Mental Spaghetti recently visited the Single Homeless Project in Westminster to deliver a short creative writing workshop for its clients, in anticipation of our event with John Hegley on Friday May 15.

As we only had half an hour for the workshop, we wrote haiku relating to sections of heavenly and hellish scenes of the ambitious Hieronymous Bosch masterpiece, the Garden of Earthly delights.

Participants were encouraged to select particular features of the painting that resonated with them; seeking out the complex , detailed vignettes, the scenes within the scenes.

The only rule we stuck to was the syllable rule of 5,7,5 for each haiku.

Have a read through the fruits of our labour below! Big thanks to Caroleen and everyone at SHP Westminster.

Haiku for Hieronymous…

Rabbit man with claw
Who is on the telephone?
It’s your mum she’s dead

Buildings made of bone
Human animal
Artistic puppets

Wings a knife an ear
Bodies laying on the ground
Arrows attacking

Beat your drum blue lizard
Triangle rings up above
Man looks out in fear