Sometimes, a word

Words.

They connect us, separate us, explain us, reflect us, amuse us, confuse us, contain us, and free us.

Just the right word in the right place brightens our minds with bursts of clarity.

As Mark Twain said [according to Bartleby],

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.

Sometimes words just fly across the paper or keyboard as John Lennon wrote in Across the Universe,

Words are flowing out like
Endless rain into a paper cup
They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe.
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
Are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me.

The right words strike a chord and contain the message in a melody of meaning and emotion.

But sometimes, they don’t.

Words trickle out like

the lost drop slowly dripping from the pot

to plop into your nearly empty coffee cup;

ripples of disappointment, stopping your mind

from finishing that last thought.

Just…

And there it is. No word. No words. Stuck in the back of your mind, floating somewhere else, away from your grasp.

Words are made of parts of meaning– affixes and base words, Latin, Greek, German, Middle English, etc.

Maybe that’s the time to play with words, take them apart, and remix them into something new. Play with words to keep the meaning of the parts and make better connections. Play with words to make the meaning of your feelings in that moment.

For example, right now I’m thinking about a place where people are free together, not contained or constrained by someone else’s mandates.

Created in easel.ly

My granddaughter just left after a short visit, so I’m feeling like hugs should… :

easel.ly

created in easel.ly

Take some time this summer to play with words and their parts. Remix them and share them with #clmooc or link in the comments below. Perhaps, send a postcard to a friend or grandchild!

Thanks for playing with words!

#clmooc

#postcards

Asimov Image by Sheri Edwards