Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! Even before I knew there was a phrase for it, I loved the idea of liminal space. Those are times and places where things are not strictly one thing or another. Merriam-Webster defines it as 1: of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold : barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response 2: of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : in-between, transitional. And this fandom wiki expands on the idea with several examples.
As for me, I remember first encounter the idea of it as the time that Bert the Chimneysweep sang about in Mary Poppins ('ardly no day an' 'ardly no night) and how that description filled me with delightful shudders.
So for today's prompt, I'd like you to dive into the idea of liminal space. You don't need to use the words "liminal space" anywhere in your piece, but the idea of liminal space should be clearly conveyed. I'll take poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction. I'll also take any substantially re-worked pieces. Just please keep your prose pieces to 369 words or fewer. Thanks!
“Ecolinguistics explores the role of
language in the life-sustaining interactions of humans, other species and the
physical environment. The first aim is to develop linguistic theories which see
humans not only as part of society, but also as part of the larger ecosystems
that life depends on. The second aim is to show how linguistics can be used to
address key ecological issues, from climate change and biodiversity loss to
environmental justice.”
When
I finished reading the introductory quote, the first thought that came to mind was,
I love language. I feel that, as writers, we are beyond lucky to have a
medium that allows us to explore pretty much everything. And through our exploration
we can affect the way the world and its creatures work and evolve. Doesn’t that
sound like a superpower?
I
spent most of Earth Day reading about the relationship between language and the
environment. While searching around the Web, I ran into a list of weather
words that are both poetic and terrifying: bombogenesis, frazil, haboob(I really like the way this one sounds, and it is not just because
it includes the word ‘boob’), crepuscular ray, sastruga, williwaw,
gloriole, moonbroch… the list goes on and on. One day, I will put all those
words in a story or a poem or both. And deep in my heart, I hope that said
story or poem won’t be about how terribly we are still treating our home.
Do
you have a favorite weather word? My favorite is petrichor—a bit predictable, I know, but
still lovely… And it always makes me smile. 😊
Now,
the Writers’ Pantry is open! We welcome poetry or prose that is old or new,
fiction or nonfiction about rainbows or thunder. Let your contributions be
short or longish (if choosing prose, the word count be
369 words or fewer). One link per participant. This prompt will stay open for a
week. Write. Share. Read. Rain clear comments!
- for our
next Weekly Scribblings, our Rommy would like us “to dive into the idea of
liminal space.” It’s not necessary to use the actual words (unless we want
to) “but the idea of liminal space should be clearly conveyed.”
Hello, dear Wordsmiths. How has your April been, so far? Mine has been mostly wet – in a way that does NOT make me share Langston Hughes’s sentiments, below.
We know that Eliot said this was the cruellest month – so memorably that the notion has been widely accepted. I thought it might be interesting to look at what others have said. It turns out that lots of people have said plenty! I chose for your delectation some poems which have for me, and I hope for you, a touch of the unexpected. (Sometimes more than a touch. The connection of Louise Gluck's piece to the month of April seems tenuous at best – but there's something rather paradoxically enjoyable about its irascible tone. And then, the point slowly registers....)
April Rain Song
Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.
– Langston Hughes
Wet Evening in April
The birds sang in the wet trees
And I listened to them it was a hundred years from now
And I was dead and someone else was listening to them.
But I was glad I had recorded for him
The melancholy.
– Patrick Kavanagh
April
No one's despair is like my despair--
You have no place in this garden
thinking such things, producing
the tiresome outward signs; the man
pointedly weeding an entire forest,
the woman limping, refusing to change clothes
or wash her hair.
Do you suppose I care
if you speak to one another?
But I mean you to know
I expected better of two creatures
who were given minds: if not
that you would actually care for each other
at least that you would understand
grief is distributed
between you, among all your kind, for me
to know you, as deep blue
marks the wild scilla, white
the wood violet.
– Louise Gluck
April Fools
Spring. A great yellow stain.
Forsythias burst and daffodils explode.
Swallows hurry back from Mexico
and are bitten by
the laughing snows of April.
Spring, the smile
of a ninety-year old man
who can't hear a thing you say
yet keeps talking to you nonetheless.
Spring and dreams
have that in common.
– David Kowalczyk
In April
This I saw on an April day:
Warm rain spilt from a sun-lined cloud,
A sky-flung wave of gold at evening,
And a cock pheasant treading a dusty path
Shy and proud.
And this I found in an April field:
A new white calf in the sun at noon,
A flash of blue in a cool moss bank,
And tips of tulips promising flowers
To a blue-winged loon.
And this I tried to understand
As I scrubbed the rust from my brightening plow:
The movement of seed in furrowed earth,
And a blackbird whistling sweet and clear
From a green-sprayed bough.
– James Hearst
I invite you to be inspired by any or all of these: a line or phrase, an idea, a mood, a whole poem … I’ve given you a variety to choose from.
And there's the song, sad yet achingly beautiful, which you may also (or instead) use as inspiration.
You may take issue with something said, if you like.
Or if you’d rather, ignore them all and scribble for us your own story about April.
Some of us have girded up our loins (yet again!) to write a poem a day in April, using one or more of various online prompts. If you would like to share one of those pieces here (from this April, 2021) rather than write yet another new one, that's sufficient connection to April to be acceptable to me, whatever the topic. (I might even do that myself; we'll see.*)
Please tell us somewhere in your post which option you are responding to.
As you know, we welcome poetry and prose. If you choose prose, please keep to 369 words maximum (excluding title).
Then please link, below, to your post on your blog; one entry per person. We love it when you link back to this post from your blog, too. The prompt will stay open all week.Happy scribbling!
*Later: Yes I did select from my April prompt poems, at the last minute, having not found time to write something specially. I have chosen a piece which seems to me suitable for this day in this April, immediately following the verdict in the George Floyd murder case.
Material shared here is presented for study and review. Poems, photos, and other writings and images remain the property of the copyright owners, usually the authors. (Older material may be out of copyright).
I’ve
no idea how the statement (joke?) in the
subtitle should end. But yesterday was the International
Haiku Poetry Day and Bat Appreciation Day, so said subtitle just felt right. If
you can think of how to finish that joke, dear Poets and Storytellers, by
all means bring it on. I would love to read it (I’m always up for a batty laugh *cough*).
On
a more serious note, I was searching the Web for bat haiku (yes, I said, “bat haiku”), when I ran into nightpoetry: poetry, prose, perspective, photography, archaeology and
music.
I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve read of the poet, including the haiku below:
Now,
to the Writers’ Pantry! Share your poetry or prose. Let your contribution
be old or new, fiction or nonfiction, short or longish (if you choose prose, then your word count should be 369
words or fewer). One link per participant, por favor. This prompt will remain open for a
week. Let us write. Let us share. Let us read. Let us discuss and such…
- for our
next Weekly Scribblings, our Rosemary invites us to scribble poetry or prose about
April. Those who are writing one poem-a-day should feel free to share one of
those pieces here (from April, 2021) rather than write a new one. Or,
if you can wait until Wednesday, she’ll share a number of writings about April
which you may use to inspire your own.
And happiest
(belated) International Haiku Poetry Day and Bat Appreciation Day! 🦇
😁 🦇
