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| Christmas fun with family (Levi, Lynn, Mama, MicaJon, Irene) at Opryland Hotel. |
What a fun week...In addition to several joyful holiday celebrations, Charles and I are having a blast reading the flood of poems we received through our Open Call.
Friends, poetry is alive and well! SO. MANY. GREAT. Poems. Y'all are making our work really difficult. Thank you!!
This just in: Ryan van Cleave, poet, author, and editor at Bushel & Peck Books runs a fantastic blog called Only Picture Books, where he interviews picture book authors, and they share loads of wisdom. Recently he interviewed me! He asked great questions, like, what did I learn from my first poetry picture book?; what is Charles Waters' superpower?; how does "every word matters" show up in your writing life? It was a fun interview, and I invite you to check it out!
As 2025 is fast coming to a close, I wanted to take just a moment to reflect on Sisu, my 2025 One Little Word.
First, a confession: a few times this year, I couldn't remember what my One Little Word was. :) It's an odd little word! So I had to go back to the blog and remember. But each time I did, I realized the word had been working under the surface of my life. I've definitely been cultivating sisu, even on those days when I couldn't remember the word. And isn't that the power of a One Little Word practice?
Some ways I've brought sisu into my life this year (the most transformative practices in bold):
second-hand shopping
upcycling
taking small steps toward goals
limiting time with people who suck the sisu out of me/letting go of old commitments to make room for more positive growth and opportunities
taking a pause before responding: "Thank you, I'll think it over and get back to you as soon as possible."
Blue Mind - keeping water in my life (#lakelife, trip to coast, etc)
developing an allergy to self-pity - I just don't entertain it, at least not for long!
showing my appreciation of others - the grocery clerk, the lady who brings out the tortilla chips at the Mexican restaurant, my husband, etc.
So I'm feeling a bit sisu-fied, in spite of myself. Yay! And now I'm looking forward to what my 2026 One Little Word might be... do you have any OLW contenders yet?
In ArtSpeak! PICASSO news, just 2 more Picassos to go!! Today's features his Woman at the Window, 1936. It's basically me riffing off a Picasso quote I discovered sometime earlier this year:
“The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?” - Pablo Picasso
I have been thinking about how I can apply this to my writing, and lo, this week, a poem emerged! There's also a nod to one of my all-time favorite poems "A Secret Life" by Stephen Dunn. Oh, and the form is a viator. Thanks so much for reading.
Making Sense of the World
The world today doesn't make sense
so I dive into the wondergush of words—not to understand; to be baptized.
Let me be the one to promise chaos:
The world today doesn't make sense!
Baptists and other accountants may now rest.
One doesn't need words to witness a sunrise,
just as one can drown without water. Who says
the world today doesn't make any sense?
Irene, that "One doesn't need words to witness a sunrise" really got me. It just brought up the chaos that I feel in these days is a choice and I can always choose presence, which is beyond words. I also like the humor of "Baptists and other accountants may now rest." Now I may rest, too! Thanks so much, Irene!!! I really enjoyed your poem and you've inspired me to ponder a word for 2026!
ReplyDeleteLove wondergush but even more- I love that making sense of the world comes without words. Lovely chaos ☺️
ReplyDelete"the wondergush of words" - wonderful, Irene. Thank you for this thoughtful post. I'll be contemplating my OLW for 2026.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed reading your working through what 'sisu' has meant to you, Irene. Seeking and learning what can be done feels like an ongoing study, in the year! And the poem's form, new to me, takes center stage in my eyes as to what you, the poet, wants us readers to notice, yet those words in between show some answers, a way to soften, at least to me. (Love the Picasso quote!) Glad all is well with you, even very busy! Happy times!
ReplyDeleteHooray for poetry being alive and well! Oh, to be a fly on the wall as you read and discuss what goes into your next anthology. Please keep some notes of your process! And, my relationship with my OLW this year was odd. I chose my word because I thought it was something that I needed...and I probably do. But, it didn't find me the way that other words have. I do have contenders for '26 that I will consider in light of this year's lackluster relationship.
ReplyDeleteI do love how you draw me into thinking more about poetry and writing in your posts. Thank you for that!
This line, Irene...One doesn't need words to witness a sunrise. I swooned as I love looking at the sunrises. And sisu is a great word. Your bolded lines spoke to me.
ReplyDeleteIrene, I love "the wondergush of words." Thank you for the poetry on this gray Saturday morning.
ReplyDeleteI haven't picked a OLW for quite a few years, but I'm feeling the call this year for some reason. I want a light to carry with me, a nudge to help me be my best self. We'll see what I come up with...
ReplyDeleteYour poem is a keeper for me, Irene. I am securing it in my current notebook. I am instantly drawn to the word wondergush, a delightful portmanteau word, so aptly descriptive. Your poem also challenges the reader to reflect on the real purpose of simple pleasures. I love how you have linked Baptists and accountants, people renowned for painting the world, beige.
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting —and makes sense but doesn't make sense ;) — how One Little Word can stay us, even when we can't remember what it is. I'm intrigued by the viator form!
ReplyDeleteDiving into the "wondergush" (LOVE!) of words is good advice for this nonsensical time we're living in. I had to look up sisu. Without knowing it, it's a word that describes my life over the past year. Thank you for sharing your wise reflections.
ReplyDeleteSisu is a powerful OLW! Thanks for sharing your links so I could understand it better. I haven't chosen a OLW in years, but am reconsidering this year after reading this post and Tabatha's. Maybe I'm just looking for a guiding light?
ReplyDeleteYour little word has served you well this year. I love the list of how you have made it your own. The viator form made it into my notebook. Viator is a surname here in south Louisiana. I’ve never heard of the form. You nailed it. Thanks for the new smashword “wondergush”. I know you are ready to leave Picasso, but it’s been a wondergush of poems from you this year.
ReplyDeleteIrene, Like others commenting here, I love the word wondergush. How you combined it with baptized in the same stanza was a stroke of genius! I haven't always picked a OLW but do have a couple of contenders this year. And thanks for letting us know that forgetting one's OLW is okay (I do that almost every year). It's reassuring to know the words, if picked carefully, are working behind the scenes of our lives. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteJlcjbuzz is Carol Labuzzetta from The Apples in My Orchard. I have to revise/update my blogger sign-in.
ReplyDelete