Paws for a moment


During a recent language stay in Sicily, I spent one entire afternoon walking up and down the coast, admiring the wildlife, sitting on lava rocks and listening to the waves. This relaxing day ended with me resting on the shore by the fishing boats and writing a poem about the most chilled out cat that I have ever come across.


Mellow Claws

As fishing boats flapped in the breeze

And seagulls scanned the sky with ease

Out of the corner of my eye

I caught your preening, whiskers high

Paws in the air and eyes of glee

You bathed in sunlight ecstasy

Your fluffy belly out on show

One chilled out cat from head to toe

I blinked my eyes and you did too

Confirming this is what cats do

My curiosity too strong

As you stretched out so cute and long

I wanted to give you a stroke

Disturbed you and you quickly woke

Taking refuge in the gaps

Where fishing boat tarpaulins flap

Just take your time, and chill those paws

Oh Mellow Claws without a cause

Published by Sam Allen Creative Coach

As well as being a poet, highly-sensitive being and self-confessed Crazy Cat Lady, I am a Creative Leadership Coach, Trainer and Team Coach with considerable experience in coaching clients in the Creative, Manufacturing, and Pharmaceutical sectors. I specialise in helping individuals and teams to work past limiting beliefs, to think outside-of-the-box and to show up as conscious, inspiring and dynamic leaders. I am passionate about helping leaders to show up authentically and I design and co-lead bespoke Conscious Leadership programmes for FMCG organisations wishing to create opportunities for their employees to shine and truly maximise their potential. In addition, I co-facilitate Happy Teams workshops, helping remote teams to build trust and connect to their strengths, purpose and vision in playful, creative and experiential ways. A co-active coach with PCC accreditation from the ICF, I am also Leadership Circle Profile certified and ORSC trained. I graduated from the CTI Inner Leadership programme in February 2020 and know from firsthand experience what it means to do the deep, inner work needed for personal growth. I hold a BA in French and Drama and a PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages. Throughout my coaching career I have empowered individuals to write books, make life-affirming career changes, overcome anxiety and to take giant leaps towards heightened self-realisation, increased authentic leadership presence and spiritual growth. An ex-lawyer and C-suite executive client recently shared that she had “never experienced anything so powerful” and that she is now able to “trust her truth”. One global client team leader reported being “touched, motivated, encouraged and brimming with energy” and another shared that his team was able to “demonstrate their creativity and really get behind their vision”. My personal and team coaching style is playful, intuitive, somatic and compassionate. My workshop facilitation style is dynamic, inclusive, expressive and authentic and my 20 years experience as an international school educator and team leader have contributed to my ease in leading group facilitation. My superpower is using my incredible intuition and sensitivity to see into people and challenge them in a powerfully courageous way. A prolific poet and podcaster, I live and breathe my own creativity and in turn inspire others to do the same

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