wordplay

Doggerel

/ Fran Haley / 17 Comments

noun

  1. comic verse composed in irregular rhythm.
    “doggerel verses”
    • verse or words that are badly written or expressed.
      “the last stanza deteriorates into doggerel”

Example:

Time for a nap
time to recharge
if only for a bit
on a teeny-tiny pillow
that ain’t a good fit

this is what comes
of living large

My son’s dog, Henry. Well-spoiled.
A master of making himself look “pitemous,” as you can see.

*******

with thanks to Two Writing Teachers for the monthlong Slice of Life Story Challenge
and to you, Dear Reader, for enduring this bit
of doggerel.

The duality of slow

/ Fran Haley / Leave a comment

In my recent reading
I have encountered
the duality
of slow…

educators know
DEVOLSON:

Dark
Evil
Vortex
Of
Late
September
October
November

a mysterious force
an epicenter
impacting
gravity,
functionality

(=dark matter:
a nonluminous material
causing several effects
in space)

yet in my reading
I also stumble
across the word
Slowvember:

an admonishment
an acknowledgement
that one cannot possibly
do all the things
well

so one might as well
choose to act
vs. being acted upon

a recognition
a submission
a slowing of the pace
even at the edge
of holidays
brimming
glimmering

they are,
after all,
celebrations
of light
(=holy-days)

allow me
an antidote
in an anagram
or two:

DEVOLSON…
Solved? No.
Do novels.

Carve the time
vs. letting it
carve you

nourish
your inner light

it is only flickering
not snuffed
enough is enough

-evil? No.
A divine pull
to the gift
of slow.

slow down, slow down, slow… Victor Bezrukov. CC BY-NC 2.0.

with thanks to Chris Margocs for the DEVOLSON inspiration

The snickersnee

/ Fran Haley / 2 Comments

On the first day of the August Open Write at Ethical ELA, Gayle Sands invited participants to scroll this site, https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/surprising-uncommon-words, for choosing an uncommon word to pay with in crafting a poem.

The word that caught me was snickersnee.

I’ll just let the poem speak for itself…

The Snickersnee

Woe to the olden blades
rusty, dull, disobliging—fie!
Off with thee, useless utensils
—begone!
Behold the Snickersnee:

So fine a blade
German-made
slicing mine vegetables
as if they were but a dream
or merely air…
I forgetteth this
exceptional sharpness
during the washing-up
whereupon the Snickersnee
indiscriminately
snicketh a chunk 
o’ me.
(Just a thin slice o’ thumb.
A profusion o’ blood,
nevertheless.
Alas.)

Behold the snickersnee

Anagram poetry

/ Fran Haley / Leave a comment

Today I had the pleasure of hosting Day Four of the June Open Write at Ethical ELA.

I shared anagram poetry:

Sometimes there’s a need for words when the words won’t come. Sometimes in naming the emotion we open ourselves to finding our words and our way.

As the events in Uvalde unfolded on May 24th, I couldn’t encapsulate my thoughts or my feelings. No words seemed appropriate or meaningful enough. 

One word kept resurfacing: heartbroken. I finally resorted to examining its anagrams. 

Those became a poem.

Process

What are you feeling today? What are you grappling with or celebrating? What words or phrases might you explore with anagrams to express your sorrow, fear, or joy?  You can type your word or expression in this Anagram Generator to get phrases. For example, if you type POETRY BLISS in the generator and select “Anagrams” instead of “Words,” 10,0000 phrases appear, including best prosily, blip oysters, blistery sop, priestly sob, and sibyl tropes, not to mention bless or pity. Tap into your feelings, type in your words (maybe not too many!) and see what comes. Weave the anagrams of your choosing into your own meaningful expression any way you like.

I left my anagram poem simple and stark. It’s what I needed to say.

May 24th (originally entitled Heartbroken)

broken hater
broken Earth

broken heart
heartbroken

Uvalde
valued

*******

I’ve enjoyed reading the many varied poems in response today. Some are gleefully nonsensical, sparking giggles. Some are deeply moving.

What fascinates me with this particular wordplay are the hidden meanings that lie in words, brought to light in rearranging the letters. It’s a unique alchemy, peculiarly lyrical:

it’s all such
lovey trope
lye overtop
overtly Poe

every lop to
ole poverty

love or type
poetry love

If nothing else, imagine a poem made from this elf row danger (flower garden):

Photo: flower anagrams. gilliflower. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Last day

/ Fran Haley / 2 Comments

What can I say about the last day of school?

Most students rejoiced. Not all. Some will miss their friends. Some will not return. They said their sad goodbyes. One little boy who just got here and who knows no English asked for a translator for this very reason. Some teachers will not return. Not necessarily a bad or good thing…there’s just no need to be flummoxed by flux. I think of the ocean. A sense that tides are turning…I stayed late to help interview teachers for next year. They radiate positivity. The grass is NOT greener, they say…one lovely candidate wearing a string of pearls posed this profound question: How do you feel about the people you work with? So much begins and ends with this, does it not? With the adults in the building?

And this was the last day.

Forgive fragmented brain-play with anagrams:

At sadly
last day
lad, stay

day salt
sly data
lady sat

sadly, ta

Seems fitting for the strange pieces of this year.

Peace…

Kid playing football.Wallboat. CC0 1.0.


Big brown rabbit

/ Fran Haley / 2 Comments

I am coming home late
if you are meeting me at the gate
unintentionally, but still
at the end of a long day
I shall go my own way
and leave you to play
sweet clover for you
sweet dreams for me
lettuce savor the evening
dear Big Brown Rabbit