More generally, it means that a problem can be solved by taking action, getting a new perspective, or simply clearing your mind through physical activity like walking.
So, I find walking is perfect for resolving outstanding matters and determining future action, as well as its health benefits. This was the harvest of my poet's walk...
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Solvitur Ambulando
My
brisk morning walk
Came
with some minor revelations
Not
life changing,
Nor,
earth-shattering,
Merely
noteworthy.
There
was a singular encounter with a lone jogger
A
woman, small in stature
Who
passed with a laboured gait
And
a strained face
Reminiscent
of a failed bowel movement.
Two
young women
Passed
by jauntily
Resplendent
in active wear
And
incongruously vaping smoke signals
-to
track their location, perhaps.
The
usual profusion of magpies
Wandered
about on the footpaths
Unfazed
by my passing
As
they silently scratched about
in
no rush to take flight.
The
mixed responses
Of
the intermittent passers-by
-the
selective mutes,
-the
committed ground starers,
Some
responding to my greeting
With
nothing more than a brief smile
and
awkward acknowledgement
Others
maintaining a frozen gaze
Like
Easter Island statues
Give
nothing away to a passing stranger.
A
shrieking flock
Of
white cockatoos fly in
Before
settling briefly
On
overhead wires
In
a random stop.
Up
ahead
A
dog named Norman
Ignores
repeated requests
To
return to the side of its human.
All too soon I am home
My
body exercised, cluttered thoughts
Replaced
by keen anticipation
of wordly action across the remainder of the morning.
©Alan
j Wright
Love knowing the Latin name and the truth of "cluttered thoughts
ReplyDeleteReplaced by keen anticipation
of wordly action across the remainder of the morning..." being the gift of a timely walk. Thank you.
You have taken some vital grabs from my poem. Thank you for perspectives you have presented. They have given sustenance to the writer.
DeleteNow I'm intrigued by what my own 'spangin' will bring when I go out today, Alan. My noticing of yours brings the thought that everyone keeps their own individuality, no matter the circumstance. Love your 'keen anticipation", Alan!
ReplyDeleteGreat old Scottish word 'spangin' meaning to walk vigourously.' Keen observation on your part Linda, regarding the retention of individuality, irrespective of circumstance or location for that matter. People watching never loses its appeal.
DeleteOh my gosh, this is funny and so well observed. I love Norman the dog and those Easter Island statue stares. Hysterical. I like to walk outside, and I write most days at a treadmill desk. Moving my body definitely makes my brain more agile. Thanks for this, Alan!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura. I'm glad my walk revealed something for those who weren't physically present in those moments. A friend has a mantra -The body loves movement- he's a masseuse.
DeleteA walk that results in minor, noteworthy revelations is all a writer could ask for. :) Fun, Alan!
ReplyDeleteKaren, i agree wholeheartedly with your contention. This poem was a joy in the gathering and then again in the act of writing.
DeleteI like your Easter Island statues too-they seem so stoic. Lots there to pick from on that walk, thanks for taking us along!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Michelle. Thanks for walking with me.
DeleteI count people and dogs as I walk -- because I can't count the squirrels or the trees or the skittering leaves. :)
ReplyDeleteIt all adds to the experience, Patricia. Our quirks come to the fore.
DeleteThanks for this, Alan! I enjoyed the humor and it's so true that walking is not only good exercise but it clears the cobwebs in the brain. I almost always come back from a walk with a new insight.
ReplyDeleteGlad the humour shone through Rose. Most beneficial is our walking. it delivers a bounty for body and brain. The insights can prove immeasurable.
DeleteSo fun to go on a walk with you and see (through your eyes) some of the same things I see! I love the phrase "wordly action," which (as was your intention?) I read, at first, as "WORLDly action." Clever.
ReplyDeleteLittle gets past you Mary Lee... Glad you had fun going on this walk, be it vicariously.
DeleteAlan, you start out with noteworthy thoughts and lead into spagin. I tried to find out the meaning but to no avail. I am glad that you shared it with Linda Baie. These lines, "Cluttered thought replaced by keen anticipation of wordly action" is a gem. Your keen people watching afforded the reader a wonderful desciption of what you see; some descriptions were quite funny. Thanks for your time enjoying your walk.
ReplyDeleteWord curious Carol. Such an important trait to have. Thanks for walking beside me and this observational jaunt.
DeleteI did not know this latin phrase, solvitur ambulado. Thanks for that! And, a dog named Norman. I just love that part of your walk the best. I probably should love the jogger or the vapers or the cockatoos more. But, that dog, Norman. He steals the show for me. Thanks for such a great ambling, rambling but good poem. Linda M.
ReplyDeleteA Norman fan! Thanks for your response Linda. I frequently inform teachers- you can't control learning. Well, each reader of a poem shall determine for themselves what floats their boat- so Norman it is! Glad you enjoyed ambling...
DeleteWalking is an important part of my mental health. I feel good being outside, feeling the air and moving. I’m not surprised that someone named a poetic form about it. The birds and the dogs are always worth seeing among the passersby caught up in their own walking world, sorting out their own day.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with you Janice, walking is beneficial in a multitude of ways. I like your framing of it as 'sorting out the day. 'Solvitur Ambulando' is merely a title, but the idea of elevating it to a form of poetry focused solely on walking observations sounds like it has some merit. Walking poems could become a thing. I now recall AA Milne writing such a poem many years ago...
DeleteAlan, Carol here from The Apples in my Orchard ( ot sure why it doesn't recognize me), I try to walk once a day with my husband and dog (they do it three times a day). Your walk observations are relatable and universal. When we walk anywhere more populated than our woods, we always try to greet the people passing us - you get varied responses - as you noted. I like the idea of walking poems. I get a lot of nature inspiration from my walks that I've put into words over the years. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe universality of walking experience is so true, Carol. It all hinges on each walker's level of observation. Those of us who write, do well to pay close attention when venturing out. Like you, my walking has contributed most positively to my writing life across the years.
Delete