Poems and Paint

What is poetry? Perhaps it’s about sharing the emotions and events of an imperfect life.

What is life? Ah! Ask each of the 7.8 billion individuals on the planet and they’ll all tell you a different story. Vivien’s story begins with stitching a burst balloon.

JOY, LOSS, SORROW, HELP, HOPE, DESPAIR, LOVE, CHEER, WISDOM

One day, when she had just turned 4, Vivien experienced all these emotions, in that order. This seemingly simple incident would set the stage for the life which lay ahead.

All her poems are in some way related to this event.

Brightly-coloured balloons sometimes burst; some gradually deflate; but others will spring your step.

Vivien Harris was born happy, the daughter of a farm worker. She largely escaped formal education in England. She was brought up in spontaneity; taught abroad in New York City, Los Angeles and Saigon by curiosity; tutored by emotion and an innate sense of justice. Then, cloistered too long in Swiss domesticity, she was liberated by writing, and teaching English as a foreign language to people from all walks of life in Geneva, where she has lived for over 40 years.