This month’s theme at Tweetspeak and Every Day Poems is Words.
And, isn’t that what we poets and writers are all about?
Words hold great power, even though they are simple slips of sound and meaning. Words can start things. And end things. They can transform things. Or inspire, challenge, question—even soothe and console.
We say that some people have a way with words. We exclaim, “Oh, my word!” Some people simplify things when saying something is true in a deep way by simply proclaiming: “Word.”
What is your favorite saying about words? How have you found yourself working with words as a poet or writer? What do you love about them? What frustrates?
Try It: Word Poems
Of course, most poems are made of words (the asemics of Karla Van Vliet are a kind of exception). Some poems are about words. Others find ways to intimate them in what is not said. Write a poem that answers any of the questions posed above. Use words, or the absence of them, to communicate. Explore and experiment if you like. Words are the ultimate invitation to play!
Photo by Megs Harrison, Creative Commons, via Unsplash.
- Learning by Poetry: Qui a, Who Has - September 28, 2026
- Poetry Prompt: Oh, My Word - September 14, 2026
- The Beachy Poem Challenge - July 13, 2026
Rick Maxson says
First Words
It wasn’t at all what our meeting
became, our becoming was years
in the making, adventurous,
from the first day, even before we met.
That was a case of words, a chance
encounter, one and only for us,
words to try and draw a picture,
a wanted poster of the mind, reward
to be determined. Two of us fugitives
in a wilderness—lost by choice.
And now, age has found us, still two,
oceans, rivers, lakes and mountains,
cities and towns behind us, inside us
as we carry on in trial and solace,
each day a celebration
of how far and wide our words have traveled.
L.L. Barkat says
Beautiful poem, Rick.
This is especially lovely: “our becoming was years / in the making”
Here’s to that daily celebration of the far and wide traveling of your words.
Rick Maxson says
🙂