Welcome to Poetry Friday! I’m so glad you’re stopping by, and I’m looking forward to enjoying the bounty of posts and poetry over the weekend. Don’t forget to add your link at the end of the post!
Last night I was lucky enough to attend “Words that Sing and Soar: The Joy of Words in Poetry,” a workshop with Georgia Heard and Irene Latham. What a wonderful evening! I came away high on words, with all sorts of tips and prompts and creative buzzings. During the workshop both Georgia and Irene mentioned Nikki Grimes and her word play exercise. As I’ve been wallowing in the summertime joy of procrastinating without serious ramifications, I had an opportunistic eye out for a possible Poetry Friday post (because yes, I had not written anything yet). Revisiting wordplay poems and sharing the draft I’d created sounded perfect. (Phew!)
The first time I became aware of this wordplay exercise was when I read Michelle Barnes’ interview with Nikki Grimes on This Little Ditty. The prompt was to choose a concrete word (ball, pumpkin, pen, etc.) and sit with it for a while, really thinking about it. As Nikki Grimes wrote, “When I talk about wordplay, I’m talking about studying a word from top to bottom, and inside out, considering every aspect of the word: What it looks like, sounds like, feels like. What it does, how it’s used, etc. The idea is to bring all of your senses into the act. ” While I didn’t submit anything to Michelle’s challenge at the time, the Poetry Pals later used this prompt and that inspired me to play around with an Inktober word “splat” in a word play poem (here).
Last night Georgia referred back to Nikki Grimes’ exercise. She asked us to choose a word from a short list of words, and to complete the wordplay exercise with that chosen word. To put a spin on the original prompt, the words she provided were not concrete items but small words with many meanings. I chose the word “still,” which is one that know I use a lot in my poetry. So, it felt right to sit and spend some more thoughtful time with “still”.
Still
Still is a hidden-depths word
a quiet wind-bereft word
a word of absence
and potential
A generous word,
still slows my beating heart,
lets the leaves rest
and paints reflections on the lake
It is the space between the ripples
Still is a word that perseveres
pushing up and through
a steadfast word
a stick-to-it word
Still purifies and distills
It’s a word of change
with notes of optimism
an “and-yet-maybe…” word
Hope flows
from still
©Molly Hogan, draft
To be honest, I wish I were still able to work on this poem, as it is still evolving. There are so many facets to “still”!
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party. Click here to enter.
PS On a side note, speaking of Georgia Heard, if you haven’t yet subscribed to her monthly Heartbeats, I strongly encourage you to do so! It’s fabulous!
Thanks Molly for your poem “Still” and it definitely brings us hope, which I hope will continue to flow! Your workshop sounds invigorating—I’m looking forward to a workshop I’ll be taking with Georgia in the Fall! Thanks also for hosting!
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The workshop was wonderful. Irene and Georgia are a dynamic duo! Enjoy your upcoming workshop!
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oooooh, Molly this is a lovely, lovely draft. I was on that zoom and so enjoyed it. Every time I get together with poets, my brain and heart are happy.
“a word of change with notes of optimism” is just the right way to begin this school year. Thank you for your take on still.
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I was so happy to see your face on that Zoom call. I would have messaged “Hello!” but I’m never confident enough that a message intended for one won’t go to the whole group! lol It was a great workshop, wasn’t it!?
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Oh, yes to the many facets!
You’re cracking open “still” in such intriguing ways. I love this and I’d love to see the ongoing evolution too. There’s still more to come … I’ll just be still and wait … Still, I’m excited to watch it grow. 🙂
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I can’t get “still” out of my mind these days! It’s taken up residence which, I suppose, must mean it has more to say.
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I love “the space between ripples”. I remember this poem form and have a copy of Irene’s new wordspinner book on Netgalley. I look forward to hearing more about the workshop. My one little word was Still last year or the one before. I enjoyed the multiple meanings.
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I’m going to have to get Irene’s new book soon, but I’ve declared a temporary moratorium on new book buying. Sigh…
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Here’s my post: https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2026/08/poetry-friday-migrations.html
Thank you for hosting! I’m glad you’re STILL a wonderful poet!
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Thanks! I’m so sorry your comment took a detour!
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Love this! I didn’t get to do Irene’s webinar last night. School just started back and I didn’t even sit down until 9:00pm last night. But, I was at Nikki Grimes’ webinar and created a couple of those word poems that I loved. 🙂
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The word poems are so much fun to create. I love that they’re so versatile. You can use concrete words, sound words or small words or any other word. It’s a wonderful way to riff! I hope your year is off to a great start. (I’m not even back at school and the 9 pm finish time was daunting for me! lol)
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Thanks for taking us along to the webinar with your wordplay poem, Molly. I wasn’t able to attend, so I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and your wonderful words. I especially loved your second stanza with its images of leaves at rest, reflections on the lake, and “the space between the ripples.”
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Thanks, Rose! I’ve found that any workshop with Irene or Georgia is a gift! Having both of them present together was even more rewarding.
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Molly, I LOVE your Still poem! Still is my OLW, and I am bookmarking this to return to…generous word, generous poem, generous poet. Thank you! xo
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Thank YOU, Irene! Your workshops are always such a great spark for creativity.
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I love “ a steadfast word/a stick-to-it-word” — This exercise is such a good reminder of a word’s reassurance! I’m going to have to go back to it—like a diet!
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It really could be a daily writing exercise, couldn’t it?
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a word of absence/ and potential
Lovely words. This is a terrific draft, Molly.
Thanks so much for hosting this week.
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Thanks, Tricia. I’m amazed by how many “still” thoughts are creeping into my mind daily. It’s a great reminder of the rewards of lingering.
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[…] Poetry Friday is hosted today by my dear Inkling friend in Maine, Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone. […]
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HI Molly, I think you picked a great word with still – and hope you still get to work on your poem. I have to go look at Nikki Grimes exercise. I love word play but sometimes my “serious personality” doesn’t allow me to do it enough. Thanks for the inspiration! Thanks for hosing, too! Enjoy!
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I like that this exercise invites you to linger with a word and to play with it. I tend toward formality in my writing and like a chance to lighten up, like I did when I wrote about the word “splat”.
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Yes, good pick! I like how still slows your heartbeat and “Still is a word that perseveres.” There was a poetry journal I liked named “Still” (sadly, it closed). Thanks for hosting us!
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What a great name for a poetry journal!
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Molly, thank you for hosting and sharing your delight of words after joining Georgia’s and Irene’s worshop. Still is a word that has multiple meanings as you explained through your creative word exercise. These lines from your poem, “paints reflections on the lake / It is the space between the ripples”, are beautifully written. I am sorry that I added my blog so late while on the family vacation. I am still finding a way to move quietly through life in a timely manner.
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I’m so glad that you shared your blog, even though you thought it was late. It was just beautiful and so heartfelt.
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Thank you, Molly. Your response makes me smile.
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This line “a quiet wind-bereft word” forced me to sit down and catch my breath. wind-bereft!! And then I immediately forwarded your Slice to Hannah. She, too, was blown away. Three cheers for Georgia Heard inspiring such wordsmithing!
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Thanks, Dan! Georgia and Irene offer so much! I was so excited to attend a workshop with the two of them presenting!
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Molly, thank you for hosting and for sharing your poem. I loved that exercise and wrote about the word I chose, “Almost,” on my blog today. I love how you brought out so many variations of “this word”still. It really is an amazing exercise to sit with just one word and ponder it for a while. I wish we could have seen all the ones that were done in class. I look forward to seeing “Still” as it evolves for you.
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Your poem about “almost” was just wonderful and you really captured so much about the essence of that workshop. I forwarded the link to Georgia in case she didn’t see it.
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Your stillness solilquy is wonderful, Molly. It was super to see Rebecca & Georgia & Irene & YOU & all I recognized there. I had returned that day from elective out-patient surgery watch for my hubby & was lucky to join in. Still need to get back to notes & have more fun with that.
It. Was. Magical!
And I was thrilled for the night’s & now Your mention of Today’s Little Ditty/Michelle & masterful life-changing author Nikki Grimes’ prompt. Lifted me up.
Goodness & deep breaths as you return to Daily Attendance & Class Adventures Mode.
Haven’t spun out a new blog so no new link at Bookseedstudio.
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It was a wonderful night, wasn’t it?! I saw your name there but kept missing seeing your face. So many happy writers gathered 🙂 Enjoy having more fun with the prompt — maybe that will inspire a future post? Also, I hope the surgical recovery has been smooth and the outcome all that was desired. Thanks so much for the good wishes! Be well!
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Hi Molly! Jan Annino set me over here to read your poem and I’m glad I did! I enjoyed letting myself fall into your picture of what still means to you. I remember feeling the stillness often when I looked at your photography too! I haven’t seen as much of it on FB as I used too, I’ll have to go search for you and see what I’ve been missing. Thanks also for the Today’s Little Ditty mention and link. 🙂
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Michelle! How nice to see you here! I hope you’re doing well 🙂 I haven’t been posting as much photography lately on FB or elsewhere. I “still” take pictures but often they don’t go anywhere other than into my camera and then my laptop. PS I “still” miss Today’s Little Ditty.
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