...quiet, about a lot of things...
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Definition, please..For Poetry Thursday
Scrabble is big in my husbands family. The sisters-in-law all play(4 in all), as well as the mother-in-law. No big surprise, right. Everyone plays Scrabble eventually. But Scrabble to these women is a blood sport.I did not know this, when I was new to the clan.
I played Scrabble with my Grandmother when I was young, to increase my vocabulary. I never pleased her with a double word score word "simple word". I did, however, make her smile if I came up with an unusual word. Granted, I was 6 and 7..but if I could lay down a word like girth or pinch, she would chuckle. These words showed creativity. These words revealed the power of language, far beyond the typical "cat and dog or run". She was teaching me to reach for detail. in one word. I often misspelled words, and she let them go on the board anyway. This tradition, I carry on today with children. I always allow a truly great word to be Miss-spelled, if it is unintentional. (I yank it if it is to get points. That's cheating.)
Point being,(is there one?) I hardly even knew there was a scoring system component to Scrabble. It was a word game to me. I once suggested a word to Sister in law #4...during a game, as she was scanning her tiles and board. I thought she was stuck. Little did I know, she was doing complicated math calculations in her head..maximizing point potentials and blocking strategies. I just saw a pretty little word, maybe it was mirth..I can't remember.
She ended up pulling off some intricate back hand spring, double twisting, lay out Scrabble maneuver using only two tiles and gaining something like 47 points. She didn't have to advise me to back away from the board. I did that all on my own.
This week's prompt at Poetry Thursday was to define a word. We aren't supposed to know the word's meaning. I think I"ll twist the prompt a bit. I 'll use a "little known word". But I can't help it..I'll have to know what it means before I write .. I'm just odd that way. Here I go...
Vespid
Veronica
was
vapid,
but
a vision
on
her
Vespa.
To me,
that
was
enough
to
define
her
as
vespid.
However,
my assumption
was faulty.
It was:
an ability to sting sequentially without consequence
that made her so.
My sting
was
suicide.
life
or
death.
For
she
alone,
had
the
luxury
of
retribution.
wlf 10:04 am
That was fun. Vespid = wasp. Let's buzz over to Poetry Thursday, shall we?
PS..I even fooled my spell checker!! Now that has got to earn me bonus points..Right??
I played Scrabble with my Grandmother when I was young, to increase my vocabulary. I never pleased her with a double word score word "simple word". I did, however, make her smile if I came up with an unusual word. Granted, I was 6 and 7..but if I could lay down a word like girth or pinch, she would chuckle. These words showed creativity. These words revealed the power of language, far beyond the typical "cat and dog or run". She was teaching me to reach for detail. in one word. I often misspelled words, and she let them go on the board anyway. This tradition, I carry on today with children. I always allow a truly great word to be Miss-spelled, if it is unintentional. (I yank it if it is to get points. That's cheating.)
Point being,(is there one?) I hardly even knew there was a scoring system component to Scrabble. It was a word game to me. I once suggested a word to Sister in law #4...during a game, as she was scanning her tiles and board. I thought she was stuck. Little did I know, she was doing complicated math calculations in her head..maximizing point potentials and blocking strategies. I just saw a pretty little word, maybe it was mirth..I can't remember.
She ended up pulling off some intricate back hand spring, double twisting, lay out Scrabble maneuver using only two tiles and gaining something like 47 points. She didn't have to advise me to back away from the board. I did that all on my own.
This week's prompt at Poetry Thursday was to define a word. We aren't supposed to know the word's meaning. I think I"ll twist the prompt a bit. I 'll use a "little known word". But I can't help it..I'll have to know what it means before I write .. I'm just odd that way. Here I go...
Vespid
Veronica
was
vapid,
but
a vision
on
her
Vespa.
To me,
that
was
enough
to
define
her
as
vespid.
However,
my assumption
was faulty.
It was:
an ability to sting sequentially without consequence
that made her so.
My sting
was
suicide.
life
or
death.
For
she
alone,
had
the
luxury
of
retribution.
wlf 10:04 am
That was fun. Vespid = wasp. Let's buzz over to Poetry Thursday, shall we?
PS..I even fooled my spell checker!! Now that has got to earn me bonus points..Right??
Labels: Poetry Thursday
18 Comments:
You're right! That was fun! I always love your essays that precede the poem. Good work!
I love the build up to your poem and the way you describe Scrabble. It's just a game is obviously vespid. ;)
All the v's in the poem are so much fun, but tell me truly, is Vanessa based on someone?
I am still giggling, this poem, and your in-laws make for a stingy combination.
Love the pace and the wording.
Rose
xo
The first stanza; great introduction. Vapid Veronica on her Vespa.
And I like the way you build this poem and enjoyed reading it very much. A lot of fun indeed. Well done. (And great story about your in-laws.)
Yvonne
How entertaining: Gotta love those V-words. So I see you are an A-personality, too.
Hi, ooohhhhh the boogie man is here to scare you. No seriously, I am changing my picture so by the time you see this I might have a different one up since you requested it so nicely. That really was just me at Halloween, not a movie picture or something. Well, anyways, so much for my love of that. Maybe next year I will be PinHead. LOL
BTW-Your poem was very nice. I loved "My sting was suicide." That is a strong statement. Well, enjoy my new face while it lasts. Grownups are not supossed to be afraid of movies are they? Sorry for giving you a hard time but your comment totally made my day, even if I have to change my profile picture.
I changed it
Wendy,
Swat...swat....swat....out damn wasp, out!
Lovely piece, but I have to tell you, this "I always allow a truly great word to be Miss-spelled,"
made me fall under your spell completely.
I had a hard time refraining from looking at the meaning of gongoozler. Only because my wife said "you can't do this", did I finally pick a word and not look at the definition.
rel
First visit...love your poetry.
i shall be back
This was such a fun poem! I love what you did with this. And I can so relate to scrabble...I always felt like you should be judged on the quality of your word...not the score you could get.
Oh, wow- I had to read that a second time- and I got it... so well done, Wendy- the contrast between your one sting and her mutliples... the luxury of retribution- great line...
You are a scrabbler after my own heart.
Nice work - especially like the play with v's in the first stanza.
Great poem, lots of fun~
I laughed at your Scrabble story. I am a feared Scrabble player....
I love your poem, your description of Vanessa on her Vespa and the stings. Excellent.
Oh yes I love this whole take - the scrabble - of course - perfect, and as for vapid V on her vespa turning out to be a wasp - well it's nothing but pure genius! A winner!!! Love it! (I think the 'to sting sequentially' is my fav part ;)
And 10 points for fooling the spell checker.
The stacking of these words, too, is wisely deliberate, and that sharp sting of suicide at the center creates such a wicked turn for the poem.
Your post and poem made me laugh and laugh - very clever, Wendy! Yes, back away from the board. :)
I hate poems about Vapid Veronicas. I'm sure you understand.
: )
Post a Comment
<< Home