us. I know you choose kindness when you can. Maybe today changes things, maybe it doesn’t. From where I’m sitting? Terex only got what he deserved. He’s on the path of destruction he set for himself. ”

Poe holds your own certain gaze, something indecipherable flickering in his warm brown eyes. Whatever it is, it makes your breath hitch a little in your chest. The timer on your chronometer beeps, reminding you of what you’re waiting for. You dart your eyes away, fumbling for a roll of bandages.

When you turn around to produce the bandages, he’s smiling. It’s shaky, but it’s a start. “You’ve got a good heart on you. The Resistance is lucky to have you.” Poe pauses, thinking about something, then adds, “I’m lucky to have you.”

You smile and duck your head. “What else are friends for?”

Poe doesn’t say anything in return, so you begin the slow process of rewrapping his hand. There’s already plenty of scars on them and you’re tempted to ask how he got them, but you decide not to. You press the bandage firmly in place, then cut away the excess. “Good as new,” you exclaim, tracing lines across his wrist with your thumb. “I should be able to take the bandaging off in a few days.”

“What would I do without you?” Poe comments and there’s a little more life to his voice than before. He’s starting to sound like your beloved, frustrating friend again.

“You’ll never have to find out.” It’s a dangerous promise to make, in the middle of a war, but it’s one you’re sure of keeping. Kalonia’s words echo back to you, Poor boy, as if he hasn’t lost enough already. You’ll be the one to stay. You swear on every last star in the galaxy that you’ll be the one to stay.

Poe’s smile fades and he looks down at your hand, still wrapped gently around his wrist. You scooch closer to him, and ask, “What else is wrong? I can tell, something’s troubling you.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Poe shakes his head.

“It does. You don’t have to go through it alone, Poe.”

“Don’t I?” He asks, voice ragged as he turns to face you. “I’m their leader , Leia expects me to be more, I have to be strong enough to carry the weight for all of them. But I’m not, I can’t go through it alone.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I already have, thanks to Terex.” Poe scrubs his face. “We had a mole inside Black Squadron. I couldn’t trust any of my teammates. It killed me. Turned out it was Oddy feeding them information, he didn’t have a choice, but - what if it happens again? If I can’t trust the people around me, what the hell am I supposed to do?”

You look away, down at your hands. You know too well what it’s like to know you can’t trust those around you. It takes a moment for Poe to realize what he’s said has hit close to home. “Hey,” he breaths, reaching out for you, “I’m sorry. I forgot about —” he stops himself before he can finish, unsure if he should voice it.

“No, don’t.” You murmur, staring at his hand resting lightly on your kneecap. “It’s fine, Poe. I’m supposed to be comforting you, remember?”

“You don’t have to.”

You start to admonish him but it falls short on your lips when you take him in, how worn-out and heartbroken he looks, how there’s a dash of surprise in there, too, surprise that anyone would comfort him: the Resistance’s Golden Boy. How lonely that pedestal must be.

“You don’t have to.” He repeats, hand slipping away from you and you realize he’s offering something else. In the year you’ve known him, you’ve successfully gotten closer to him than anyone else has, chipped away at the walls he’s clumsily put up.

He’s offering you a chance to walk away before you see him .

You grab his hand firmly. “I want to.”

He inhales shakily, threads your fingers together. “Can I trust you?”

“I trust you.”

“Trust goes both ways,” he murmurs and you smile. It’s a saying you’ve held close to your heart, it’s been your motto for so long.

“Yeah, it does. It’s the only thing that keeps us together, we can’t let the First Order take it away from us.” You exhale shakily, thinking of your parents. They’d turned their back on the New Republic, on democracy, on you, to join the monster that's risen up out of the ashes of the Empire.

Poe looks up at the stars. “I don’t ever want to doubt my team again.”

You follow his gaze. “I hope you don’t either.”

“You didn’t have to walk me back to my quarters.”

Poe makes a noise in the back of his throat. “It’s the least I can do since you stitched up my wounds for me.” He isn’t just talking about his hand and you both know it.

The corridors are warm and empty, and you both walk shoulder to shoulder. Poe’s flight jacket is zipped up to his chin and it looks strange like that. Colder, somehow. You miss how he styled it the other way.

“Will you be okay?” You ask as you turn into another hallway. You’d spent several hours up on the roof together, Poe sharing stories with you about Lu’lo. He seemed to skirt around a few things, dodged some of your questions with jokes, but it was the most he’d shared with you about his past. Despite the circumstances, you couldn’t help but treasure that. Poe’s trust was like a precious jewel you never wanted to lose.

Poe mulls over your question for a moment. “I don’t know. Not for a while, probably, but I think I will be, someday.” He stops mid-stride, blinking at the door to your room. “Oh. We’re here.”

So you are. You reach over and enter the code to open the door, then pause. “Do you want to come in? I could make us some tea or some caf.”

“It’s pretty late...I don’t want to keep you up any later than I already have.” Poe scratches the back of his neck.

“I don’t have a shift in the morning.” You assure him as your door slides open with a hiss. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, though.”

You wish he would though. That moment on the tarmac, terrified he hadn’t come home is still fresh in your memory, the fear still coiled loosely around your heart. You don’t want to be away from him, not yet, maybe not ever.

He takes a step closer to you, places his hands on your arms, looks down at you with those warm eyes - his eyelashes are so long - and replies, “I want to. You have no idea how much I want to, but I have to find Beebee-Ate. He rolled away shortly before you showed up to recharge. I want to make sure he got there without getting distracted by anything.”

“Only your droid could be so easily distracted, Dameron.” You say dryly.

“He learns from the best.” Poe agrees and leans forward to kiss you on the crown of your head. You go still in his arms, heart fluttering wildly, until he pulls back with an odd look on his face, lips not quite turned into a smile. “Thank you for staying.”

You’re still trying to clear away the mental fog you got when he kissed you when you reply, “Always.” You clear your throat and try again. “That’s why we work so well, isn’t it? You do the reckless stuff, I look after you.”

The joke doesn’t quite land because your heart isn’t into it, eyes drifting down to his injured hand. You wished he didn’t throw himself into danger quite as much, wished he wouldn’t get hurt, but it was a war and he was an impulsive idiot and if he died you’d resurrect him long enough to kill him yourself.

Poe tilts your head up with his finger, concern knitting his brows together. “Hey, what’s on your mind?”

You start to reply but the words lodge in your throat. Somehow, somewhere along the way, Poe Dameron has made himself essential to you. The fear of losing him, brought into sharp relief by the terrifying moment before the ships landed, flipped a switch in your head.

He looks different now than he did yesterday and that terrifies you.

“I’m —” You shake your head, clearing the fog. “I’m more tired than I thought, is all.” The excuse sounds awful even to your own ears, and you can tell by the flash of disappointment that Poe knows it’s a lie too. He’s not the only one with walls.

He drops his hands from you and takes a step back. You immediately hate the distance. “Get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You can’t fight the smile that crosses your face as you step inside your quarters. “See you tomorrow.”

#poe dameron x reader #poe dameron imagines #poe dameron imagine #poe dameron #star wars x reader #star wars imagine #poe dameron x you #myfic

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lookatthestarrynight · 4 years

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Laughter is the Best Medicine - Chapter Five

Poe Dameron/Doctor!OFC: Poe Dameron has joined the Resistance at the request of General Leia Organa, and he’s finally arrived on the Echo of Hope, the Resistance’s floating base of operations. While on board, he meets the Medical Director of the Resistance and... falls in love? We’ll see.

I’ve also posted this on AO3. Check my masterlist to see what I write for. Please only like, don’t reblog. Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think!

No warnings! :) 1860 words.

It was a week before I found myself in the Command Center again, and this time it was because of a late night, last minute message from the General. I’d already eaten dinner and was in my office poring over new recruit physicals to sign off on when my commlink went off.

“Director Nova speaking.”

“Director, this is General Organa. Come down to the Command Center for a moment… I have something I’ll need your help with.”

“Right away, General. Be there in 5.” I turned off the commlink and threw the physicals back onto my desk, heading out of the room and into the halls of the base.

In no time at all, I was stepping into the Command Center, which was nearly empty except for the night shift staff, the General, and… Poe. What a surprise.

“You called, General?”

“Yes. I’ve asked Commander Dameron here to select pilots and techs for a new squadron. They’ll be going on a few specific, special missions for me, and I want you to handle the transition approval physicals for all of them.”

“Um, sure. I’m sure I could get together a few nurses to—”

“I want you to handle all of the physicals by yourself.”

“I, uh – what?”

“Since this squadron is being formed for a very specific, highly classified purpose, I want you, alone, to handle the physicals. The Commander will provide you with a list of pilots and techs he’s tapped for this squadron, and I want you to pull them from their daily duties tomorrow to run the physicals,” the General paused, “Will you be able to finish it all by tomorrow evening?”

I stared at her. “Um, I think so, yes. But, General, if I had assistance, I could get it done earlier,” she gave me a look, “But if you insist—”

“I insist.”

“—then I’ll get it done.”

“Good,” she paused once more, surveying me, “And would you object to being the only one in charge of their medical care if they get injured on a mission as a part of this squadron?”

I stole a glance at Poe, who was watching our exchange with restrained interest. I looked back to the General. “I don’t mind – my policy has always been that pilots are handled by the more senior medical staff anyways… so it wouldn’t be a terrible adjustment, I don’t think.”

The General nodded. “Good. Welcome to the Black Squadron then, Director.” And with that, she left the Command Center with a small bow of her head to Poe.

I turned to Poe. “Soooo… who’s on this list of yours?”

“Oh, you’re going straight to work already?” he teased, looking down at me.

“Yes, Poe. Physicals are incredibly time consuming, and pilots are notoriously uncooperative—” I gave him a look, and he shrugged, “—so the sooner I start, the better.”

“Fair enough. I’ll message it to you,” he said, reaching over to the holopad sitting on the table in front of him. He tapped a few spots on the screen, then looked up at me and smiled, spinning it around to face me, the Message Delivered! screen flashing in my face. “All done!”

I snorted. “Thank you, Poe.” I made to head towards the exit, but stopped and turned towards him once more, “You’d better cooperate with me tomorrow, alright? And tell that to all your lovely pilots – I mean business.”

He laughed. “Will do, Director.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“I swear, we’ll be the best squadron that ever comes through your office.”

“You are all individually the worst pilots to come through my med-bay, so I find that very hard to believe, Dameron.”

“Oh, come on!”

The next day, I was in the med-bay an hour before I usually would be, holed up in my office comparing schedule after schedule – in an admittedly vain attempt to make my job easier. I huffed, throwing the last few bites of my decidedly unimpressive breakfast muffin in the compactor bin. I stood up, grabbed my holopad, and headed to the hangar. I’d decided last night that Dameron would be the first one through – I was hoping for some sort of scenario where he would set a good example for his squad mates – but I knew I was naïve to think such a thing would happen.

I knew it was shaping up to be a long day, too, the instant I stepped inside the hangar.

“Hey – Commander! – I bet she’s here for you!” Snap called across the hangar, a grin on his face, “Better run!”

“Snap! Ugh, just for that – you’re second!” I hurled a rubber gasket from the table closest to me at him, hitting him in the back of the head with a satisfying, light thud.

“Stars, woman! Poe, mate, it might be in your best interest to cooperate. She’s on the warpath today.” He called out, picking up the gasket and waving it above his head so the rest of the hangar could see it. “She threw a gasket at my head!”

Poe stood up from his spot under the Black One and ambled over to me, BB-8 on his heels. “A gasket, huh?” he said with a grin.

“A rubber gasket. He’s being overdramatic.”

“Sounds like him,” he grabbed a rag off the bench by the hangar door, wiping oil off of his hands, “So, I’m up first then?”

“Yes, you are,” I said, turning to leave, “Follow me, would you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As we walked through the halls on the way back to the med-bay, he turned to look at me, a funny look on his face.

I glanced at him. “Something the matter?”

“No, no. I just—well,” he paused, “I just wanted to say thank you. For doing this.” He gestured vaguely around us.

“It’s kinda my job, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to. You could’ve just as easily said no to the General.”

I snorted. “The only people who say no to the General are people who don’t have their heads screwed on right, Poe,” I sighed, “And besides, this gives me a chance to hang out with some of my favorite people on base while silently judging them on their health choices.”

He laughed, his eye twinkling. “You don’t actually do that, do you?”

“No, I’m just teasing. Ojo does, though. Rants about everyone on base whenever he comes in my office for something.”

He nodded, and we turned the final corner and entered the med-bay. I guided him to the first room, which was set up for physicals and other short examinations.

“I’ve screwed up my whole med-bay schedule for this, so please don’t make it difficult.”

He smiled, “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it, Doc.”

I snorted, sitting my holopad down on the table by the door. “Those are famous last words right there, Poe.” I walked over to him. “I’m going to do all the easy stuff first, and then we’ll move on to the more complicated parts.” He bobbed his head in acknowledgment.

“So, that means I’m going to need you to undo this top part of your coveralls.”

“Ohhh, I see how it is. Right away then, Doc.”

I shook my head and turned to grab the things I’d need for the first part of the exam while he fiddled with the coveralls. Something told me last night’s promises weren’t going to turn out entirely true.

It was a long day, filled by frustrating pilots. After Poe, I’d had to track down Snap (who’d conveniently hidden from me, so I made Poe find him), and then it was L’ulo L’ampar – who was the only cooperative patient of the day – and then Karé Kun, and then Oddy, and then Jessika – who’d cracked jokes the entire time and thus made it difficult to do my job. Despite all that, though, I managed to finish everything just in time for dinner. I sent the transition approvals to the General via holopad, and I opted not to spend dinner with the pilots. Instead, I spent dinner with Shana, Ilia, Ojo, and Nira – which was not entirely the change of pace I had been hoping for.

“So, did you have fun today?”

“Nope. Pilots are terrible.”

“Even Commander Dameron?”

I glared at Shana. “Not as much, but yes, even Commander Dameron.”

Shana hummed, turning to Ilia to ask her a question about work today. I listened for a moment, before my mind drifted away, and I found myself staring at the other side of the cafeteria where Poe sat amongst his squadrons. He was laughing at something, his eyes crinkling up in the corners and his whole body shaking. He looked so happy, and I suddenly felt very glad that I knew him at all. My fingers absent-mindedly reached up to fiddle with the stone charm on the necklace he’d given me when – as if he knew I was thinking about him – Poe glanced towards me, making eye contact. He smiled, and my heart fluttered as I smiled back. He reached up to his neck, mimicking my fiddling with the necklace, and winked. I blushed and looked back down at the dinner sitting in front of me.

When I looked back up, he was already occupied by his pilots once more, and I frowned to myself, tuning back into my friends’ conversation. Nira, however, must’ve noticed something had happened, because she made a face and me and asked:

“You good, Hera?”

I snapped out of my trance. “What?”

“I asked, are you okay, Hera?”

“Oh, uh, yea. Just lost in thought.”

“About that Commander of hers, probably.” Shana chimed in.

“He’s not my Commander, Shana.”

“You didn’t deny you were thinking about him, though.” Nira giggled.

I groaned, standing up. “The lot of you are absolutely terrible.”

“Oh, come on, Hera. Where are you going?”

“I’m kinda tired – it was a busy day today. I’m just going to my quarters.”

Shana looked skeptical. “Well, have a good sleep then.”

I nodded. “Same to you all.”

I threw out the rest of my dinner and walked out of the cafeteria. I thought I was home free when I made it all the way out without anyone calling my name – but I wasn’t.

“Hey, Hera!”

I stopped, turning slowly to face the familiar voice.

“Where are you going?” Poe asked, a shadow of concern in his eyes.

“Oh, uh, just my quarters – I’m a bit tired.”

He nodded. “Well, d’you want me to walk with you?”

“If you feel so inclined.”

He smiled, and slung his arm around my shoulder, guiding us down the hall. “Wonderful!”

I shook my head. “You’re way too happy at this hour.”

He shrugged, his thumb gently running back and forth over my shoulder. “Gotta make sure my favorite doctor stays cheery all the time.”

“Your favorite doctor?”

“Yep. My favorite doctor.”

“You hate being in the med-bay though.”

“But I love being with you, so. Favorite doctor.”

“Ever the charmer, aren’t you?”

“Guilty as charged.”

I smiled to myself as we walked down the hall. I liked where this was going.

#poe dameron fanfiction #poe dameron x reader #poe dameron x you #poe dameron #star wars fanfiction

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derpyslurpy-da-derp-master · 6 years

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Why Emotionally Abusive Dads In Disney Is A Serious Problem

PLEASE SPREAD THIS. LET EMOTIONAL ABUSE VICTIMS KNOW THAT THEY ARENT ALONE AND THAT THEIR ABUSE ISNT OKAY.

So. Let’s get this outta the way immediately, I had and still have an emotionally abusive father myself and it took me a very long time to realize I was being abused. Why? Because I saw so many dads in movies I watched act exactly like him. Because to a kids brain, seeing these Emotionally abusive characters put in a positive light in the end made me think it was normal and okay. But it’s not. Not by a long shot. Because of this I let myself be victimized by my father over and over again, because I thought it was okay. And I just know that other kids with emotionally abusive fathers are growing up with this same skewed perception of morality because a movie said these abusive men are good parents. And before you go ‘What emotionally abusive parents?’

What these characters have in common?

Dream Crushing. Telling their children they can’t pursue their dreams. Neglecting them. Solving arguments with shouting. Not thinking about what their child must be feeling. Destroying or attempting to destroy things their child loves/cares about.

These kind of characters are the reason I thought my emotional abuse was okay.

Now, the reason it was so potent in making me okay with my abuse was because a lot of the things these guys do hit close to home.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve feared for my well being when his temper rose to Triton levels. I can’t tell you how many times my dad’s treated me nicely when I’m doing what he wants like Moana’s father only to snap at me the second I try to be who I really am. I can’t tell you how many times my dad has been like Remi’s father, telling me that i’m crazy if I pursue my dreams as an artist, saying it’s useless, treating me like garbage because I kept doing what I love. I can’t tell you how many times he’s outright abandoned me the second I’m under scrutiny that he doesn’t want to deal with like Buck Cluck does to his son.

I’ll start with the first and most violent of abusive fathers I've listed; King Triton. He’s one of two men on this list that tried to (and succeeded) destroy(ing) something his child cares about, and by that I mean everything his daughter cares about short of murdering Flounder. Like... The scene in Ariel’s grotto ties by stomach in knots every single time I see it because it’s so familiar and so harsh and just... I can’t even put it into words. This scene makes so many emotions go through me, both because of the scene itself and the memories it brings to the forefront of my mind. I’m not going to say anymore because I’d rather not throw a pity party for myself. But this is absolutely the prime example of an emotionally abusive father in Disney, he spends most of the movie literally trying to control Ariel who shows many of the signs of an emotionally abused child. And this... This scene is just the icing on the already toxic relationship.

Tritons not the only one trying to legitimately destroy something his kid cares about, when watching Moana I had serious flashbacks to the aformentioned scene. I already was going ‘great another emotionally abusive dad’ when I saw how the main conflict of the first half of the movie was literally Cheif Tui forbidding his daughter from being herself, something that a lot of emotionally abusive parents do to keep control of their children. But then, this happened.

He... He wants to burn the boats. He wants to burn the boats Moana had found and chucks the Heart Of Tafiti as far as he can, something of great importance to his daughter. This man is literally pulling a Triton, but in this case he doesn’t get the chance because he tossed the Heart where his mother’s walking stick had dropped. Think about that for a moment, if he hadn’t thrown it right there, He would have been too busy burning boats while his daughter was crying ‘NO!’ to be with his mother on her deathbed. That is how far Tui would go (Moana pun unintentional) to say ‘You can’t be who you are because I say so’ to his child.

Django isn’t violent per-say, but he definitely is controlling and NOT a good father to Remi.

This guy refuses to let anybody do anything even remotely different from him, Emile mentions at the beginning of the movie that Django would be upset if he saw Remi walking on his hind legs. Yes, you read that right, this guy would be very upset at his own son if he dared to do so much as to walk on his hind legs. That’s how controlling he is.

And when Remi is found alive at first Django’s nothing but happy that his son is alive, but the second Remi reveals just how much he’s grown as a person away from his father’s suffocating watch Django’s on him again and being even more adamant then before on telling his Son who he can and can’t be.

He goes so far as to take him to a pest control storefront with Rat Carcasses in Mouse Traps hanging from the display to make his point of ‘Humans can only be bad because they hate us and you’re wrong.’ He shows his child dead bodies of other rats killed by humans. To make a point.

Remi rightfully takes every opportunity to be away from his dad, and thankfully had a much better role model in Chef Gusteau who taught him how to create things in his own way and that his father was wrong about the world, and thank god for that, if Remi listened to his father Ratatouille wouldn’t be my third favorite Disney Movie.

Ohhhh Buck Cluck. Where do I even begin. Well how bout with the fact that the Youtuber MysteriousMrEnter hates this guy so much he would ‘Urinate on his grave given the opportunity’ and is from one of the most despised Disney Movies of all time which is very bad/offensive like half the jokes are ‘ha ha this guys fat’ or ‘ha ha this girls ugly’ or ‘ha ha bullying and maiming’

Well Buck’s definitely not the same as these other guys... And by that I mean he neglects his son and abandons him to avoid the embarrassment of having Chicken Little as his son. Oh, and he only ever acts like he loves him after he does good in baseball since Buck wants to re-live his glory days through his son and if he can’t do that his son is dead to him. He. Is. SO EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE. He neglects his son and makes his son feel absolutely worthless, he abandons him when he needs his dad the most, all for what? Because he doesn’t want to be associated with his own son??

Every one of these abusive dads has a happy ending and is ‘redeemed’ because they help their kid somehow in the end. Every. Single. One. And the movie acts like the abuse didn’t happen in the first place or that them occasionally being nice makes the abuse okay. It’s already hard enough to get away from Emotional Abusers, it’s even harder when they’re not awful all the time to make you think you’re exaggerating what’s happening to you, and it’s even worse with movies reinforcing that you are exaggerate since these abusive dads are put in a positive light at the end. This entire hot-cold attitude is how Emotional Abusers keep their victims from leaving or getting help. (This push-pull/hot-cold technique is also the same technique used by cults to keep their members from leaving.)

We need to stop letting abused kids think their abuse is normal, we need to stop normalizing abuse.

But, to end on a positive note, here are two Disney Dad’s that gave me some hope and a glimpse of actually good and healthy Father-Child relationship. These dads were genuinely really great parents that were very good examples for their kids and poured all their love into them, and that would be Mufasa and Tiana’s father, James. I mean both of them are dead and have little screen time, but that’s what happens when you aren’t an antagonist I guess.

In the Lion King, there’s a moment that is set up exactly like the aforementioned ‘kid does something they were told not to do which makes emotionally abusive dad lash out at them and/or destroy something they really care about’ that was highlighted with Triton and Tui. Simba just endangered both himself and Nala, Mufasa is clearly upset about it and says he needs to teach his son a lesson. Simba looks like he expects to get the aforementioned treatment of anger and i’m assuming this is the first time he’s ever truly upset his dad. Except...

Mufasa doesn’t shout at him. He doesn’t try to destroy anything. He isn’t upset because his child dared to defy him, he’s upset because his child put himself in danger, he was afraid for his well-being. Instead of shouting angrily, Mufasa takes this opportunity to take his ‘teach my son a lesson’ comment literally and teach Simba something. He teaches him what it truly means to be brave, they resolve their tension by the two being lovingly playful like a father and son should be, then Mufasa decides to teach him something else, about the past kings, and about how he’ll always be there for him. Instead of punishing his son harshly, he taught his son how to be better. That is a good dad.

James on the other hand doesn’t even have the hinting of the usual abusive dad trope to subvert it, James is just that- A really good, supportive dad.

Like, there are SO MANY bad dads in Disney specifically that try to keep their kids from their dreams because they don’t approve or understand, here James is nothing but supportive of Tiana’s dream, in fact they share the same dream of opening up a restaurant they can call their own. James sees her talents and he nurtures them so she can pursue her own dream, he instills the value of hard work and good cooking into his daughter, but not by force like the other dads on this list, because as Mama Oddie says, ‘You’re your daddy’s daughter, what he had in him you’ve got in you!’ Tiana grew up to become the amazing woman she is in large part because she had such a supportive, nurturing father that pointed her in the right direction.

So, in conclusion. We need more good examples like Mufasa and James, we need to stop pretending emotional abuse is okay, because it isn’t. Let’s set future generations good examples that they don’t get in their own homes.

#Disney #Emotional Abuse #Please Reblog #Important Post #Serious #Original

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uomo-accattivante · 6 years

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For the entire run of Charles Soule’s Poe Dameron comic book series, readers have gotten the chance to experience the wit, bravery, and unselfish nature of the best pilot in the Resistance. We also have been introduced to Black Squadron, a muscular Hutt, and a compelling new villain. With a new storyline coming this May, StarWars.com e-mailed with Soule about what makes Poe Dameron unique, his Black Squadron copilots, and why Agent Terex is the perfect foil for the titular character.

StarWars.com: Ever since fans were introduced to the characters in The Force Awakens, people have been drawn to Poe Dameron. What is it about the character that you find so compelling, and how do you channel that into the Poe Dameron series?

Charles Soule: I won’t lie — writing a swashbuckling expert pilot with charisma for miles won’t ever be a drag. Poe the character brings an energy to his scenes that’s pretty undeniable, like a feedback loop of fun and focus. Now, I know I’m writing about a fictional character as if he’s a real person, making me just the scribe jotting down his adventures as they happen, but sometimes it feels like that. Poe is sort of a force of nature.

StarWars.com: While Han Solo and Poe Dameron are a type of foil for one another, and both use unconventional methods at times, they are more dissimilar than they are alike. Compare and contrast the two pilots and what makes them tick.

Charles Soule: I’m tempted to do this in terms of Dungeons & Dragons alignments, but I don’t want to mash together too many fictional worlds here, so I’ll stick to Star Wars. Han is just a darker guy in general than Poe. You can rely on him, if he decides you’re worth his time and energy, but that’s not a foregone conclusion. I don’t think you’re ever quite sure where you stand with Han Solo, which is part of what makes him a great character. Poe is a more selfless character, just in general. I don’t see him ever trying to cut and run as long as there’s still someone he might be able to help. That said, Poe’s rampant idealism and self-confidence absolutely gets him into trouble, much the way Han’s sense of self-interest causes problems for him, as well. They’re both pretty awesome, though!

StarWars.com: Let’s look at your incredible run on this series so far. The series is initially set before the events of The Force Awakens and has taken Poe on a number of adventures. What stands out to you from your run so far, and what have been some of your biggest challenges as a storyteller?

Charles Soule: I’ve been really happy with the new characters we’ve introduced to the Star Wars universe, especially Poe’s nemesis Agent Terex, former Imperial stormtrooper and sometime officer in the First Order Security Bureau. He’s always a blast to write, almost a negative-image of Poe himself. Suralinda Javos and Oddy Muva are standouts as well, but even fleshing out characters from the films like Snap Wexley and Jess Pava has been fun, too. As far as challenges… I’d say the biggest thing was creating a compelling, strong adventure for Poe and Black Squadron that fit within what’s really a pretty small window in the Star Wars timeline — directly before The Force Awakens. We knew where the story ends, to a degree, so finding drama in the journey to get there was a tricky proposition. However, as is often the case in writing, solving the challenges was not just a great time, but resulted in a better story.

StarWars.com: Agent Terex is not the traditional “bad guy” in a First Order uniform and is much more than an archetypal villain. And, despite Captain Phasma’s best efforts, he seems to have an iron will. How much fun is this character to write, and what can you tell us about his character arc?

Charles Soule: Right — Terex! As I mentioned, he was an Imperial stormtrooper, even present at the Battle of Jakku. He became a galactic crime boss in the intervening decades, a truly ruthless man, but he was always pining away for the lost Empire, which he thought was a pretty cool institution. So, when he heard rumors of this thing called the First Order, he signed up, offering his immense network of contacts and favors owed to them. For a while, that was fine, until he began to tangle with Poe, as they both searched the galaxy for the missing explorer Lor San Tekka, in the hopes he could lead them to Luke Skywalker. Poe can be a frustrating opponent, and we’ve seen all sorts of things happen to Terex on his journey in the series. Personally, though, I think he ends in a really good place, and I’d love to see him pop up elsewhere. We’ll see!

StarWars.com: Through this series, we have also gotten to know the elite pilots of Black Squadron. What makes them such a perfect complement to Poe, and how do they keep one another “grounded,” especially considering how gifted they are at what they do?

Charles Soule: Black Squadron has evolved a bit over the course of the series, as any cast of characters should. We began with Poe, Temmin “Snap” Wexley, Jessika Pava, Karé Kun, L’ulo L’ampar, and their loyal(ish) ground tech and aspiring pilot Oddy Muva. We lost both L’ulo and Oddy, as well as more than a few astromechs assigned to Jess, but a new member joined — the one-time journalist and New Republic Navy veteran Suralinda Javos. Snap and Karé got married at the end of #25, too, which was a storyline I built for a long time in the series. I think they all love each other, and would do anything for each other, but these are fighter pilots. They’re competitive. Still, they usually manage to channel those tendencies into the fight against the First Order, where it should go.

StarWars.com: We also meet Ivee, the incredibly brave astromech (see Poe Dameron #25) that has a rather strong bond with BB-8. What inspired this storyline, and what has the response been like?

Charles Soule: It’s been so fun! Ivee and BB-8 clicked immediately, becoming extremely fast friends, connected in a deep way that organic beings probably can’t completely understand. I thought it might just be fun to give BB-8 sort of a… well, I don’t know if you can call it a romance, exactly, but certainly a very close friendship with another droid. The response has been strongly positive. It’s sort of amazing to me what you can do in comics, and storytelling in general, to imbue a hunk of metal, plastic, and wires with what really feels like “humanity” — whatever that means in a universe filled with all sorts of non-human sentients.

StarWars.com: You clearly have a talent for finding the voice of so many iconic Star Wars characters, and nowhere is it more apparent than when you write Leia Organa. It’s a tribute to your writing prowess that you are able to add to her wonderful legacy. How do you maintain the nuance of this character and keep her so fresh and engaging?

Charles Soule: Leia’s awesome, and really, writing her is not that different from writing any of the characters in any of my Star Wars projects. I just do my best to put myself in their position and let them talk. Leia is a master politician, incredibly empathetic, but also wry and funny. She’s faced with the re-emergence of an evil force she thought she’d defeated decades before, and now she’s doing everything she can to prevent it from taking over the galaxy. She’s under enormous stress, but she handles it with charm and grace. She also takes zero crap from anyone — that’s a big part of writing her, too.

StarWars.com: The “Legend Found” arc features a poignant conversation between Poe and Lor San Tekka in which they discuss the nature of the Force. It’s a great way to see the Force from the perspective of non-Jedi characters, but also teaches us a bit more about this mystical energy field. What do we learn from this conversation?

Charles Soule: The biggest thing, I think, is the way a character like Lor San Tekka who’s been studying the Force his whole life views the “hero Force-wielders.” Jedi and Sith, essentially. Lor understands why they get all the attention, as agents of the Cosmic Force, but he knows they’re just a small part of the immense whole that is the Living Force. For Lor, and for the vast majority of beings in the galaxy, it’s all about the Living Force. I hadn’t seen The Last Jedi yet when I wrote that sequence, but now that I have, I think it’s pretty fair to say that Luke Skywalker would probably agree with Lor San Tekka’s point of view, at least in part.

The cover of Poe Dameron #27, coming May 16.

StarWars.com: In May, you have a new arc in store for readers. What can you tell us about it?

Charles Soule: The bookends of Poe Dameron issues 26-31 are set moments after the events of The Last Jedi. I don’t want to suggest that it’s a direct mini-sequel or anything like that; the story is told as a flashback in a conversation following the Battle of Crait. It just gives fans a taste of where things are after the film wraps up. It also takes a look at both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi from the point of view of characters we didn’t necessarily see in the movies, and will catch us up on what Black Squadron was up to during Episode VIII in particular. I can’t wait for these issues to begin coming out — they were so much fun to write!

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#oscar isaac #poe dameron #star wars #charles soule #the last jedi #the force awakens #poe dameron comics #marvel #comics

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ret-uk · 5 years

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The Great North Wood

December 2016

Here is the article that we wrote for PMLD Link. It says a little more about the work I do with Emmie and Keith as Sound Tracks.... (Coralie too but she is working hard as a Speech and Language Therapist at time of writing :))

SOUNDTRACKS AND THE GREAT NORTH WOOD

Sarah Glover, Emmie Ward, Coralie Oddy and Keith Park have formed a collective – Soundtracks - to provide multi-sensory storytelling, poetry, music, song and dance workshops for adults with severe and profound and multiple learning disabilities on the theme of The Great North Wood

Sarah writes:

The Great North Wood History

Oh the trees grew all around, even in, your own home town…

I first found out about The Great North Wood when studying for my MA in Museums and Galleries in Education. I was researching the history of Crystal Palace Park for various projects, which included the creation of a community audio trail. During my research, park and parish boundaries were frequently mentioned and there was talk of the ‘Vicar’s Oak’ that once stood on the triangle. Looking at area map excerpts through different time periods I became intrigued by the time before the palace and park and in particular with John Roque’s 1746 map of London. I found a copy of Roque’s map in Lambeth Archives and this map clearly marks ‘The Great North Wood’ in large lettering over Norwood and Dulwich. Having lived in West Norwood off and on over the years I had had no idea of the name’s origin. If ever you get the chance to take a look at the map, you should!

I can not confess to be the most knowledgeable person on The Great North Wood. The London Wildlife Trust are a good source of information and they are currently working on a Heritage Lottery Funded project on the theme. The trust manages areas of land which include remnants of the wood that you can visit today, such as Sydenham Hill Wood. I am fascinated by the wood and the stories it holds. I am particularly interested in the mix of tangible and intangible history of the area and I am passionate about helping to make local heritage accessible to as many people as possible. Key aspects of life in The Great North Wood are used as starting points during the sessions – the nature and characters of the wood. We have always left these aspects open for development during the sessions – and the learning has been for us as project creators as much as for the students.

We are beating, beating, beating the bounds… we are beating, the bounds…

The Great North Wood once covered most of South London and stretched from as far as Deptford to Selhurst. Many clues about the area’s history are in names – area and street names such as Vicar’s Oak Road. The wood was centrally made up of Oak trees, and boundary oaks such as the Vicar’s Oak (that no longer stands) were important landmarks. People would have visited these oaks when taking part in the annual tradition of beating the bounds. From what I have heard, this was when the parishioners walked along the lines of their parish boundaries to make sure that they asserted which land was theirs. We celebrated the beating of the bounds in our April session. This included using real sapling wands and processing around a symbolic (hand drawn) tree while singing a song we created.

Have you seen Margaret Finch? They call her the Gipsy Queen….

Names continue to tell a story, such as Gipsy Hill, which refers to the gypsies who once held summer encampments in the area. The most famous of these gypsies was Margaret Finch who was given the name ‘Queen of the Gipsies’. Day trippers from all around visited the gypsies, apparently including Samuel Pepys’ wife, Elizabeth in 1668.* The thought of excited day trippers going to have their fortunes told and and the festival feel that must have been provided us with lots of stimuli for songs, drama and music on the theme.

Stand and deliver, your money or your life…

I am familiar with The Highwayman being taught in schools from when I working as a teaching assistant in a school. We didn’t use the poem in this project. However, the highwaymen who would have roamed The Great North Wood were the first characters we introduced. The drama developed during the sessions. Sometimes we were all the highwaymen and sometimes one or two highwaymen and highwaywomen collected treasure from the rest of the group. This was supported by song and the words: ‘Stand and deliver!’

The plants and animals of the Great North Wood have been a theme throughout all of the sessions. Nature has been fundamental to the sensory storytelling and interactive storytelling. To date we have used more general animals and plants that could be found in woodland, but there is a huge scope for developing around nature particular to The Great North Wood.

The Great North Wood Sensory Stories

It was a long time ago...

I was first introduced to sensory stories at a day workshop with Joanna Grace at a Diversity in Heritage Group meeting. I had always been interested in how to make museums, galleries and heritage sites more accessible and had a fair amount of experience in education and disability. However, this was the first time that I learned about a clear, practical, interesting and instant way to get started. I then attended a training weekend with Joanna Grace. As well as learning more about developing and telling sensory stories, I also met Coralie Oddy. Coralie also had an interest in The Great North Wood and we resolved to write a sensory story on the theme.

It was the time of The Great North Wood and the trees grew all around....

Sensory stories are usually made up of about ten parts/sentences and throughout the story you try and cover as wide a variety of senses as possible, so that each sentence has a sensory experience connected with it. Our sensory story was the starting point for the themes we covered and continue to use during the sessions. We first thought about what we could use to represent the wood itself. We wanted to create the feeling of immersion in the wood and Coralie had the idea to use a hoop with leaves that dangle from it. We could then place the hoop over the heads of individuals so that they would truly be immersed in the leaves. The hoop proved helpful in creating a special atmosphere in the sessions. It helps us begin with a sense of calm and familiarity. This, combined with Emmie's beautiful flute playing means that there is a mystical feeling of being transported to the wood.

The trees grew flowers which bloomed and turned into rich, juicy berries...

The theme of woodland has given us a bountiful amount of ideas. Sensory stimuli are used throughout the story and the whole session. However, in each session at some point in the story there is a prolonged period for sensory exploration. We take around a variety of stimuli to participants and while introducing people to the different items we also observe what interests and simulates enjoyment. Items are mostly inspired by the workshops with Joanna Grace and include visual stimuli such as laminated pouches filled with coloured water and small objects; as well as touch stimuli of gak and various kinds and water beads in water. We always have a couple of scents on offer.

Coralie writes:

Highwaymen hid in the woods. You could hear the sound of horses hooves and running feet….

Gaining an understanding of what different individuals respond well to (or perhaps do not enjoy) has been really important for developing the sessions. In one group, we found that a wide circle arrangement was important to give some individuals space, whereas another group developed a real sense of intimacy by having the story circle brought tighter. Some individuals have developed their confidence in participating by being offered the chance to add extra sensory layers to what is now a familiar story (such as using clapping sticks to create a ‘tick tock’ sound during the part of the story ‘It was a long time ago…’). Others have shown subtle signs of greater engagement as the weeks have progressed. One visually impaired individual who found noisy stimuli difficult really benefitted from experiencing the story in terms of different kinds of touch on her arms and hands – light tapping fingers for rain fall, for example. It also gradually supported her to engage more fully with other sensory aspects of the story – she was happy to smell differently scented gels and hand creams when used within the context of hand massage, and matching speed and intensity of touch to music being played seemed to increase her tolerance of these sounds. Another individual who tended to wander and rummage through people’s possessions during the sessions was able to have her needs met and be included within the ‘action’ of the story by having leaves scattered in front of her, which she carefully picked up and placed in a bag for us to scatter again. Following and accepting the preferences of individuals has been helpful in supporting them to try new sensory experiences. Experimenting over time has been key!

Emmie writes:

I have recently completed my PG Cert in Sounds of Intent (Adam Ockelford 2008) at Roehampton University. Originally designed to enable children with PMLD to access music,  Sounds of Intent 'maps' musical behaviour and development and divides musical expression into three distinct but interdependent areas: reactive ( listening to music), pro-active ( making music) and interactive ( making music with others). It emphasises an individual approach to musical expression in which the student is guided along at their own pace and direction.

Our aim in the sessions was to provide an array of interesting sounds for people to listen and respond to. This included the words in the stories, the rhythmic call and response of Keith’s poems and chants as well as instrumental music and songs and soundscapes to create the atmosphere of birds singing in the woods or wind blowing through leaves. When working with students with PMLD who might not be aware of sound as a separate entity its important to try out lots of different sound experiences and observe their response. One of the most important sounds for them to hear is their own vocal sounds. With this in mind some of the songs in each session are adapted or purposely created to include vocalisations, which everyone sings together. Students also consistently respond to hearing their name so we use their name not only in hello and goodbye songs but in songs that relate to parts of the story as well.

Its really important to make sure that sound is as different as possible from the background noise many of our students experience in residential homes where the tv or radio can be playing almost constantly. To do this, we have to bring the music over to people and sing and play close to them accompanied by lots of engaging eye contact, expression and a “live” sound. I also make sure that I provide lots of drama and contrast in playing quiet, louder, slow and faster and that there is a variety of sounds created from a range of instruments and voices to create changes in “timbre” Stops and starts are also utilized to create drama and to remember that “silence can be as important as sound!” ( soundabout)

To help students with PMLD make sounds using instruments, body or voice ( pro-active domain) we initially reflect back involuntary sounds to highlight awareness of them, if the student is not making sound intentionally. The next step is to find accessible ways to make sound and to enable people to have as much control in doing this with minimal support. We have lots of different instruments so people can experience the soft and resonant sounds of djembe drums or the pure metallic sound of a tone chime. We have lots of small shakers and hand held percussion instruments that are easy to hold and string them on to belts if the player does not want to hold the instrument for too long. This way it can be held and released at the players will. For tuned instruments we’ve had great fun with a small child’s accordion and playing guitar chords on garageband on the ipad.

Our students with PMLD have different musical preferences and we constantly review how we can accommodate their needs within the class. Some students find it very difficult to relax within the class unless there is some music. For other students especially with sensory processing issues we have to be aware that loud sounds can be distressing and we have to make sure the volume of the music does not become too loud. For some students ( as Coralie said) experiencing touch stimuli enables them to more readily engage with the music as it seems to provide a focus that grounds them and allows them to enjoy listening.

The real joy comes in making music and sound interactively and Keith’s poems and chants do this beautifully. Working with Keith has inspired us to look for call and response songs and to create our own songs within which there is turn taking between music makers and a rich musical conversation emerges. It’s really important to leave time and space to as Keith says to “see what happens” and be ready to respond to our students and allow their input to flourish.

During the sessions we have learnt to look for “magical moments”. One of these was when we sang: “come and gather” a “campfire” song (written by Sarah) where we all sat close together in a circle around a flickering fire on the ipad. Something about the closeness and swaying to the music created a wonderful connection and calm between everyone. Another was when we marched around the room chanting and holding birch wands and re-enacting the ancient tradition of “ beating the bounds” There was a feeling of excitement and energy amongst our students. Is it the music, the movement, proximity to one another? We’re still figuring it out but when these moments happen we know we’re on to something good!!

Keith writes:

Our aim is to bring music, song, poetry, dance and storytelling together in a creative and accessible format for adults with severe and profound and multiple learning disabilities. Both Sarah and Emmie are singers and musicians with a vast knowledge of folk song. Sorted!

And here, as a taster, here is our chant of The Great North Wood. This can be performed as a poem using call and response but also as a circle dance, as the words suggest, or as both together. Emmie has set it to music, so it is now a song: and so then, of course, we can perform it as a song, a poem using call and response, and a dance, all at the same time. We have also had guidance from British Sign Language users and teachers so in addition the chant is signed. An interactive poem, sung to live music, danced and signed at the same time.

A Guardian reporter, should one ever come and join us, might describe the workshop as an example of ‘Gesamtkunstwerk.’ We just think of it as putting it all together.

The Chant Of The Great North Wood

If come you can

Then come you should

To join us all

At the Great North Wood

Hand to hand

Each to each

We dance around

The copper beech

Eye to eye

So we can see

Us dance around

The old oak tree

If come you can

Then come you should

To join us all

At the Great North Wood

Side by side

Come and go

We dance around

The mistletoe

Toe to toe

You and me

We dance around

The rowan tree

If come you can

Then come you should

To join us all

At The Great North Wood

Circle dance

Beneath the sky

Our circle

Has no I

Root and tree

Flower and leaf

The Great North Wood

Beyond belief

If come you can

Then come you should

To join us all

At The Great North Wood

Anyone wanting more information on The Great North Wood is welcome to contact [email protected] or by twitter at @Soundtracks16

#thegreatnorthwood #learning disabilities #pmld

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