September has thirty days, so it’s time for another 30/30 poetry challenge. I’m happy to be responsible for the Friday posts again, and as agreed with other group members, I’ll be posting on Thursday evenings so everyone has (at least) the whole day on Friday to write something.

This week’s prompt follows on from Seni Seneviratne’s prompt on 1 September, to write a response to Jane Hirshfield’s poem ‘The Poet’ after making notes about our own favourite writing spot.

I moved office this week, and had to set my desk area up again. It’s a little bit different this time, but all of the same key elements are there: notebooks, postcards, posters, and lots and lots of pens. A scrawl of too many computer leads.

Taking this picture (which is one of several I took to share with my family, showing my move), reminded me of the excellent series The Guardian ran, ‘Writers’ Rooms’. Even the most minimalist people have a few things on their desk that could speak volumes about them.

Today’s prompt: pick between 2 and 5 objects on your desk that have a story to tell - the more obscure the better. If they could talk to each other, what would they say? Would they be surprised / outraged / ambivalent that the others were competing for space on your desk? Write …