Collecting words and creating a wordpool
A line from a Levellers song.
“An old man collecting 50 beautiful words”
I had always envisioned some old timer
rock pooling with a net,
but fishing for words rather than crabs.
I imagined him calling over,
small children to marvel at
a particularly impressive specimen
“coddiwomple” or “nelipot”.
Their mother hovers a little anxiously.
It is a sad reflection,
that minds are suspicious,
but the words in the media
create distrust and division.
Tuning in instinct tells her all is well.
The children call her over.
They have caught a monster –
and they want her to see
a remarkable “brabble”
they contend about who caught it.
Pleading they ask if they can
take it home and keep it in a
wordpool in the back garden.
Mum acquiesces but they must
agree to feed and clean it out.
“An old man collecting 50 beautiful words”
I had always envisioned some old timer
rock pooling with a net,
but fishing for words rather than crabs.
small children to marvel at
a particularly impressive specimen
“coddiwomple” or “nelipot”.
Their mother hovers a little anxiously.
that minds are suspicious,
but the words in the media
create distrust and division.
Tuning in instinct tells her all is well.
They have caught a monster –
and they want her to see
a remarkable “brabble”
they contend about who caught it.
take it home and keep it in a
wordpool in the back garden.
Mum acquiesces but they must
agree to feed and clean it out.
Smiling, she thanks the old
Man for his time and patience,
And he grins back knowing that
he has guided another generation
to a devotion to language.
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