A few weeks ago, my word found me. Flou-rish, flourish. When I first read it at Starbucks, I saw it as "flour-ish" (which, looking back, is kind of appropriate, too, if you think of "flower-ish"! A flower is a fancy decoration, and it grows when nourished).
This "flourish" was imprinted on an ornament at Starbucks, and it fairly slapped me in the face...with a flourish, of course. I tried to ignore it. Walked past it to get my Latte Macchiato Venti, and bumped into it again at the register. Sat down. Thoughts crept into my head. Should I get the ornament? No. You have enough ornaments, and besides that is like a fancy, shmancy, word for something superfluous. No. Sit down and drink your delicious drink and write something using this wonderfully fast WiFi... your online writing can really flourish here. Ok, "Flourish", that's really enough. Go back to your shelf. You are getting intrusive.
But there it was again a couple of days later in another Starbucks. I picked up the ornament. It started to sink it, creep beneath my skin, burrow to my core... but it wasn't as solid a word as "Bold" or "Reach". Or was it?
I decided to look it up in the Bible. If I could find it there, then I could use it/own it. I couldn't remember seeing it there though. "Be fruitful and multiply" was the closest I could come off the top of my head... But a search showed me it was there.
On the next trip to SB, I picked up the ornament and set it on the table beside my computer. I showed it to my husband.
"Are you going to get that?" he asked.
I bought it.
I decided to tried it out. It flourished in a poem.
And last Sunday I tried it out again - it's flourishing in a found poem using the Bible verse in which it was found.
So, you found me, did you, you little spark of a word? Okay, I'll let you guide my steps this year. I'll see what growth, what flowers, what tah-dahs are in store! I'm ready! Bring on the nourishing, flourishing New Year!
This line by you -
ReplyDelete"Find something bleak, then give it flair." This is exquisite.
And curious you - finding it in true Verse.
TAH-DAH indeed about embracing FLOURISH!
Happy new year dear Donna!
Donna, Tah-Dah is a wonderful exclamatory word to announce Flourish! It has a theatrical tone. I love how you took scripture to create these lines:
ReplyDeleteIn old age
they shall be
flourishing.
My mother flourished in her older age and I would hope that for myself too.
I would say you're off to a great flourish love your post
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely word! I love how it seemed to find you, Donna. It will be neat to see how it appears in your life as the year unfolds before you. I loved your poem!
ReplyDeleteI love your word, a cousin to my word nourish from last year! I especially love the words woven throughout your poem. I see some definite possibilities for future OLWs in your lines - sparkle, glitz, shimmer, embellish. These are all delicious words and delightful ways to flourish!
ReplyDeleteYour posts always make me smile! I felt like I was following you to those Starbucks stops and saying, "Get it! It's just right!" That's how our words are, I feel, they find us even when we aren't ready. I have no idea where Explore will take me, but here I go world!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun. It sounds like that word wants you. With it you'll have a wonderful year!
ReplyDelete