I'm glad you think verbs are more important than nouns, because as you age you will find that the nouns are the hardest words to retain! I have written a poem about that, which I will post here if I can. It's from my second book of poetry, SIXTY-ISH: FULL CIRCLE (Spirited Muse Press, 2017). I thought I was old then, but I have recently turned 75, and oldness only grows--until it doesn't.
I enjoy your columns.
Denise Thompson-Slaughter
Oh, What’s the Title of that Movie We Saw the Other Night with
What’s-Her-Name in It?
The nouns leave first.
You’d hardly think so—
blocky name-cards but
they skitter away fast and slippery as herring
the minute you reach for one.
The adjectives go next,
at least all the imaginative ones,
until we are left with “nice/nasty” and “big/little”
I love my malleable English language....I love to play with it.....I'm not a purist in spite of being an English Major. I do confess that diagramming a sentence was as befuddling (verb form?) as algebra...and who ever could keep straight the gerunds, infinitives and participles...it's a wonder I graduated.....good thing I could read a book. I am very fond of VERBIFYING....just think what could happen by adding an LY.
I feel like this is one of the most important things I have read in quite some time, without being able to tell exactly why or what about it. But I often use the phrase "Love is a verb," and this seems to clarify what I have been trying to say. Also, dude- I will be like, on my knees, soon, begging you to be on my podcast lolol be prepared to be nagged <3
I'm glad you think verbs are more important than nouns, because as you age you will find that the nouns are the hardest words to retain! I have written a poem about that, which I will post here if I can. It's from my second book of poetry, SIXTY-ISH: FULL CIRCLE (Spirited Muse Press, 2017). I thought I was old then, but I have recently turned 75, and oldness only grows--until it doesn't.
I enjoy your columns.
Denise Thompson-Slaughter
Oh, What’s the Title of that Movie We Saw the Other Night with
What’s-Her-Name in It?
The nouns leave first.
You’d hardly think so—
blocky name-cards but
they skitter away fast and slippery as herring
the minute you reach for one.
The adjectives go next,
at least all the imaginative ones,
until we are left with “nice/nasty” and “big/little”
and “bright/dark” —
fine if you want to describe a UFO or a bug,
but not so good for a writer.
Writers are supposed to say something new.
But there’s nothing new under the sun.
At least we’re left with our clichés.
Another indignity of aging.
Will the adverbs go next?
Will they go quickly or slowly?
Quietly or raging?
Rage, rage, against the
slowly shrinking walls of your vocabulary,
your meandering mind.
Finally to be left with the vital verbs:
eat, drink, pee, live, die, breathe, be.
Do be a do-bee, don’t be a don’t-bee.
Do be a Doobie?
To be or not to be?
Let it be.
Let it be me.
Let me be.
Be.
Flee.
This is an awesome poem. Thank you Denise! It's brilliant. And clearly you still have a masterly command of the language if you can write this!
I love my malleable English language....I love to play with it.....I'm not a purist in spite of being an English Major. I do confess that diagramming a sentence was as befuddling (verb form?) as algebra...and who ever could keep straight the gerunds, infinitives and participles...it's a wonder I graduated.....good thing I could read a book. I am very fond of VERBIFYING....just think what could happen by adding an LY.
Ha! Thank you Jean. Verbifiers unite!
ExactLY!
me too. one of my favorite book titles God Is A Verb.
I didn't know it was a book! Will check it out now . Thanks Beth
Something I have learned over these many years: If it works, don't fix it.
I feel like this is one of the most important things I have read in quite some time, without being able to tell exactly why or what about it. But I often use the phrase "Love is a verb," and this seems to clarify what I have been trying to say. Also, dude- I will be like, on my knees, soon, begging you to be on my podcast lolol be prepared to be nagged <3
Jackie! Thank you for this. Thanking you for this, I mean. And I'm ready to be nagged! Would love to come on the podcast
No I mean really like ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
Oh oh oh oh you just made my day & check your email for the nagging I already started
Seriously dude I’m beaming!! 😁