Thankful Thursday: Words Bloom
Vocabulary of Dearness
How a single word
may shimmer and rise
off the page, a wafer of
syllabic light, a bulb
of glowing meaning,
whatever the word,
try "temperature" or "suffer,"
any word you have held
or traded so it lives a new life
the size of two worlds.
Say you carried it
up a hill and it helped you
move. Without this
the days would be thin sticks
thrown down in a clutter of leaves,
and where is the rake?
Naomi Shihab Nye
from Fuel *
At Seashore Family Literacy this week, the young writers and I took an unexpected journey, gathering words like flowers for a bouquet that grew fuller with each new bloom.
What's another word for rusty, I asked? One youngster jumped for the thesaurus, another for the dictionary, and our word hunt began. Rusty led to strident, to tempersome, to drowsy, to frazzled, to daft, and finally to lackadaisical, a word completely unrelated to rusty but the jackpot word nonetheless. (We then spent 10 minutes on spelling and pronunciation).
The next day, a young writer burst into the Writing Room: I used the word today, she said. I used lackadaisical!
On this Thankful Thursday, I am grateful for shimmering words, and minds eager to use them.
It's Thankful Thursday.
Gratitude. Appreciation. Praise.
Please join me in a weekly pause
to appreciate people, places & things.
What are you thankful for today?
* You could win this book in the Big Poetry Giveaway.
Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 8:16AM
Reader Comments (4)
Drew,
As I was dragging my tired body through the play area at Seashore this evening, arms full of dirty dishes and two more hours to go before I can go home, I took the time and read what you and the young writers wrote in chalk on the pavement.
Amazing work at their young age. Thank you to you and Fred for taking the time.
I left thinking about the one that said "Live your Poem."
My poem for today:
Heart work
Speak the truth
always.
So, on the Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for young writers and their teachers.
Senitila
Oh Senitila,
That six-word poem is one of my favorites.
It was a fun week with the young writers.
Thanks for letting me in.
A day late, but not less thankful.
For birthdays.
For friends who will drive 200 miles to celebrate mine.
For friends who will go dancing with me even though they don't dance.
For garlic.
For having the discipline to write even when I'm not motivated, so I'm ready when ideas do come.
Happy Birthday Allyson!
I'm with you on the love of garlic, and for writing discipline.
Thanks for your thankfulness. Always thoughtful and true.