First published in the Bluffton News-Banner
April 23, 2010
I have an idea: The next time I have an idea, someone slap me.
I decided, on a whim, to participate in the Creative Arts Centre Open Mic Night Poetry Reading coming this Monday.
To be a little cheeky I also decided I would allow my fans to submit words I would then use in the poem I am going to read.
I thought it would be fun. I thought it would be interesting. I thought it would be a unique experience.
I didn’t realize it would be like threading a needle with an anchor chain.
Within 10 minutes of putting out the request for words I received “entredentolignumologist.”
It means, someone who collects toothpick boxes. Why we need a nine-syllable word for the most ridiculous hobby I have ever heard of, is beyond my reckoning.
As I was scouring the dictionary for the meaning of that monstrosity, other wonderful words came pouring in.
Like, “orange.”
Now that’s just plain cruel. How am I going to put “entredentolignumologist” and “orange” in the same poem?
Thankfully, I have received, more natural sounding words. Words like “apple,” “taco,” ‘fantastic,” “compliant,” “fancy” and “package.”
Of course I will need to fit them in alongside other far less appealing words like “alliteration” “vampiric” and “loquacious.”
And let’s not forget “harumph.”
Despite the fact I asked for one word per person, some folks are submitting two. But rules are rules, so I am choosing the easiest of the two from those folks.
(Hey, it’s my poem.)
This is already quite a challenge and I told folks they could continue to contribute until midnight tonight. I can’t even imagine what I might end up with.
The lesson I have learned here is simple: If you are looking for a fun way to engage your community in a team building creative exercise, find something better to do with your time.
People, it seems, even the ones who claim to be your fans, are downright cruel.
If you would like to see how it all turns out; what I can do with a bunch of strange words I received from a bunch of even stranger people, come visit the Bluffton Creative Arts Centre Open Mic Poetry Night, Monday, 7 p.m.
I will be there. With my newly crafted poem of submitted words.
I have no idea what it will sound like, but I do know what it will be called:
Entredentolignumologist.
jerryb@news-banner.com
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2 comments:
I love being called strange! A fun project. At least for the strange among us!
ahhhh - 'fancy'... you really used it! we don't use that work often enough these days. i love it!
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