WARNING: Spoiler alert!!! If you play Wordle and haven’t yet played today, wait to read this post. This post will reveal the word of the day!!!
I play Wordle every single day. Every so often I write poems from my guessed words. Recently, I’ve been doing this with more frequency. I enjoy having a pool of words to work with and try to combine in interesting ways.
I’m not a huge Wordle strategist. I don’t begin with the same word every time, or worry about vowels. I just wait for a word to strike my fancy. Sometimes it’s my mood, or the weather, or sometimes it’s just a random word winging it’s way into my brain. This morning I started with “tired” (Ok. I’ve definitely begun with that word more than once! Hmmmm….wonder why?) and then I decided to try something new. I would write a line or two for a poem after each guessed word, before taking my next guess. I was intrigued by the idea of not knowing where the poem was going. I’ve bolded my guessed words as they appear.
Tired hums in my veins
It stains my vision
bleaching out color
like a sepia photo
Night has advanced
creating its own home
deep within my bones
I grope for tinder and flint
anything to strike,
to light my way
to point to a path forward
Still, I’m utterly weary
I feel the weight of age
in every joint.
©Molly Hogan
Well, that was a bit dark! Really, I am fine. But even though it’s not the lightest of poems, I did enjoy the process. I suspect this will become a new part of my morning routine. On a side note, I’m not sure if I was disheartened or inspired by having 6 words to work with. It was not a stellar Wordle performance, for sure, but it definitely provided more fodder for a poem. Another upside to writing Wordle poems, I suppose!
Nix the comfort zone 
Love the Wordle concept poem and indeed the poem itself. Moi aussi, took six today. I see six as a triumph because I am right on the brink of breaking my streak. I use a new word every day. I often get one from Waffle. I do have some rules. No word with both an A and an E. Too easy. I do need two vowels in my starter word. A Y for one of them is fine. I just don’t start with a Z, X, J, K, V, or Q. That’s just me.
I start with a new word because I want to enter the Wordle Hall of Fame as Hannah has. How do you do that? Get Wordle in one word!
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I am not a member of the Wordle Hall of Fame either. I like seeing what word pops into my brain each morning and I’ve been known to go with an odd consonant if that’s the day’s inspiration. Generally it doesn’t work out efficiently then, but it usually just makes for a different path forward.
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I took your warning and did the wordle before reading. Then it took a while to get back to this post. I love the idea, though of writing out a line with each guess. I do start with the same word each time so my poems would be all about teaching. I should try it tomorrow but I’ll be tired and needing some flint to get me moving.
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I always start with the word “learn.” Here were my other words : chins, tying, quint, point… and joint. Don’t see a poem in those words, but here’s the irony: I am currently recovering from joint surgery- a knee replacement. I should have gotten the word in two!
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It’s so interesting how people have their own Wordle strategies or approaches. I have a friend who would agree on a starting word with a group of Wordle-playing friends and then they’d all see who could solve it quicker. Sounds like fun!
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Molly, I had to give up Wordle because it was took up so much of my time. “Tired hums in my veins.” Staying up late to finish my slice is really going to make me overtired tomorrow when I have to get up for PT.Thanks for the late night Wordle mystery.
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I have considered cutting out some of my daily word games, but for now I still enjoy them too much. Every morning I do Wordle, Connections and Spelling Bee.
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I love Wordle! I’ve never thought about writing poems from my guessed words, though. How powerfully you harness yours to convey the very essence of “tired” – it’s like you walk in my shoes! A couple of days this week I ached from head to toe, not knowing if I had energy to make it through the school day (sepia vision, night in the bones, utterly weary, weight of age – yes, I felt every one). I actually thought it could be the onset of flu or something but I went to bed before 8:00 a couple of nights and managed to bounce back. I should write an ode to Sleep, the great restorer! Back to Wordle – I do use the same word every single time: Steam. One day week or so ago it was actually THE word – how fun to solve on the first try! It occurs to me now that “Steam” is typically what I need, lol, as I seem to run out of it more and more these days. Love your poem and post.
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An ode to Sleep is something I can get behind! I’m a big fan of getting to bed early. That also allows me to get up early so I have time to write before the day is off and running. I’m glad you bounced back from your fatigue. I’m also a bit jealous that you got Wordle in ONE GUESS! Wow!
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