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Let The Wordplay Begin!


Mood means a lot to a poet. It influences the very words they write. Sometimes my mood is reflective and serious, Sometimes I write out of frustration and disappointment. 

Today though, my mood is clearly playful as you will see in these new poems I am about to share with you. I am feeling word playful. I am particularly pleased that they have emerged at a time when the world is facing a challenge. Let me explain...

Some of my writing during this time has addressed these matters, but I also believe we need a dash of fun and optimism too. It lightens the mood. It feeds the human spirit. I believe this is vitally important. There are already too many gloomsters out there. I choose not to be one of them. Simple as that.

For as long as I can recall I have enjoyed playing around with words and meanings. I am constantly wanting to have fun with language. I want to reshape it and make it do my bidding as a writer. It is a trait I keenly embrace. I love it so much, I practice even when I'm not actually writing. My family are survivors of my word play antics. 

If you love words, I encourage you to have a bit of fun. Young, or not so young, you can happily play with words. Their sound, their spelling, their meanings are all up for re-imagining!


Oh I Do Wunder

Why isn’t wand written as wond?

Don’t get me started

I can go way beyond

What’s the go with wander and wonder

I mean,

-during a storm 

I don’t listen for thonder

All of this word worry

-It really makes me wunder...

©Alan j Wright


We’re Out of Whack

The whole world is out of whack

Said dear Auntie Sybil

Mark my words, she added

I just sat next to Uncle Terry

Who said absolutely nothing,

As usual.

He just took another sip of tea.

So, I thought about Auntie Sybil’s words…

Why is the world out of whack?

How much whack did the world have in the first place?

And where did all the whack go?

Was it eaten?

Was the whack wasted?

Was it stolen by whack thieves

-and sold for a fortune on the whack market?

Then Dad  spoke up and said, 

Yes, we are definitely out of kilter


-And my head began to spin.

 ©Alan j Wright

*This week, Poetry Friday is being hosted by Jama Rattigan at  Jama's Alphabet Soup

Please visit  Jama's blog and discover what poetry treat she is sharing along with a host of other poets from all around the globe!













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Comments

  1. Bridget Magee23 October 2020 at 21:31

    Your wordplay is a delight, Alan. I am so glad you are not one of the "gloomsters". Have you seen this Graham Norton clip featuring Michael McIntyre's word play? 4 minutes of hilarity about words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJEqXJRK4Q4
    I hope you enjoy. :)

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright24 October 2020 at 10:32

      Thank you Bridget, And thank you also for the link to Michael McIntyre, whose humour and take on life I enjoy immensely. I'm sure I will enjoy it,

      Delete
  2. jama24 October 2020 at 02:03

    Totally agree. We definitely need fun, wordplay, and uplifting poems, especially now. Thanks for sharing these, Alan.

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright24 October 2020 at 10:34

      Glad you're on side Jama. Not that I doubted you. Optimism is critical to our well being and for those around us.

      Delete
  3. Ruth24 October 2020 at 03:00

    My favorite is being out of whack and out of kilter. (Also out of joint, out of control, and out of our minds!)

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright24 October 2020 at 10:35

      Thanks Ruth. Yes, we have a number of equally suitable terms for being off centre. Idiomatic language is ever intriguing.

      Delete
  4. Kimberly Hutmacher24 October 2020 at 04:10

    Your word play has brought a smile to my face. Thank you, Alan!

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright24 October 2020 at 10:37

      Smiles are a most pleasing outcome Kimberly. Thank you.

      Delete
  5. Tabatha24 October 2020 at 06:59

    Such fun! I love wondering where the whack went. And the ending is perfect.

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright24 October 2020 at 10:38

      Love the alliteration of 'where the whack went.' Glad you appreciated the ending Tabatha.

      Delete
  6. Carol Varsalona24 October 2020 at 12:13

    I love your whacky world of word play, Alan. Keep it coming!

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright24 October 2020 at 12:41

      Oh Carol, such encouragement. A spur too enticing to resist. Thank you for your support for my wordplay efforts.

      Delete
  7. Linda Kulp Trout24 October 2020 at 12:26

    Oh, yes, your wordplay is delightful!

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  8. skanny1725 October 2020 at 00:01

    I love your word play in Wonder!! Especially "during a storm I don't listen for thonder, and it makes me wunder!" There was an entire paragraph when I was teaching that included so many of the non-matching spellings. Always an interesting proposition and explaining these "exceptions" when teaching spelling.
    Janet Clare F.

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright25 October 2020 at 13:07

      So pleased by the reaction to word play fun Janet. Spelling exceptions are a constant conundrum as you note. We continue to ponder these seeming inconsistencies in the English language. They keep us our toes as writers.

      Delete
  9. Linda B25 October 2020 at 02:01

    I think I should bookmark this post, Alan. I tend to be too serious & most recently, so worried about the state of our country that it colors my writing. Maybe it's time to take a "wunder" among some other words that make me smile, as yours have. Your "out of whack" & "out of kilter" reminded me of a fun thing I read a long while ago. A little boy asked when his dad was coming home. His mother replied that he's been "held up" at work. Thanks for the fun post!

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright25 October 2020 at 13:12

      I too lament for the current situation you're all facing Linda. Voting is all the more important this time. It is therefore not too surprising that word play and frivolousness is not so much to the fore at present. I love your anecdote regarding the term 'held up.' These idiomatic terms have a way of inserting themselves into our day to day lives in ways that invite a laugh. Blue skies ahead hopefully.

      Delete
  10. Jone25 October 2020 at 12:48

    This is much needed. Wonder had me laughing. thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright25 October 2020 at 13:13

      Thanks Jone. Glad it brought a laugh out. Laughing is good for us...

      Delete
  11. Mary Lee25 October 2020 at 23:20

    FUN!! Thanks for the smiles!

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright26 October 2020 at 15:28

      Smiles are good Mary Lee. It's an outcome that makes me... smile.

      Delete
  12. Heidi Mordhorst26 October 2020 at 01:29

    The whack market ! : )))))))))

    ReplyDelete
  13. Alan j Wright26 October 2020 at 15:27

    Thanks for noticing this little bit of wacky indulgence Heidi. Almost qualifies as a Dad joke...

    ReplyDelete

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