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the shape of words
So many things I should be doing. But I am here, alone, the house is quiet, and it is way too hot to do anything but read. And so I am on the couch, with berries and chocolate and a glass of red wine, reading. It is 6:00 o’clock in the evening. I am going to read until it is late, as late as I can stay awake.
I am reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, which I have only just begun, but already, I am in love with it. In love. Edgar’s fascination with words mirrors my own, although I can speak, while he cannot. But I speak best when I write, when I can see the shape of the words on the page, hear the rhythm and the cadence in my mind. Words.
Two special people recommended this book to me, my daughter Kimberly, whose taste in books is so similar to mine, a remarkable girl who keeps surprising me with her insight and her generosity of spirit. And Debi, whose words I fell in love with right from the start, whose words are prose and poetry and painting and song all mixed up together.
Words. The poet in me has never stopped dreaming, though indeed, I left her sleeping far too long. Words were the first tool I ever used to create something. When I was thirteen, poems started flowing out of me, out of the blue. I had no idea, at the time, where they came from. Sometimes in a poem, I would use a word that I did not even know that I knew. A word I would have to go and look up, see what it meant and if I had used it correctly. Words that had embedded themselves in my subconscious and been forgotten. Golgotha was one such word. And yes, I had used it correctly.
I started reading the dictionary, just to look at all those words.
Words I have fallen in love with. Serendipity. Rapscallion. Avarice. Actually. Ranunculus. Fritillaria. I love words for the way they sound as much as for their meaning. I love the music they make when you string them together.
I love that the song I sing will always be different than the song you sing.
But both will be music.
I love words that sounds like what they mean. Sibilance. Gigantic. Phlegm. Still. Patina. End.
So many things I should be doing. But I sit here worshiping words. That has been my way, all my life. Words.
A picture painted with words is better than a painting for me. Because in my mind each word is its own brush stroke, set down one at a time, until suddenly I see what the writer is saying. Beautiful pictures that stay in my mind, my pictures. The next person reading will paint her own.
Words.
Comments
you never cease to amaze me, beautiful as always
Posted by: Nana | July 9th, 2010 08:05
You are peeping in at my heart – I have left a window open somewhere. First, I must admit that it never occurred to me that Edgar’s love of words might have something to do with my love of the book, although I so understood it. SO understood the naming of the dogs.
Second, I love words also for the way they look. Lots of vowels make me happy. Sometimes I think I love Michael mostly for his name – LOL!
And third – my very favorite books (and blogs, thank you!) are those that paint pictures with words. I say all the time that plot is almost secondary, and in fact, sometimes it IS secondary, sometimes just one paragraph on a page is worth the reading of the book.
xoxo
Posted by: Debi | July 9th, 2010 08:21
Beautiful post . . . I often find myself marvelling at the look, feel and sound of words too.
One of my favorites – discombobulated. :0)
Have a great weekend.
Posted by: Kathryn Dyche Dechairo | July 9th, 2010 09:00
it sounds like you were doing exactly what you needed to be doing…so peaceful. a perfect moment.
my current fav word – ancient.
Posted by: cypress sun (amy) | July 9th, 2010 09:43
I love this post. I think including words with the art that you’ve made is very important, even if it’s just tucking a story on the back of a canvas. You should check out the book Poemcrazy. The author is a great lover of words.
Posted by: Suzanne | July 9th, 2010 10:54
I love browsing thru the dictionary. Since I find myself using the same words over and over at work, I try to expand my vocabulary a bit when I can. Lovely post.
Posted by: Karen | July 9th, 2010 18:49
rapscallion – one of my all time favs. i used to do sit and comb through the dictionary for coll words. should do that again.
Posted by: kamana | July 9th, 2010 19:09
oh kelly
i love words too.. but you have such an amazing way with them. i adore this post, my friend….
and oh my gosh..the image… be still my heart…
xxo, kim
Posted by: kim | July 10th, 2010 01:05
I very much enjoy your blog having found you through “Flying Lessons”; both the graphic aesthetics and its contents appeal to me. I also enjoyed reading this post especially, since I too am a lover of words.
Words and creating are intrinsic to my being, and you will often find them in my art. Even my children will tell you that my passion for words and writing and books have permeated my parenting so that being taught about the value of kindness went hand in hand with being taught to appreciate language. My heart always smiles when I hear unexpected laughter coming from one of my boys as they are reading quietly to themselves; for one, I am pleased to see that they took a little pause from their computers, electronic games and sports to enjoy what now sometimes seems like a bygone pastime (especially for boys), a real book (not school or computer related), and two, I am secretly amused that they also choose to nourish their souls once and while with a good read.
Taking the time for yourself to do as you did and savor your book is such important comestible for the soul and a must of all word lovers. Thank you for sharing this moment and for reminding us to do the same from time to time.
By the way, I love the font you use for your logo ‘the blue muse’, would you be willing to share it with me? (I suppose it’s no surprise that a lover of words would also love typography ;-D)
I also like the image you used for this post. As it has your copyright on it, I am assuming it is your creation. Would you be kind enough to consider sharing how you created it? As i am learning how to ‘fly’ and ‘practice bravery’, I have been stretching my wings and fluttering all over my nest, and one of the things I have decided to do is to finally start my blog (SoulScribbles). I am still in the developmental and construction phase of it, but an image similar to the one you have here would be such a lovely visual.
I will be dropping by often.
Posted by: Orianne | July 10th, 2010 04:41
I love loquacious, but perhaps it is because I am 🙂
Posted by: Cristina | July 11th, 2010 12:41
your words are so lovely, the way you string them together, like beads on a beautiful necklace.
One of my favorite words…
tintinnabulation
Thank you for today’s post.
Posted by: Marianne | July 11th, 2010 15:19
Gosh, I’m lost for words!! That was a truly gorgeous piece of writing… took me a while to read, as each carefully painted word/phrase set me spinning! Thank you sooo much!
Hugs xxx
Posted by: Jo | July 12th, 2010 16:44
I share your love of words. Your evening on the sofa with berries and chocolate, ready to read until late…just my style. I hope you had a wonderful time.
Posted by: Denise @ Chez Danisse | July 15th, 2010 16:29