Etymology Exploration with Margaret Simon
Welcome to Day 10 of Verselove. We are so happy you are here, however you choose to be present. If you know what to do, carry on; if you are not sure, begin by reading the inspiration and mentor poem, then scroll to the comment section to post your poem. Please respond to at least three other poets in celebration of words, phrases, ideas, and craft that speak to you. Click here for more information on the Verselove.
Margaret Simon lives on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana. Margaret has been an elementary school teacher for 35 years, most recently teaching gifted students in Iberia Parish. Her first book of children’s poetry was published in 2018 by UL Press, Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape. Margaret’s poems have appeared in anthologies including The Poetry of US by National Geographic and Rhyme & Rhythm: Poems for Student Athletes. Margaret writes a blog regularly at http://reflectionsontheteche.com.
Inspiration
I subscribe to Merriam-Websters Word of the Day. I love learning about new words and digging deep into etymology. My friend and writing group partner Heidi Mordhorst invented a form called the definito. “The definito is a free verse poem of 8-12 lines (aimed at readers 8-12 years old) that highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a less common word, which always ends the poem.”
There is another form of Word Play poem from Nikki Grimes in which you take a word for a walk. “When I do a word-study, I sift the word through all of my senses. I approach the word as if it’s something brand new, and I pose questions to get at the heart of what that word, or the thing that word represents, is. How does it look? What is its color, its shape? Does it have a sound? If so, what is that sound? Does it have a scent? If so, what does it smell like? Does it have a taste? What does it feel like? I go on to ask where it may be found, how it is used, what it does, and what you can do with it.” Nikki Grimes on Laura Shovan’s website.
The inspiration for this prompt came from this poem by Martha Silano, When I Begin to Dig on the website Women’s Voices for Change.
When I began to dig
this is what I found: from the Latin, vertere,
to turn, from the Lithuanian, versti, to overturn,
from the Sanskrit, vartate, he turns. Vers, fers:
turning, turning and bending, having planted
a length of beans or corn, having reached a furrow’s
end. Like a plowman, versing, this breaking up
of sod, this fashioning into tidy rows, helping the singers
recall their lines. When the need to memorize
disappeared, verse remained like the typewriter keys
spelling QWERTY, slowing the typist down. When I began
to dig, I found turn, turn back, be turned, convert, transform,
be changed. From wert: to wind, its cognate weard
(read the rest of the poem here)
Process
Choose a word that has a certain fascination to you. You can look for the Word of the Day or any word that comes to mind. Play with the etymology of the word. What do the sounds mean? How does the meaning play with your thoughts? You may start your poem with Martha Silano’s words “When I dig” or Nikki Grimes _ is a _ word. Explore the word using imagery, metaphor, and word play.
Margaret’s Poem, a definito
Zephyr
Zero in.
Feel the wind
blow oh, so, slow,
lightly feathering
the sleepy moss,
slightly rippling the shore.
Not a gale or hefty gust,
blustery bora or frigid buster.
This Greek god is a gentle one
waving from the western sky…
easy-breezy zephyr.
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming.
Also, in the spirit of reciprocity, please respond to at least three other poets today.
A warm feeling in your chest
Happiness surrounds you
Consumes you
Makes you want to be a better person
Love makes this world go round
Passion is a powerful word
Every human searches for its own definition
It carries purpose and meaning to life
We may find it soon or late
Passion is a pondering word
We spend our lives searching for it
Never knowing its true meaning
Only hoping that it fills our souls
Hello fellow Margaret 😉 I loved the picture you painted with this new word to share with everyone. The detail within your poem is inspiring!
Agathokakological
A girl
A sister
A sister of the wicked witch of the west
A sister of the fairy godmother
A girl who was misunderstood
A girl who stood between
A life like no other
A girl who shared good and evil
Agathokakological
I am in love with what you did with this prompt! Thank you for this amazing poem!
Such a creative poem! Love it!
It has been considerably dark and gloomy in Michigan this April, so I decided to focus on the warmth and light that hopefully lies ahead.
Warmth
It’s Spring
hues of orange and yellow
ascend from the east,
signaling the birth of a new day.
In the presence of light
wildflowers drink
the dew of morning
as they remain woven
within delicate hairs of grass.
In the presence of light
a bear retreats from her cave
yearning to explore
her new landscape.
In the presence of light
the soil beckons
as the hands of a gardener
conceal the seeds below.
In the presence of light
growth and prosperity ensue
connecting one to another
as a season of warmth begins.
Thank you for bringing hope for warmth and light during this gloomy Michigan season we are experiencing. Beautifully done!
Hello! Love this type of poem and went on Dictionary.com for the word of the day for my inspiration and while at it, learned a new, brilliant word! This poem is short and sweet but I really love it. It goes perfectly with a scene in my NIV I am working on where a girl loses her best friend and there are many instances where she compares her friend to being her Sun.
When you are most distant
You are most luminous
My star
My sun
Quasar
Alexis:
Thank you. The simplicity of this was healing for me, today. This was our first real full sun warm day since the snow has fully gone, and your poem echoed that for me.
The simplicity and power of this poem is inspiring! Well done!
Although this poem was more of a simple format it was extremely powerful and impactful, well done!
Kasey, very cool exploration of the word — and the man.
I never before considered the etymology of that particular word, having long since banned it from being spoken in our house (imagine playing euchre without that word). Sadly, these are are apt descriptors for words and actions that I hope will remain a solid stain on the history of this nation, lest future generations forget too soon… Funny, Kasey, but oh so somber. Nicely captured here for sure. Smart writing.
Thank you for the prompt, Margaret. Your poem is so perfect, light and breezy, or should I say “easy-breezy”.
I went with Nikki Grimes “__ is a __ word” format. Here goes:
Compromise is a heavy word
When imposed, demanded, expected,
Like being buried under
Dirty laundry
Not moving, not breathing.
Compromise is a light word
When shared, requested, given freely,
Like your favorite pair
of fuzzy socks
Soft around the edges.
Compromise is a necessary word
A promittere to work through
The dirty laundry.
A promittere to share
The fuzzy socks.
A promittere of
a ‘forever’ withstood together.
The juxtaposing imagery in the first and second stanzas really captures the feeling of compromise. The “fuzzy socks” metaphor is perfect and I love how you relive this in the last stanza!
I love how you worked this poem to show the different nuances of the word compromise. It is a necessary word. Your metaphor of fuzzy socks juxtaposed with dirty laundry works to get the point across.
I loved how you started each poem with your selected word! Very creative!
My toddler has lately been obsessed with the Disney short “Boudin'”. The song is running through my head basically 24/7, so this was the result:
my daughter is bound
and determined to become
a jackalope
One day she’s bound
to discover that they are
mythical creatures
and her screen-bound eyes
will drop as the excitement
comes to a quick halt
(hopefully she’ll rebound)
but until then I’ll
keep boundin’ bites of pasta
into her mouth
What a fun play with the word bound!
Rachel, this was really cool! Creative wordplay!
Such a cool prompt and I want to give it my best after being on the road with my family all weekend. Now unpacked, kids in bed, here goes… Kasey Dearman’s “Trump” poem got my mind buzzing tonight.
FAKE NEWS
Systematic executions, mass graves,
A bomb dropped “for the children”,
Evidence evident, sources vetted
Confirmations confirmed.
FAKE NEWS. FALSE FLAG.
Dezinformacija.
Up is down, down is up.
Factitiousness rules of the day,
Presuming the alternative facts exude
Truthiness. State media always wins.
The 24 hour news cycles consumes itself
In Sisyphean fashion. Confirmation bias
Gobbles facts like Pac Man in an endless
Inescapable maze. “Woke” ghosts are no match.
Too slow. Too encumbered by ethics, standards, past practice.
“The WOKE media wants you to believe Russia is the bad guy.
Should you? Should you care? Is it wrong to ask the question?”
Blink, blink. Stare. I’m tuckered out.
Another rally this weekend, to what… Stop the steal?
It’s in Selma (there’s more than one???) North Carolina.
Q the cameras. A young couple with their kids.
“We’re going to see the President!” the parents told them.
“What are you excited for?” a reporter asks the bits of tots.
“Joe Biden!” they exclaim. “No, Trump!” correct the parents.
FAKE NEWS.
Wow. This was just great — so rich in detail and clever wordplay — and that last stanza! Loved this, Dave.
As someone who is a first generation Canadian on my dad’s side, I am feeling like an invisible Ukrainian (my name before marriage was Kowaltschuk) , your first stanza utterly resonated with me. Dezinformacija. What a word, what a world.
You inspired my poem tonight. “Odious fanfare” is the perfect descriptor.
What a fun exploration, Margaret! I find etymology intriguing, fascinating, a big black hole, so this was fun. The word I chose was something I’ve never heard of!
What are you?
barely weighable, a flocci from the spring sheep
even less knowable, a whiff of an idea
closely followed by nauci
(nada, niks, nunda)
so forgotten it has no descendants
our minds are conditioned to nihili
Friedrich Nietzsche’s declaration
(or was it?)
that nothing has meaning
this morning, I found pili on my hairbrush
floating as nothing, and to no purpose
syllables chained together,
a mouthful at best
pushed along by –fication
along many tracks,
modification, vilification,
certification, gratification
to name just a few
combine these all
and you arrive at
floccinaucinihilipilification
a habit by some to
estimate things (people?)
as worthless
You broke this monster of a word down so perfectly!! I love: “this morning, I found pili on my hairbrush / floating as nothing, and to no purpose.”
I’m a word nerd so this form was fun! Got a late start due to celebrating my birthday today, so I chose a quick and easy form to help be along. I’ll most likely revisit this poem on a day I have more time.
Form: Skinny Poem
”Liaison”
The person in the middle
helper
translator
linguist
polyglot
Helper
decoder
professional
interpreter
Helper
Liaison – the middle person.
Jennifer, happy birthday! I really enjoyed the repetition of “helper” that you’ve crafted in your poem. This really highlights the truth and function of the word “liaison.” Thank you for this!
I love the skinny poem approach, and am certain you have just introduced your audience to at least one other new word — polyglot!
What a simple (but deep) exploration of this word. I love the form you chose & the repetition of “helper.” Thanks for sharing – and happy birthday! 🙂
Wow, oh, wow!! This poem spoke to me on so many levels. I never before saw the play with he last name. Thank you for sharing today!!!
What a fun way to dig into vocabulary, Margaret! This word is sticking in my mind this weekend:
Ruminate
The thought repeats
over and over, in my head
like a cow, chewing its cud
over and over
(does it ever swallow?)
considering the problem
from different angles
sometimes just letting it
lie there, tiptoeing around it
peeking as it teases
it won’t let me walk away
and so I am left to ruminate.
Your analogy of a cow chewing its cud was perfect foe your word choice.
Thank you for sharing.
Great word to work with. I enjoyed your description. Thank you!
Galaxy
A shimmery, onyx cereal bowl
Cradles the once-mounded
Now-floating particles dispersed in milk.
They are both bound and unbound.
With the strength of a woman
Caught unaware,
the Milky Way born out of release.
They are both bound and unbound.
Laura, I am going to have to contemplate on the second stanza of your poem, particularly “with the strength of a woman/ Caught unaware/the Milky Way born out of release.” The imagery is beautiful!
Bling
“There’s bling on your pants,” she pointed out.
wondering what had spilled, I looked about.
Mud or paint have I just walked through?
Flung on my new pants! Oh no, not some goo!
A new pair of capris
that just covered my knees,
silver sparkles in a row.
The “diamonds” are faux.
I didn’t know that it wasn’t so bad.
A compliment given so I shouldn’t be sad.
Impressive on the first day of school
I’m not so flamboyant as a rule.
Guess I’m an oldie, not to know this word.
Bling used in a song I never heard.
Bling sounds like a bell or repetitive tap.
First originated in 1987 (if you listen to Rap.)
I’m not that swanky.
Never been so flashy.
A bit of bling can only improve
to keep this gal happy to stay in the groove.
Susan, it’s so true that the young ones expect us to know, but use their slang! Good reminder to “look it up”.
I’m doubly impressed with the rhyming, Susan, as well as work in the definition and origin. This would be fun to do with the current lingo, with students.
You are definitely in the grove with this poem, Susan! I loved that opening – bc I could just see someone being told “bling” and checking themselves for whatever that could mean. I knew bling, but I often hear students drop words I have NO idea what they mean, and – it’s English of course – so I make them give me a definition. I also enjoyed how the speaker here was ‘cool’ without trying to be cool, but simply bought an outfit that pleased her. Sense of self-confidence that gets kicked up a notch into being trendy. Nicely captured here.
I love language and playing with words, so I appreciated today’s poetry invitation. I pulled this word from a separate poetry challenge and was delighted to find out that it originated in a Persian fairy tale. I found that so fitting that the rest of the poem came from there.
Serendipity
Serendipity is a fairytale word.
The strawberry pink of the sky at dawn
and waiting for you to follow
the soft slopes and forever flowering fields
at the edge of every storybook woods.
It will take your hand,
like the oldest of friends,
and lay bare those secret
summer spots along the way.
It nudges you on, with a jingling song,
silver bells and the sugar spun smell of home.
You can follow it to the edge of the tale
and be back in time for supper.
Because serendipity ends with happily ever after.
Oh, I love this! “Strawberry pink of the sky at dawn” and “sugar spun smell of home”–such perfect alliteration to capture the whimsy of serendipity!
Serendipity is opening the file one last time and finding the path to a fairytale! Silver bells and sugar spun and happily ever after. What a lovely poem!
Erica, your soft alliteration throughout the poem so eloquently and aptly illustrates “serendipity” for us. These lines transport me:
“The strawberry pink of the sky at dawn
and waiting for you to follow
the soft slopes and forever flowering fields
at the edge of every storybook woods.
It will take your hand,”
I love that each poetry invitation is deliciously challenging in diametrically different ways. My definito (if you can call it that) is inspired by my walk on the beach today–and likely breaks the rule of the form. But it was fun to write–thanks Margaret!
May Gray
A weather term in frequent use
in Southern CA
characterized by
pervasive
persistent
thick
moist
gray
marine layer
tightly wrapping the sun in its cloak
keeping light rays at bay
May Gray can be sneaky
whispering its way into the day
in swatches of clouds
graying a brilliant blue sky
often settling only on the west side
of the freeway
Sometimes May Gray is protective
pushing forecasted heat waves back
into inland valleys
keeping the coastline cool
under its gray covers
May Gray is moody
dampening Spring Fever
cooling anticipation
of beach days
It might even be the reason
for the prevailing fashion:
short shorts and tank tops
paired with Ugg boots and puffer jackets
Just when you hope that summer is near
you remember that
May Gray is followed by its close cousin
June Gloom
and when it arrives in April…
Argghhh!
Go away, May Gray
The above was my favorite stanza — I loved the personification of the word and how you used “swatches” and “graying…blue” because this helped me visualize the poem and your description of this word the best.
Kim, It’s so much fun to read ways that writers in the group describe experiences with people, places and things that ring true. The lines in your poem that strike me for their veracity are
May Gray is moody
dampening Spring Fever
cooling anticipation
of beach days
I can hardly wait!!!!
Seeing as how you have introduced us to west coast lingo and described it so well, I think it definitely fits the prompt of “definito”, Kim. Great personification, too, with “sneaky”, “protective”, and “moody”.
I’m chuckling with this visual, “It might even be the reason for the prevailing fashion:
short shorts and tank tops paired with Ugg boots and puffer jackets.”
Margaret, thank you for this new poetry form “definito;” I love to play with words and I love the poem & word you offered – zephyr. I struggled with finding one word today! I decided to go a slightly different direction and offer a lovely quote by the poet Ocean Vuong, and a simple poem to support his quote….
“The world is in our mouths” – Ocean Vuong
dig deep
kindness seek
take care
what you share
intentional
exceptional
life-giving
light-giving
love-spinning
redemptive words speak
Maureen, these lines seem contradictory at first, but are necessary as we decide how to respond to what we say and what we hear. Thanks for the reminder that most things have two sides.
intentional
exceptional
Maureen, I listened to an interview with him this week and your poem seems to echo Vuong’s ethos. The sparseness of your poem invites us to create meaning with the juxtaposed words and phrases. Thanks for sharing!
Maureen,
I love the Ocean Vuong quote and the truth it embodies. I saw there’s a profile of him in the New Yorker this week. He has a new poetry collection just published. It seems to me that your word economy is–perhaps intentional, perhaps not–a companion piece to my poem today. For me the irony is what we share is only part of the equation, but of course, the best course is “redemptive words speak.” You are always such a positive, “light-giving / love-spinning” force of good. Beautiful, uplifting poem.
Maureen-
as the mom of a 13-year-old, 7th grade daughter, I have tried to instill just how much power words have. For that reason, thank you for your poem today.
Maureen, what a beautiful reflection on that interesting quote. “redemptive words speak” I love the rhyming pattern too.
Maureen,
Thanks for this. I love Ocean Vuong! (He’s coming here to speak in May, and I’m going — very excited!). Love this elegant and evocative little poem.
This was so fun today Margaret! I will definitely have to try this with my students. An innovative way for word study. Based on your poem, I would have loved a zephyr these past few days. Lately, it’s mind-blowing gusts! I love your wordplay with these lines: Not a gale or hefty gust,
blustery bora or frigid buster.” It makes me want to sit awhile in this relaxing breeze and watch the clouds roll by. Thank you for hosting and sharing today.
Acnestis
Why does this happen
in a moment least expected?!
Arms reach trying to
meet between the shoulder blades.
Letting your backbone slip to the imaginary music in your head,
Reject Jerking and Jiving. Epic FAIL!
We all hate this feeling;
An itch you cannot reach.
Running to that one friend with the fake nails
or the corner of the nearest wall looking silly
to release the pleasure of satisfaction of scratching your
acnestis.
How can a poem make me feel itchy?! I thought you did a great job capturing the feeling because now I certainly know what this word means.
Ha! Thank you Erica.
I don’t know Erica. It’s funny you say that. When I was typing it out, I had an itch in that same spot! How strange!
Ooh! I do this all the time at the corner of my room and i itch so bad I don’t mind who is watching. I feel like a big bear scratching on the nearest tree. Thanks for introducing me to a new word and having a chance to laugh at myself.
Susan, that is a sight to see! But oh the relief when the itch is gone.
Alrighty, then! I did NOT know this word, and for as many times as I have been through this exact experience, I should know it by now! Well, minus the friend with the fake nails – hilarious detail! I was both squirming and smiling through reading this. I want to reach up and scratch the poem just to help the speaker out! Love the sound and motion of this line, “Reject Jerking and Jiving. Epic FAIL!” I actually tried to find backscratchers to give as stocking stuffers one Christmas – could not find ANY! I think it’s a tourist thing. You have to get the one that says “Las Vegas” while you’re there… Thanks for the fun read – and new word – Jessica!
Ha Denise, I was just imagining all of the times where I needed that friend or a corner wall. Now that you mention it, I do think backscratchers are only tourists’ souvenirs. I will definitely take you up on your advice Denise! Thank you!
Haha–this was AMAZING. Who knew that there was a word for this? Well, apparently…you did! Thanks for teaching to us with this excellent, imagistic poem! Stealing this word to bring to my Creative Writing class! 😉
Margaret, thank you for this prompt. The opportunity to dig into a word, its history, its implications, and its connotations was much appreciated. Today, I bought some flowers and I cultivated tulips from my spring blooms. I loved your example poem(s)!
Bloom has been patient, waiting her turn
to ballet across the stage in a crimson tutu.
She is a tulip on a sunny spring day.
The spotlight nourishes her, and
her smile dazzles on-lookers
causing gasps, claps, and awes
as she leaps and jumps
like a petal in the wind.
Be marveled by
the beauty,
the persistence,
the pleasure,
the transience,
of seeing a bud
reach full bloom.
Rachelle,
This is lovely! I really like the comparison to a full bloom to a dancer–they do dance in the wind! I particularly like your second stanza–if it weren’t raining, I’d go out and dance with my red tulips!
Rachelle, what a lovely image! It is often rare to see the shift from bud to bloom, and you have captured the beauty – and significance – of this just beautifully. I love the allusion to ballet – the crimson tutu, the leaps and jumps, the marvel!
Rachelle,
Delightful poem. I can just picture your blooms dancing in the wind. My favorite line is “her smile dazzles on lookers.” Something about that line caused me to smile.
Thanks Margaret for the lovely feathering of sleepy moss, when New Yorkers are still experiencing frigid busters. No better way then to spend the day with words.
Runaway
Most compound words aren’t complicated.
Airplane. Cheesecake. Earthworm.
Easy to dissect.
Moonbeams. Notebook. Runaway.
On your mark, get set, RUN! From tree to corner,
pigtails follow flying feet! What freedom! What joy!
AWAY. The string slipped through her fingers
and the kite drifted away. Such emptiness. Such loss.
Sometimes welded words grow heavy—
like a backpack filled with broken things,
or the pocketbook
of the young girl at the terminal in a coat too big.
Ann–the imagery throughout your poem goes from curiosity (compound words!), to excitement (fly the kite!), to serious (the girl at the terminal). Thank you for this poem today.
Ann, I love the compound words here and the new life you give them. I like how you made runaway literally run away! It was a fun read. And how often do you hear the word “pocketbook”? That’s a word my grandmother used, may she RIP.
I wanted to use a compound word and thought pocketbook sounded more modern than handbag – did I get that backwards?
Ann, I am riveted by this poem – how you begin with word play/study that a young person might encounter, the playful activities that lead to ‘runaway’…and then conclude with the very sad image of this young girl, this runaway. What a powerful connection to make – “sometimes welded words grow heavy.” My heart hurts to think of her!
Oh wow. I love how you explored this compound word. Especially since individually they are words that don’t carry much weight. I feel like there is so much happening in this poem that I can’t put into words — but I really enjoyed it. Especially since you start out simply and positive and then as the words grow sadder, so too does the imagery.
Margaret,
I love the gentle imagery of your poem and “lightly feathering the sleepy moss.”
So calming. I was transported to a very beautiful place.
How to Start?
I found a new side gig.
I’m an amateur Mentalist!
Yes, for exactly 82 days I have been guessing. No…
Divining,
The mystery word conjured up by some secret being.
Don’t worry, all you Wordle junkies,
I won’t spill the beans.
I want to talk about first words.
How do you start?
What is the formula for success?
I start by walking down the aisle.
Five letters.
Three vowels. Two consonants.
A passageway between rows of seats.
From the Latin ala, and French aile,
Appropriately so,
For the wings that branch right and sinister,
That carry the Phoenix out of the ashes and into the heavens.
This is great, Shaun. Will you judge me if I admit that I’ve done Wordle a few times, but I’m just not that into it? I do appreciate the importance of a good starting word, though!
Shaun — I’m with you (for exactly 75 days!). Thank you for sharing this–I always try to switch up my first word. I may have to start with “aisle” tomorrow!
Shaun, I really enjoyed this! Although my first word isn’t “aisle,” it did let me get yesterday’s word in just two! I’ve used my word for so long that I fear if I switch words now, it’ll end up being the next Wordle word — such is my luck! (And these people that switch words every time they play? Madness!) Is it weird that I honed in on the five letter words that you used throughout: “found,” “being,” “beans,” “words,” “start,” “aisle,” “seats,” “right,” etc. Thanks for writing and sharing this!
Shaun, loved this description of Wordling! Fun to read. 🙂
Oh, to Forsloth!
By Mo Daley 4-10-22
This poem is for all who have frittered away a morning,
futzing about
lazily loafing like a supreme sluggard
tiffling and piddling the day away
or as those fifteenth century dwellers would have said, picking a salad
or what those who lived in the seventeenth century might have called
fanfreluching
or what Mom, God rest her soul, would have called
fart-arsing around-
forsooth, you’ve forslothed the day away!
(Fun fact about me- I’m slightly addicted to British quiz shows. This is where I first encountered Susie Dent, British lexicographer, etymologist, and humorist. The word “forsloth” can be found in her book Word Perfect: Etymological Entertainment Every Day. I highly recommend it!
Mo! Pure joy in this poem. All the ings give forsloth so much unexpected zing and a positive connotation that should be the goal of a Sunday.
This is absolutely delightful! What a great word to fiddle about in a poem.
Mo, I am looking forward to forslothing during my week of Spring break! Love your mom’s “fart-arsing around” that is priceless!
Mo, I appreciate how this poem just makes me think of playfully going about the day and that is part of the meaning! Haha, that name sounds so familiar…perhaps during my British television watching as well. Altogether, wonderful poem, thank you for sharing.
Mo, your poem is simply delightful! So many satisfying turns of phrase made me smile: “supreme sluggard,” “tiffling and piddling”…I, for one, am an expert at “forslothing!”
I was forslothing yesterday! Wow I just love that word! Yes to being a supreme sluggard. And I just might have to purchase that book!
What a fun poem, Mo! “Forsooth,” you sound Shakespearian!
Mo,
We were on the same wavelength, but yours is so much richer with the delicious words! I love love love the alliteration of all the Fs throughout (I’m a sucker for alliteration). Great fun! Thank you for sharing!
Mo, If only I had this day today! I would’ve enjoyed it more. Your words have inspired me to one day implement a new word learned. It would be fun to have my students try and figure out its meaning. I just find “fart-arsing” funny. Now knowing what it means, this is my goal at least one day a week! Thank you for sharing!
These fabulous f words – oh my, I love this!! What a playful poem, Mo – absolutely spot on, or should I say forthright and forthwith!
Mo,
Such a delight to read as I am practicing forslothing away my poetry writing time.
I love it when I learn something new. Thanks for Forsloth and also the book tip, I have been fart-arsing around all day.
Mo, such a fun word exploration — an odyssey through this word! Beautiful sounds. Thanks for this!
True story…
There is always something better to do
than what I really should be doing.
Vacuum the house, using every
attachment and finding every crevice?
Yep, let’s do it!
Scrub the kitchen in ways that make it
look new and sparkling beyond reason?
Absolutely, bring it on!
Read just one more story, article, poem,
or fall down just one tiny web rabbit hole?
Sounds like a quick plan!
Though I am a neat person by nature,
there is never a time when my house is
cleaner than when papers are piling up.
Always pushing things off until tomorrow,
forward thinking, while ignoring the
consequences and accumulating the stress
of avoiding, dissembling, looking askance.
Oh, procrastination, my good friend,
why must you always have your way?
Cara, it appears we were on the same wavelength today! I love this- so relatable.
A masterful poem about the procrastination master. I could follow him all day long.
Cara, such a relatable poem, and especially this time of year when procrastination is really really not something that should have its way as you put in your poem! Also, the rabbit holes are so much part of modern life, thank you for this poem!
“there is never a time when my house is / cleaner than when papers are piling up” truer words have never been spoken! You should have seen my house during spring break–it was spotless! Thank you for this poem and for revealing another commonality between the two of us!
Ah, Cara, you must live in my house, and my head! I so identify with this word!
Cara,
Procrastination is not a word I would generally associate with you, except after the deadline for your latest essay. How many times have I heard you say you spent an hour cleaning when you should have been grading??
Oh, I love etymology! I am SUCH a word nerd…I’m sure my students get sick of my geeking out over their vocabulary words! I love the Greek mythology connection, Margaret…my poem ended up with a mythological connection as well, which I didn’t expect.
Petrichor
After the storm,
the hunkered-down begin
to unclench, unfold, reach
up and out.
The fragrance they release–
a heady compound of solid
stone and ethereal
life-force–lingers
in the nostrils, bringing
a sublime, brief connection
to the Divine.
Close your eyes,
breathe it in slowly, prayerfully–
the jeweled scent of petrichor.
(My research showed this word comes from “petr,” meaning “rock,” and “ichor,” meaning “the blood of the gods.” So interesting!)
What a great and curious word you’ve chosen to ruminate about. Love the sensual scent of this poem. I can almost smell it.
Wow, that so cool, Julie. Thank you for sharing such a unique word through this poem. I do love it when meanings have connections to larger stories and cultures such as this one as you connected it with Greek mythology. Something about those “petri” starting words that always make me think of the ancient Greeks. Also, I love puns, so my students definitely groan about those, haha.
Julie,
I love the smell of petrichor! As an Oregonian, it is all around me and you captured it perfectly:
I had to look Petrichor up. Never heard of it before and what a wonderful word! We need a word to describe the smells after a rain or even before it. I love your phrase “life-force lingers in the nostrils,”
The word I am using came across my social media feed a month or two back. It resonated with my heart and it is a word I have pulled into my vocabulary: ubuntu. I captured it in my journal and knew I wanted to go back to it today.
Unearthed a new word-
a heart word, a WORLD word
South African origin
In Zulu, umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (humanity towards others)
a philosophy of universal bond-
“I am because we are”.
Essential human virtues
compassion and humanity
a need for understanding
UBUNTU.
Thank you for sharing this word. It indeed is “a heart word, a WORLD word.”
I love this word so much that I have it on a t-shirt. Essential human virtues- perfect!
So much information packed into this poem. A wonderful word to add to your lexicon.
Yes, Cathy! This is one of my favorite words. It holds hope, promise, and unity. You captured the essence well in your poem.
Yes, Cathy, how wonderful honor such a heart word, a World word ~ a word so much needed! Every time I come across it, I am encouraged. Thank you for sharing this today!
Cathy, this should be a word used every day, in thought and action! These lines resonated with me:
“Essential human virtues
compassion and humanity
a need for understanding” because essential is necessary. I believe we have overused it during COVID times, but it definitely describes the virtues in life that we must inhabit in order to live more loving. Thank you for sharing.
A wonderful word to remember. Thanks for telling me about it.
Yes, those are “essential human virtues” for sure, Cathy. I love that phrase “I am because we are.” Thanks for sharing it with us.
I bounced from word to word. I started with focus because I could not focus. Then, I picked a word that is not used often, but I love its sound.
Everywhere I Turn
It is seemingly everywhere, from ubique.
Engines humming
as people speed from place to place.
A Dunkin’ Donuts coffee shop
almost every few miles.
iPhones in hands, keeping everyone connected
to something other than
the real physical world all around.
This four syllable word
surrounds us,
north, south, east, and west…
ubiquitous
I love the way you’ve explained what ubiquitous means- terrific examples. I think this is a perfect way to teach what the word means.
Heather, great word choice! I love this truth:
??????
Loving this (and hating it)–perfectly done.
“this four syllable word surrounds us” indeed! And I still find it to be a tongue twister!
Lovely options for this prompt, Margaret. It just so happens, today I was reading this month’s issue of Poetry magazine, which is dedicated to “exphonic” authors – a term I had never heard before.
exphony: the practice of writing in a language that is not one’s mother tongue; those who write in a language not generally regarded as their first or mother tongue
Mother Tongue
without setting my tread
on any new soil
I came to a place of
language in my writing
that my mother
would never recognize
as that pig-tailed
lace-collared daughter
who grew up and away
from the comforts of love and grace
who ran the streets
closed the bars
and lit up the night
battered bruised abused
how language formed
the community of people
around me away from me
I don’t really think
I know you anymore
Mother said last we spoke
I know I replied
not for the longest time
and it’s okay
it is perhaps
better that way
Wow, Denise, this change is described beautifully. The end is bittersweet: “it is perhaps better that way” is worded simple and lovely. Thanks for sharing.
Boy, Denise, you’ve really taken today’s prompt and made it your own. What a creative take on it! I love the way you show how much you have changed throughout the course of your life. Your last few lines resonate with me and make me think it’s never too late to grow and change. Thanks!
Ooowweeee, Denise! I didn’t know what to expect and the turn hit me hard. There is so much weight in a parent (or anyone we love) saying:
Pinches and stings! Thank you for sharing!
Oooo, Denise, what a delicious word! I will have to work that into my vocabulary immediately! While the word is intriguing, your poem is more so. It took me on a journey with an unexpected ending. Thank you for sharing this earnest piece with us.
Margaret, thank you for today’s prompt
and for your beauty of a poem! I wanted to write about equanimity or sophrosyne, but I let LOVE take me for a ride.
Love
Chocolate chip cookies
Snow on the side of the road
Babies’ breath, books out the box
Freshly mowed morning grass
Cinnamon-apple scented candles
Hands holding grandma’s arm
Waves crashing, cake baking, that new-car smell
Pillows, poodle puppies, and buttered popcorn
Apologies, affection and always accepting
Love
©Stacey L. Joy, 4/10/22
I love the alliteration. A common feeling that awakened all of my senses. I would like to write my own list of love.
Your last line ” apologies, affection and always accepting” encompasses all the parts of love. The alliteration helps highlight these 3 important words.
waves crashing, cake baking, that new-car smell… Loving the rhythm of the love in your life.
Stacey, your line “Snow on the side of the road” is sticking with me. Maybe because we don’t get it often, but that little reminder of snow is so strangely comforting to me too! Thanks for sharing!
Stacey, I love the direction you took this in, exploring the images that give the word its meaning and color. Very cool. 🙂
Why Not?
Tension wenchin’ in my neck
Why can’t those answers come when I beck?
Why do folks think this is who I am
The score I get on an AP exam?
Why must a score define
All I can process in my mind?
Why not what I do outside
Like when that new girl sat and cried?
Tension when I stand in that line
When the top students’ names they call.
What does it matter a three or a five
When my time spent with her kept her alive?
Ah, what a great story this is gonna be
When the heroine, she gets crowned
Not for getting’ an A or a B
But just because she was around!
Anna ~ I was with you through it all (even felt the tension in my neck.) But getting crowned just for being around ~ that cheered me most. A lovely poem and reminder that being present to those who need us is what matters most!
Hi Anna!
In the perfect and most loving world I would hope for this to be:
I love that you chose to honor those who are not all about that perfect score! ??????
This is so beautiful & I wish every teenage kid understood it!! And every adult for that matter. I especially love your last stanza & the idea of getting crowned just for being around. Thank you!!
Nonstop
It took me way too long
to finally figure out I could
turn the Zoom sound completely off
whenever you talk talk talk talk talk talk.
I know for certain I have missed lots of things since
all of your words are just that–
things:
old tea bags, number 2 pencils, tan minivan, yesterday’s mac and cheese,
all strung up together with endless ands and alsos
as if God shopped your speech at Michaels,
picked up a huge glue gun and everything else discounted.
But now, like Grandpa George turning down his
hearing aid, smiling sweetly, nodding,
I’m good while you’re
Garrulous.
Kevin,
Thank you so much for this exploration of garrulous. The list of things is perfect “old tea bags, number 2 pencils” and then “as if God stopped your speech at Michaels” –and I feel like I know the person uttering these things. There is so much here that is at once mundane or small talk but also the things of life that sustain some while emptying others.
Sarah
thank you Sarah–probably lots of us know that one person who makes the potentially “poetic mundane” truly mundane (haha).
Kevin, Brilliant! I love “Nonstop” and can so relate to the first four lines of this. It took me far too long to realize this, too; I clocked so many PD Zoom hours before realizing that I could just turn this little knob counter-clockwise on the speaker….ah, so much better. And your list of “things” is so good, so surprising each one. And (AND) the fact they were all “discounted” and glued together was so funny. Thank you!
thank you, Scott! ugh . . . PD zoom hours. I would also like to have back all the committee Zoom hours.
Margaret! Thank you for bringing together, weaving together so many of our favorite poets in this word-centric-celebratory prompt. Today’s word is liaison. A perfect word for our poem hosts!
Liaison is a thread word.
You pull a filament into twists
of ideas others shape anew.
You help Poets spin
lines of colorful strands.
You are the seam of
thought, the arc of yarns.
Come day next,
we spin fibers into new weaves
connecting stanzas in discernible
echo of last.
But first we poem today
from you, dear liaison.
Holy cow, Sarah. What a fantastic response to today’s prompt. Love the imagery of colorful strands and “spin fibers into new weaves” and the “echo of last”. Such an amazing tribute poem! Gorgeous and rich with emotion!
Your poem struck me with awe. I love your line “You are the seam of though, the arc of yarns”.
This poem perfecty expresses my delight at find this site where we spin fibers into new weaves…echoes of last. I love it here!
Sarah,
Your poem immediately took me to one of my favorite Walt Whitman poems, “A Noiseless, Patient Spider” and Whitman’s metaphor. The lines that echo yours are
“It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.”
And yours:
“we spin fibers into new weaves
connecting stanzas in discernible
echo of last.”
There are three excellent TEDed videos illuminating Whitman’s poem in different ways.
And your poem speaks to my love of canonical poetry that often echos our own or offers allusions that make my own words possible.
Sarah, what a beautiful description of “liaison” and this poetry community. I love, love that we are helped to
Gorgeous!
I decided to use many Yiddish words in my post today. Hopefully it will be clear what they mean through context.
My Bubbe
Always had a problem
With my mother the shikse
Who tried hard to learn Jewish culture
And Hebrew
You were verklempt when
Talking about your daughter
Who was no longer speaking to you
“Look at that sheyna punim!”
Such a pretty face you would say
When we would meet at Wolfies Deli
In Fort Lauderdale
Kevetching
“My son, the doctor doesn’t have time for me.”
You had so much tsuris in your life.
But, oh how I loved your smile, your kvelling about my achievements
And your chicken fricassee
Oy Vey.
,
Jennifer,
I loved swimming in your words and this privilege of witnessing encounters between mother and daughter. the K and V alongside in so many words, the V throughout as an image, a sound, a connection at the point with the y hooking, connecting. So cool!
Sarah
Jennifer, I think your Yiddish terms are very clear, and I enjoy learning these through your poem. Plus, I can hear your mother’s voice in this, and your tender and loving voice. I especially enjoyed how you showed what you loved about your mother. Wonderful and moving poem!
I laughed out loud at the end of this! I grew up with a Polish grandmother and there was a lot of this trickle-down language around us. It is tough in writing words you’re not sure your reader will know, but you did well to provide that additional layer of definition through contextual detail. There is a writer’s divide on how much we should seek to include the reader and how much responsibility is on the reader to learn if they want to know the full meaning. I appreciate both opportunities. I enjoyed the shifting emotional energy of this poem as well. Thank you, Jennifer!
Margaret, what a wonderful writing prompt today! I think this would be the perfect way to have students write and teach their own vocabulary words. My poem is with that intent and focused on what might appeal to an 8th grade audience. I personally loved your poem’s opening “Zero in./feel the wind.” What a hook, and thanks for hosting today!
Rock Us!
when I dig deep to find a word
a wild sound resounds, pounding like
scrappy, hangry kids crying to be fed
battering metal lunch trays
spraying ketchup & mustard and
fruit bombs at each other’s heads
when I dig deep to find a word
I see a riotous room
a stampede of angry bulls
jamming at the chute
principal’s voice booming
Dad’s angry face looming
Mother’s shrieking wail
crying, “All is not well!”
when I dig deep to find a word, I hear
shrieking cries from the tilt-a-whirl rise
thunderous clouds; lightning strikes
ferocious tides, harsh discordant rasping
it’s not leisure reading
nor quiet solitude
when I dig deep for a total uproar
raucous appears
its strident colors jamming
like a back alley rock band
slamming guitars out of tune
raucous rules discord
sounds like “Rock Us!”
say it out loud!
raucous!
say it again
raucous!
Barb Edler
10 April 2022
Barb, I loved, loved the way your word choices reflected your chosen word. Loved the similarity between “raucous” and “rock us!” and how you played on it. Angry principals? Who cares. Rock us, indeed! 🙂
Your poem makes me want to sing! I can picture and hear each raucous scene.
Barb,
How clever this “rock us/raucous” combo cacophony of sounds in the cafeteria, in the “riotous room,” at the fair w/ it’s scary “tilt-a-whirl.” The repetition of “when I dig deep to find a word” works so spectacularly in leading us to that “wait for it” moment when you reveal that “raucous rules discord” near the end of the poem. That final verse embodies all those that come before it. Excellent poem.
Oh, having too much fun with this and couldn’t pick one word. I knew I wanted to do one word that I recently read about in The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams – highly recommended (second poem). Then I was just looking on dictionary.com and came across the first word I wrote about. I know I’ve learned this word sometime but I did not remember what it meant AT ALL. Thanks for the prompt, Margaret. your “oh, so, slow” phrase like literally had a feeling of slowness. That simple addition was my favorite part.
Yummy
Type this word in google images,
immediately you will salivate
and imagine a wok-fried aroma
Consuming the room
Crave a “healthy” concoction
of vegetable mix
greased up with carbs
pleasant on the mouth
tastebuds dancing satisfied
My favorite kind of meal.
I don’t care for the word though,
probably why I know I’ve heard it
then forgot it.
It reminds me of gum being
stuck on the bottom of a desk.
Chinese origin: sahp-gam
Meaning assorted mix
Go cook yourself some
SUBGUM.
________________________________
To Mabel
Allow me to be “uncouth” for a bit
and write about a British slang
“word of unknown origin”
Various sources write
first “recorded” in 1600 or 1700s
or something…?
For me this word is fascinating
because of its story told in a book:
back in the day it was judged unfit
by men to be included in the dictionary,
like the “lowly” women who used it –
peasants, bondmaids,
a woman named Mabel.
It may be nasty and vulgar
and obscene to some,
but seems back then it just
rolled off their tongues.
I know some will take offense.
But it’s sound is not like cunt or vagina,
so harsh and real, IMO.
Definitely not as known as those.
This has more of a dreamy sound
like the quill of a pen and whim mixed.
Feathery, soft, light, playful, necessary.
Add “whiskers” after this word
and it turns into a common phrase
*insert wink*
An adjective used to describe this word
could maybe be moist.
Thanks for the inspiration, Elizabeth;
I couldn’t help myself.
The word is quim.
Angie,
Thank you so much for taking us into this deep dive of quim and for uncovering the beauty and joy so often tainted or shamed or silenced.
Love “*insert wink*” and the way textual elements bring movement within.
Peace,
Sarah
I love this Angie (and my thanks to Mabel) and I learned something . . . I really liked how you were exploring our relationships to sounds of words. I think that’s so powerful–the feeling of a word in our mouths and senses. That idea really plays across both of your offerings here and I find it rich.
Angie, So Good! Standing O! Lol. Both of these are so clever and so well crafted (this is not even to mention the placement of your poems: “Yummy”…”To Mabel,” indeed). Full disclosure, though, I didn’t get “the winking” bit until I tried random word combinations in Google Chrome’s Omnibox. Once I found it — I was starting to think it didn’t really exist (I would “*insert [a] wink*” here if it wouldn’t come off as weird/creepy/offputting) — I marveled at what I’d found…and I was also glad it’s Sunday and I didn’t google this on my work computer. Lol. Thank you for these!
Angie,
Your second poem honors both the word “quim” and the novel, “The Dictionary of Lost Words,” a book I enjoyed very much. I particularly love the respect it gives to women’s ways, as well as women’s words.
These days when I think of “yummy,” the emoji image w/ the tongue hanging out pops into my mind. It’s a shorthand I often use. Fun poem.
Angie, your poems are so interesting today. You were on a roll. I learned something from each of your poems today, as I, like Scott, did some Googling. I smiled at the reference to Elizabeth’s poem. Oh, yes, moist for good cake, and this too. 😉
Margaret, the poem you wrote is such a beauty–zephyr is a fun word. You have captured that sweet comforting wind in your poem. I love the anti-zephyrs you mention in contrast to that perfect zephyr.
Thank you for the great prompt. I love how you gave us several options on the definito. I tried a combo today, and even included some metaphor dice words. Thanks!
Felicity is a friendly word,
Four syllables of fabulous–
Felicity is a jubilant songbird
Fortunate enough to have lungs
to be heard above the sadness
Fruitful and fertile,
He willingly warbles
a skillful tune of trust
Adroit in his happiness
Felicity
Love the alliteration throughout this poem and I love the word Felicity. I like the mix of today’s prompt and yesterday’s too 😀
I was drawn to your poem because of my daughter’s name- Felicia which comes from felicity. Your line ” felicity is a jubilant songbird” made me smile because it also embodies my daughter.
Four syllables of fabulous…IS fabulous!
Denise,
This is a masterful metaphor comparing felicity to a bird and giving it the characteristics of a winged thing. It’s also a fabulous celebration of alliteration: felicity, friendly, four, fabulous, fortunate, fruitful, fertile. WOW. I love all these sounds in this “tune of trust.”
Truth be told
(no cap)
this poem will
not age well
(Facts)
will linger
about
as long
(fo shizzle)
as my
apparently
somewhat
dated
“Grody to
the Max”
poem
which railed
against
this disease
that has
(totally)
made
a mockery
of the
primacy
of spoken
language,
has taken
elders
with their
communication
history
medicine
culture
because
apparently
it’s not
trending
anymore
it’s been
(legit)
canceled
according to
The Socials
now we’ll
just need to
find a use
for all of
these
unused
masks
_____________________________________
Margaret, Thank you for your prompt and mentor poem today! I loved your wordplay; the rhythms and rhymes that you crafted are quite masterful! In terms of your prompt, I started to write a “light piece” about the ephemeral nature of slang, but then it turned into something…else.
Scott, I have been thinking about the cancelling of this disease during my time in Seattle. I went to my first mask-less large indoor gathering, and the last two years were hardly mentioned in conversations. I am praying there will be no positive cases arising. What a time is this?
made me laugh.
I know, right? Sarcasm is hard in print, lol. I never know how long to keep the “sarcasm button depressed” when writing. I’m, personally, still firmly entrenched in the “uh, guys, we’re still, uh, in this pandemic, let’s not, you know, clap each other on the back yet, this is still happening…” mindset. I know the world must “go on.” (I guess.) More and more people will begin to gather together and whatnot. I’m just not quite ready for that, yet. Lol. Thank you, Denise, for reading and contemplating (and commenting) today! 🙂
love this Scott–the ending surprise, which is no surprise after all when you read back through. I like the humor of juxtaposing cultural trends with the pandemic.
Scott, what a wonderfully fun poem. Had to laugh at “fo shizzle” “legit” and “totally”. Although these were not slang words I used, I remember when my students used them. “The Socials” allusion was also priceless. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!
Moist is one of those words that I have a very difficult time hearing. I don’t know how to explain my feelings about it, but they’re not positive. In an effort to explore the word and bring more positive meaning to it, I chose to write about things I associated with it while I was studying abroad.
Moist.
Chocolate Cake from Sammon’s.
My socks after hiking in the rain.
My bed the morning after my hot water bottle leaked.
The air at the beach, as we searched for sea glass.
Towels after our February ocean swims.
Laundry that never fully dried out.
The grass on a warm spring day.
Tears that streaked cheeks when we left.
Elizabeth, I’m glad you explored this word. I know a lot of people who hate this word. I think it’s funny because I guess I just think of it as a positive word to describe the perfect cake. (I wonder how many times I’ve used it and made people cringe.) It sounds like your time studying abroad was full of great experiences. (For the most part…I’m sure you would have preferred to not have the hot water bottle leak.)
Elizabeth, your metaphors for Moist are priceless, and your end is heart-breaking. Excellent poem!
Denise, I know a few people who cringe at this word, too. I feel like this was a rollercoaster of highs and lows with this one word.
Elizabeth,
What I notice most in your poem is the juxtaposition of pleasant with unpleasant “moist” things. Those smelly, moist socks suppressed my appetite for chocolate cake! Ha! That’s good for my diet, too.
Elizabeth, I love that you chose to use this prompt to explore a word in which you have negative connotations. I need to believe that these phrases/experiences you have connected bring positive memories and new connotations to this word you have chosen.
Well done!
I took the idea of the word, and got the word from Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day. It ended up being just the word I needed (funny how that happens) to work through a problem. So I took it in a different direction. Hope you don’t mind.
Liaison
Liaison comes from Middle French lier,
meaning “to bind or tie.”
I think of teachers tied together
by their love of students,
Sometimes to boast about them,
And other times to weep.
My liaison with the counselor
was tested as I sent a 10-year old
with a poem that indicated her wish
for her liaison with the world to be over.
It was a Friday afternoon, I understand,
but rejecting my request
to meet on Monday morning
until you had all the pertinent information?
I daresay you have all you need to know
the parents refusing to liaison with the crisis team,
the very parents who are HER liaison to life
So me being me, I hugged her goodbye and told her
I love you
And now I pray that her liaison with God
is strong enough to see her through,
to see me through,
to Monday.
Oh my God, Heidi. So powerful, and yes, it seems, the word knew what you were in need of. Thank you for sharing this experience with us and the many additions of liaison. I hope she is okay. That last stanza…perfect.
Heidi, oh my, your poem is heart-breaking. I sure hope Monday arrives with new hope for your precious student. I am angry for you with the counselor’s response, and I’ve been there with school staff before which has left me with some very unkind feelings towards “professionals” who are supposed to be caring and supportive. This is a young person’s life! Aggghhh! You have to wonder what the heck with the parents, too. I am so sorry, and sending healing thoughts your way! Hugs, Barb.
I appreciate how you took this creative outlet to work through a problem and share it with us. This experience is distressing, and I do hope Monday brings some answers. Thank you for sharing.
Oh, Heidi, God be with her. Please let us know how she is.
Dear Margaret, Once again #VerseLove does its magic. I used to teach the ‘Word-Up’ Essay, where I had kids define a word then share stories of how that word meanders through their life and thinking. Should I do that again, I will add poetics (write a poem). I love this. Etymology. ‘Easy breezy zephyr” is the goal (says the monsoon to the hurricane). Thank you for this Sunday morning prompt.
Note to Self
(academic advice for April)
~b.r.crandall
Adjust the silly-bus. Prioritize. Meditate.
Reevaluate meaning for your life. (You tend to underestimate).
Perpetuate what you preach (what you want to validate).
Inhale, Crandall. Breathe. Don’t stay inside to hyperventilate.
(Nothing should ever be due). (Leave the house).
Navigate, luminate, & appreciate.
Be peach, nectarine, plum, apricot,
snake, turtle, lizard, and butterfly.
Find the star, light, sun, flare, and shine.
Puddle-up, bathe, lounge, and lyme,
Adjust your schedule. Be you. Go marinate.
Bask in the the rays. Be toast. Contemplate and saturate.
Captivate your purpose, Frog: Apricate. Apricate. Apricate.
Apricate [AP-ri-kayt] (verb): To bask in the sun. To sunbathe and soak in sunshine. From apricus, Latin, meaning exposed to the sun.
I LOVED this poem with all its pertinent words. I needed this poem today. It is everything. Reevaluate, perpetuate, inhale, appreciate, contemplate. I learned a new word in apricate, which I would totally do if the sun were out. I loved the line “Find the star, light, sun, flare, and shine.” This poem shined for all of us today. Thank you, thank you.
Ohhhh, Bryan, I am in awe! Apricate?☀️needs to be on my forever favorite words list. I, too, love being in the sunshine and crave summer.
Bravo!
I love this Brian and somehow you reached right into the sun-deprived anxious soul of academic spring. “Be toast.” laughing here–best line ever.
Bryan, I cannot even say which line or turn of words I love best in this internal dialogue so let me say I love it all and I need no other invitation than this admonishment to adjust my schedule, be me, and go marinate (how sublime) – plus, the repetition of apricate apricate apricate sounds quite frog-like, to me.
Margaret,
This inspiration is fantastic. I will revisit it myself and I can’t wait to use it with my students. I knew I would obsess too long about what word to do, so I went to the Word-of-the-Day and was thrilled to see “liaison.” It’s one of our vocabulary words in class, so I was eager to take it on.
Liaison
To tie or bind
a close bond.
connection
a link between two things
mostly a positive, wholesome noun
a role needed—often too often—
in our world of polarity
of familiar with unfamiliar
but it can also have
a hint of seediness and
forbidden unions
From French
unusual vowel combination
trips up many spellers
and if you want to be sure
to say it correctly,
check out
Alex Trebek
Takes me back to french class,
trying to master the nasal,
stuffed-up quality of the words
ending with an n.
A cooking term
in the start
to bind
to incorporate one thing
in
in order to bind others into a whole
just like cooking has become
more and more of a rare activity
so has agreement.
the role becomes more and more
crucial in today’s world
with fewer people
able or willing
to fill it.
There are agencies
and aircrafts
and alliances
that use the word
who wouldn’t want to be
one trying to bring about
cooperation.
I feel I play the role
between a despised subject and kids
between an activity becoming outdated and kids
between traditional and technology
The i’s (don’t you hate when you
repeat to kids–and friends preparing Christmas cards–
over and over and over
that apostrophes don’t make things plural.
until they do.
another time I’m in that role…
reinforcing proper use of conventions
to the masses who
“think it looks better”
with an apostrophe)
anyway, the i’s
two first-person letters
loop around that a
she’s
trying to bring them together,
get them to cooperate,
and put aside ego and self.
A trying to create alliance
agreement
rather than
ignorance and independence.
It’s a word that sounds beautiful
and mysterious
and exotic
but its meaning should be
sought out,
embraced,
and common
in our world of
extremes.
~Susan Ahlbrand
10 April 2022
I, too, went to the word of the day and used the same word. Some great inspiration there. I love what you did with it and how you incorporated the unusual spelling into your very honest truths. The last stanza was perfect in its meaning for this time in our world. Thank you.
I love the sound of liaison too..”beautiful / and mysterious / and exotic” agreed. It’s like so sensual to me.
What a great word choice, Susan, and I love all the layers from Alex Trebek to i-trouble for spellers but I gotta say I love the aside about apostrophes most! YES!!
Margaret,
Sometimes the fates align and offer up just the right inspiration at just the right moment as you have today. Thank you. Your poem creates a gentle feeling. I know some mighty winds come your way, but there are few things more pleasant than a calm breeze, a gentle zyphyr.
Ghosted
all around
no sound
voice to wind
alone again
texts unreturned
emails spurned
poems ignored
words barred
try despite
friendless site
final diagnosis:
ghosted
—glenda funk
April 10, 2022
Glenda, such great word play here in your exploration of ghosted. That first couplet lures us in. And I feel as if I’m trying to see what isn’t fully named, much like a ghost. We just discussed “And The Ghosts” (Foust) and Ghosts (Woodson) this week – students’ ideas have so much depth. It was interesting to see your take on ghosts too.
There is nothing worse than being ghosted and you do a spectacular job of capturing what is so terrible about the experience. Nicely done!
I love the rhyme here, and of course “ghosted” described wonderfully.
Being ghosted is a sad feeling, and this poem is a good reminder to not “ghost” people in all our situations. Glenda, you are such a commenter extraordinaire, working hard to welcome people to this space. Thank you for being a role model!
Glenda ,ouch, this poem hurts of rejection and unfriendliness. I like how you show the different ways in which you have been ghosted. I was especially troubled by “poems ignored/words barred” and “friendless site”. I can totally relate to the feeling of being “ghosted”. Sometimes a silence is hard to decipher. Feeling for you and hope somehow this poem reaches the right ears and the email will be answered. Powerful poem! Hugs, Barb.
I found myself consistently nodding in agreement with the truth that lies behind each line. I think being ghosted is something we can all relate to, whether on the receiving end perhaps we are the ones ghosting.
Glenda, I loved the wordplay in this. And the beautiful sounds! The short lines and two-word stanzas also enhanced the mood so. Beautiful poem!
such genius with words and such a slice to the heart. Ouch! This poem perfectly defined the word…I feel the hurt.
Glenda, I was ghosted just last week. Two appointments made and both times ghosted – no sorry, no apology, nothing. Ghosted! Love the voice to wind, alone again! Ugh ghosted!
Chilling, Glenda – amazing, too, for the conciseness and rhyme. Your poem penetrates – as does the knowledge of being ghosted.
What an insightful deep dive with this word “ghosted” – and yet you have used very few words to capture the acute, surreal pain of this. It is beyond spooky to have no understanding of why you are spurned…I know this feeling, too.
This one got me thinking, Margaret! I love the possibilities of these formats. I played around for a while and came up with this one. Such fun. I don’t think I’m done yet. Thank you!
Love is Love
Love is a pink word,
It unfolds like a flower –
Sweet, fragrant affection,
Smitten by its scent.
Love is a large word.
It spreads and multiplies.
Cherish every inch of it,
Embrace it with a kiss.
Love is a quiet word.
Leaves you awestruck,
Captivated and spellbound,
Overwhelmed by delight.
Love is a poetic word.
A double-edged couplet,
Sonnet or sincere elegy,
Adoration in rhyme.
Love is a delicious word
It is rich and satisfying
Filling and sumptuous,
Savor each delectable moment.
I loved this poem with all its descriptions. I loved the simile “It unfolds like a flower”- how beautiful. I can see it. I kept coming back and re-reading this poem. Its beauty, like love, everlasting. Thank you.
Thank you, Heidi!
Word Dancer, your words have danced throughout this poem today! The metaphors are so sweet. I especially love the last two–the poetry in love, and the “filling and sumptuous” meal. Yummy!
Thank you, Denise!
Word Dancer, wow, your poem absolutely radiates with all the ways love can be defined. I adore so many of your metaphors and especially “is a delicious word” and “savor each delectable moment”….ain’t that the truth. Powerful poem, and I LOVE it!
Thank you so much!
I love the multiple identities of love you explored in this poem. I especially enjoyed the metaphors describing love as a large and quiet word. Thank you for sharing.
It’s all true, Joanne! I cannot say which stanza I love best – maybe the “love is a poetic word” one because I adore “adoration in rhyme” and love sonnets and the truth of a sincere elegy at the gathering for the dearly beloved.
Thank you, Fran!
Thank you for sharing Margaret your prompt inspired me to write about my daughter’s condition.
Rett Syndrome
It silence little girls
Consistent hand movement
Swaying back and forth
Unable to move independently
Affecting the brain
Using the eyes to communicate
And smiles to say I’m okay
Trapped in your own body
With daily seizures to edure.
I’m glad you were able to write about your daughter today. I am unfamiliar with this syndrome. The website is full of smiles as you describe.
I am familiar with this syndrome and I so appreciate this poem. Thank you.
Oh, my goodness…what a difficult definito to write.
Dee, your poem is poignant and haunting, especially “trapped in your own body” and suffering daily seizures. I read about the syndrome and how it affects baby girls. I find you and your poem so courageous. Much strength and love to you and your daughter.
Thank you for educating me Dee.Your words were moving and heart-felt.
Good morning Margaret, I am just now returning home from a trip and reconnecting with verselove–so I decided to use gadabout to guide my poem today. I love the variations of examples and connections to a specific age group for this form. Thank you for hosting today.
All Are Gadabouts
sense-seeking anomalies
vary the true north
of one’s happiness
a centered heart steers our
orbits through context
our moral compass
searching for sanctity
directional drifting
tortured, triumphant traveler
have you discovered those
senses to satisfy your
gadabout-ing?
Stefani, gadabout is such a great word (I’m loving the discovery of all the words today and the thinking of them from our poets today). I feel the need to directionally drift. I haven’t been able to gadabout as much as I’d like. The idea of orbits being steered through context allows for much pondering (its own form of gadabout-ing).
Stafani B, Your poem speaks to a deeper truth, one we are all in search of, as you title suggests. This will be one I carry with me throughout the day (and maybe on Carry A Poem in Your Pocket Day, April 29, 2022) because it capture so much. Your line, “tortured, triumphant traveler” is especially compelling, but so also “sense-seeking anomalies” and “vary the true north.” It comforts me that your poem speaks to all of us, gadabout-ing, as we search for a deeper truth.
I love all the alliteration that creates sensory sounds throughout.
Margaret, this led me on a journey of discovery (hence, my topic today) as I fell into one etymology hole after the next. Your poem is a treasure, a gift of lightness and ease. I love the idea of the sleepy moss and the pondering of all the ways it embodies this characteristic. Thanks so much for a fun prompt today!
Buried Treasure
When I began to dig,
myself
revealed itself,
in an unburial,
the cover taken,
as if a hat had been removed
-or the roof of a building-
allowing me to peer inside,
finding what already existed
(though to me unknown)
giving way to first sight
in an uncovering of discovery.
Margaret, just now reading Wendy’s comment about the structure of your poem “building out like a billow” – how beautiful that it’s the shape of a sail!
Jennifer, I love how you personalized this, an etymology of self-discovery. I love the use of “unburial” as it brings life to this process. Thank you for sharing today.
Hi Jennifer,
Your poem made me think about myself. We all need to take time to reflect on who we are and celebrate our inner strengths as human beings especially during these trying times. Corvid and now the war.
There is a sense of discovery in this form that you captured in your reflection on the self as a buried treasure.
Jennifer, I love this! Such a neat way of seeing, and I love what you did with the punctuation that made the ideas unexpected, insightful, and cohesive. Very cool piece!
Jennifer, I adore these words: “unburial” and “uncovering of discovery.” Also love the image of peering within to see what exists but wasn’t known. I was rapidly falling into “etymology holes” myself today… choices are plain overwhelming… your poem is a celebration of the journey and a savoring of revelation.
Jennifer,
Your poem is and speaks of a paradox, this knowing and unknowing of oneself, the journey of self-discovery. This is for me the beauty of poetry, the way it allows us to write into ourselves while simultaneously giving us the power to write outside ourselves, too. This, I think, the “giving way to first sight.”
Margaret, thank you for the inspiration. There was a sense of peace and calm reading your poem. I particularly liked the way you snuck in the Greek origin.
You inspired me to write about a weather word too!
Graupel
I’m grappling with graupel
This weather word obscure
It’s really a snowflake
That took on new form
As super-cooled droplets
adhered to its sides
Formed soft squishy crystals
Or teeny snow balls
So get out your umbrellas
And your ice cream cones too
For what looks Dippin Dots
Will be dropping down to you!
Christine, your poem starts with powerful and playful alliteration. This poem is fun and educational, thank you for sharing today.
Augh, Christine, we are also grappling with graupel! And I agree that it’s the coolest word. Love your comparisons and imagery here! <3
This is a new word for me (living in the south). Dippin Dots is an apt comparison.
I think I saw graupels a ffew weeks ago as Dippin Dots on my car. I live in upstate NY. Great description!
I stopped at your title because graupel fell from the sky where I live yesterday. It hurt when it struck my face. Thank for the humor at the end with your last two lines- I really let out a chuckle.
Fascinating, Christine! Not just the rain of Dippin’ Dots/graupel but the clear visuals and the alliteration. Super cool poem – no pun intended!!
Christine,
I need this word, which I did not know until reading your poem. The definition says it’s “hominy snow.” ick. I prefer your “Dippin Dots” metaphor. We’re grappling with graupel over here today.
Thanks, Margaret, for this neat prompt! I loved your zephyr poem, such lovely structure, building out like a billow, and the beautiful sights and sounds. I loved reading Martha’s poem, too. Unsure what to choose, I opened my morning email from historian Heather Cox Richardson and found this little gem of an anecdote that led me to my word:
From “something done,”
From “discreet action performed by someone.”
It’s Ulysses Grant, head migraine-heavy
Pulling on his boots, one at a time,
To head to Appomattox
And Lee, setting aside pride
To feed 25,000 men:
It’s from “[military] fortification.”
From “scholarly labor,”
From “artistic labor.”
It’s my daughter’s text
To me, joy-filled
On rebounding with her latest
College essay:
“Redemption!!”
“This is what you get when
You learn from your mistakes”
“lol. ;)”
From “artifice.”
From “Production of humans,
[As opposed to production of nature].”
It’s fear, worry:
Am I doing enough?
Will she be
Alright?
Redeemed, fortified,
Pulling on her boots,
One at a time,
Through heavy heart.
Heavy head?
(Inspiration: “work”)
Wendy, that idea of pulling on boots one at a time calls to mind moving forward one step at a time. And doing it all through a heavy heart (or a heavy head) makes it all the more work. I appreciate those “from…” lines which offer us the backdrop and the circling of boots from beginning to end.
Wow Wendy, this is lovely and I appreciate how you’ve used a common word/anecdote as your inspiration. Your use of quotes and repetition also add a creative purpose to your poem. Thank you for sharing today.
I like how you move from third person observation to a personal connection with your daughter and to your own reflection, a complex journey through work.
I feel the heaviness throughout, Wendy… the labor, the daily grind. Heart and head! The recurrence of fortification, production, and redemption (a favorite theme of mine) is so effective – we inherently desire to be productive but heaven knows we need fortification – and second/third/infinite chances. Such fascinating connections here!
Wendy,
My mind jumped from word to word as I tried to unravel the mystery of your word. First I thought it’s “history,” then “redemption,” then “fortified” and its variants, but of course “work” makes so much sense in terms of all of these. Heather Cox Richardson is a national treasure. She is an amazing teacher. I love that you found inspiration from her.
Margaret, your word
choice is calming and soothing! Zephyr- it explains Zephyrhills bottled
water’s name. I love
the form! I have subscribed to the WOTD and look forward to new words. Thank you for hosting us today.
Meet Quirky
Quirky was born in 1873
to the adjective family tree,
wrapped upside-down in
a blanket different from all the rest.
peculiar, off-beat, bizarre
eccentric, outlandish and
strange in an oddly appealing way,
in the same year in the
word hospital as bumfuzzled,
capisce, and wordsmith.
So wear the mismatched socks.
March to your own beat. Be quirky!
“wrapped upside-down in
a blanket different from all the rest”
Yeah!
Kevin
Ha! From 1873. I love that part of this definito and will remember to include that in my later attempts. Be quirky! Fun and the embodiment of the word. Well done.
Kim,
Love the baby metaphor and quirky’s quirky siblings: “bumfuzzled, capisce, and wordsmith.” Fun poem — thanks!
Kim, how fun! And how clever is the casting of the word as a newborn (I wish I’d thought to do that) in this “word hospital.” Meeting all its birthday siblings (bumfuzzled is fascinating) only adds to the fun. I feel as if I’m celebrating the arrival of Quirky for the first time.
Hi Kim,
Your poem was fun but had a serious message. We are unique in our own special way and should be free to express that difference.
Love “in the word hospital” and the ending direction to wear the mismatched socks and march to your own beat. Quirky is a fun word to play with.
I love the image of this word being tied to a family tree. The personification of the word is really unique and you do an amazing job of capturing the meaning!
I think my friends would describe me as quirky so I can relate. Loved this poem!
Kim,
I love your approach to this poem . . . having it read like a birth announcement is so clever.
A perfect personification of Quirky – little nonconformist from the start! What nursery-mates, too. This is an absolute delight to read, Kim. Brilliant definition and such fun – I have the greatest visuals in my head… rather Alice-in-Wonderland-esque.
Margaret, thanks for the nod to the definito, and wow, is “Zephyr” a great one! And I love that “When I began to dig,” which achieves the same thing in a different way, and is also an ars poetica! What a great prompt.
Margaret, your definito is amazing. To read it is to experience a zephyr (such a fantastic word!).
So… I tried, I really tried, two things: 1) Getting away from my OLW, “awe” and 2) Keeping to the recommended 8-12 lines. I failed in both. I did, however, have a lot of fun with the unfolding of this pseudo-definito … thank you for this today!
Awe “Definito”
So, Children,
maybe you have seen something
so wonderful
that you went all shivery inside
and maybe your skin
even got tingly
or goosebumpy
a thing
so beautiful
that you don’t have a word
for how beautiful it is
the feeling you get when
the sun’s slanted golden light
breaks through the clouds
after a storm
or when you see a rainbow,
(not made with crayons,
a real one) in the misty height,
colors glimmering, glowing, blurring,
an ethereal sight
—ethereal? Sorry. It means
to be so airy and light and beautiful
that the thing almost doesn’t belong
to this world
like stars, crystal-bright
against the black-velvet sky
on a winter’s night
maybe you have felt their stab of
silvery coldness, looking up
while your breath
hangs white
in the air
—yeah, that’s the feeling;
should we stop to
discuss metaphor
again?
No, it doesn’t have to be cold.
It can be a rush of warmth
on seeing a puppy
tiny, pink-mouthed, and so new
that its eyes are not yet open
—please note: The word is not spelled
the same way as what you say:
Awwww!
This, Children, is a homophone,
a poem for another day—
and the feeling might not come
from something you see
at all.
It can come from something you hear.
Once I was in an auditorium
where a girl who was trained in opera
sang just one high note;
her lips never moved
I couldn’t see her breathing
and the sound grew bigger
and bigger
and bigger
until the room
and my brain
and my heart
were filled, almost bursting
with its pure, clear
starlike sound
-oh yes, I can tell by your eyes
and your open mouths
that you are beginning
to understand.
LOL. I’m sure Awe is most happy with it’s definition…I mean really. How can you define awe in 12 lines or less? So many beautiful images here that really do strike awe. You’ve also described that open-mouthed reaction in the last stanza perfectly.
The side note about awwwwww had me chuckling …
Kevin
Mouths agape, eyes full of wonder – I can see them now as they feel awe. What a perfect word for you today – and every day as it is your OLW! I love that your audience is your students today – Linda did this also, kind of like a lesson of sorts, a conversation of meaning and uncovering new truths. Those descriptions of awe are spot on for giving feeling to a conceptual noun to understand how it works! Not many people can do it at all, let alone well – like defining vanilla or chocolate. But you sure did!
Fran, this was just lovely. And, indeed, awe-inspiring.
Loved the many tensions in it.
Just loved the descriptions of awe-inspiring experiences; your lingering on the idea of stars; the way “silvery” and “shivery” bounced off of one another. Lovely. Hope your day inspires some awe!
Hi Fran,
Your poem had me thing about what it truly means to be in awe….its magical and we need to capture more awe moments in our lives.
I read this and knew it was YOU immediately. So much wonder – such amazing word choice (pure, clear starlike sound). I am in AWE of you! Thank you!
“This, Children, is a homophone,
a poem for another day—“
I love it! And the ending is perfect!
Fantastically done, Fran!
Fran,
It’s apropos that you chose “ethereal” as your word. It’s often the word your poetry evokes for me. My words often feel inadequate to express the feelings your poems evoke. And it’s this silence in the unspoken words, the internal dialogue between the speaker in this poem and the children that best illustrates the idea of not having the right/write words to say what I mean.
I know you love
to say it, too,
to shout the word
as it fizzles through
to slash at the air
like a curlicue
to roll your tongue
over the sounds, it’s true,
but no, the word isn’t invented
it’s no verbal miscue
it’s the sword of Don Durk:
A pirate’s squizzamaroo
(Note: this poem is for a word in the read-aloud poem The Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee by Mildren Plew Meigs – https://allpoetry.com/Pirate-Don-Durk-of-Dowdee. Last week when I read it to my class, we all agreed that squizzamaroo was one of the best words we had heard/said in a long time.)
Kevin
LOL. Oh, my goodness. That made me laugh. Love sqizzamaroo. The poem is all serious until that last word. Well played.
🙂
Pirate Don Durk of Dowdee! Yes, it was in the Childcraft poetry book. That was my absolute favorite volume as a child and I can still see the pirate with his one leg propped up, wearing black pants and I think a red or white shirt. Funny how words take us back. I love that you used this poem for your word – now I will be reading the whole thing again today. You’ve made my day!
Kevin,
What a word! In my Creative Writing class, we all take turns bringing a word of the day: keeping this one in my back pocket for my turn. Loved your playful rhyme, the ducks and turns of this poem. Fun to read. Thanks!
Yes, I agree – squizzamaroo is a wonderful, wondrous word. Love the sound of your poem. Thank you!
Delightful rhyme and squizzamaroo IS a great word; it’s not even made up and just begs for a poem!
Good Morning Poets,
Margaret, the part of your definito that stands out to me is the gentleness and playfulness inside the definition. It’s just like a zephyr!
Big breath…I am on spring break! What a school year this has been. I’ve written definitos with Heidi and Margaret in the past. I have to admit they are addictive once you get going. Before spring break, I was setting up review stations in the library for students to prepare for upcoming state exams. Reviewing keywords that appear on the tests was something I added to the mix…which is at top of mind right now.
Analyze
For this you need tools
a sharp mind
all your senses too.
Consider a person, a place, or a thing
Study what makes it complete
What are the parts that make it sing?
Or. run or work all of one piece?
Is there a prefix a suffix
a root word to know?
chemical bonds,
history events from long, long ago?
Whenever you study a whole
as a sum of its parts
you are wise and smart
you have learned to analyze.
I like the voice here, authoritative yet guiding, and supportive.
Kevin
Linda, I can hear this as a song. What a perfect way to encourage kids to look beyond the letters and pronunciation for deeper meaning!
Linda, bringing other study subjects into the word study nudges us toward thinking of language as a science with its “chemical bonds” and pushes us toward that word history in its mathematical equations. Very cool, this analysis.
I love the line “what are the parts that make it sing?” That’s such a beautiful way to think about analysis. As a lang and comp teacher, analysis is at the heart of what my classes do. I’m on break this week as well but I look forward to sharing this poem with my kids!
cool!
Analyzing is such a difficult skill to teach students, but you capture the significance of it right from the start! Understanding the different parts of the words, the meaning, and significance all play a role in the skill.
Linda,
Last week on my blog I shared the sign I kept over my desk for years. It read, “It’s not logical. It’s just our policy.” In education this was often my response to students who ask why about so many mandates. Your intro and then your poem reminded me of that once again. My favorite lines are
“Whenever you study a whole
as a sum of its parts
you are wise and smart”
This speaks to what I believe is the most important work in terms of curriculum teachers can do.
Linda, brava! I love all the questions. I’m sure you all are helping those students be successful, and I love that poetry is part of the process.