Sometimes words look like too much work—operose, anyone? But when the effort leads to meaning, music, or even a little mischief, it’s worth every syllable. Today’s post brings together poetry, playful “O” words, and bookish finds that prove not everything that seems operose really is.
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Not All Operose
Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt asks us to write a poem in which we respond to a favorite poem by another poet. It is inspired by Sergio Raimondi’s poem, “Today Matsuo Basho Cooks,” which plays on the following haiku by Matsuo Basho:
Crimson pepper pod!
Add two pairs of wings, and look—
darting dragonfly.
Here is my attempt.
Omphalos
Deserts and elsewhere —
nothing beside it — but sand
filling the footprints.
All things fade, be you
king of kings, god of Akkad —
scattered by dry winds.
Hanging gardens wither,
whipped seas forget their master,
thrones crack under stars.
Crowns outlive their heads,
gold grains of crumbling rubble,
echoes lost to quiet.
Visions of grandeur,
bigger than mountains once—
now dust, buried deep.
Neon boasts tower still.
“Look and despair!” screens command,
all turning to sand.
Thundering tales once,
time turns to whispers today;
tender roots push through.
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites
These haiku are a quiet nod to Ozymandias, a poem that has somehow lingered in the hazy maze of my mind.
Ogdoad of O-Words
- Obelus (÷) – the division sign, quietly slicing numbers into fair shares
- Octothorpe (#) – the hashtag symbol, like a tiny tic-tac-toe board
- Ogdoad – a group of eight
- Omphalos – the center of everything… or wherever you feel like the center
- Oodles – more than you can count without losing track
- Oojamaflip – that thing whose name disappears right when you need it
- Operose – requiring real effort… the kind that makes you pause before starting
- Otalgia – an earache, when every sound feels a bit too sharp
Oodles and Oodles of Bookish Things
From words to more words – these ones within books!
Ode to Nobody and Everybody
Ode to a Nobody by Caroline Brooks DuBois (Novel-in-verse, 8 – 12 years)
A powerful novel-in-verse about a girl whose life is upended by a tornado. As Quinn navigates loss, shifting friendships, and family tensions, she must rebuild her sense of self and discover who she wants to be in a changed world.
(1 & 2) Book Beginnings and First Line Friday
BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.
Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.
3 Friday 56
THE FRIDAY 56 is hosted by by Anne at HeadFullofBooks. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up and visit others in the linky.
4 Book Blogger Hop
The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.
Do you have any bookish habits or quirks you catch yourself doing again and again?
I’m bookish quirk personified—hand me a book any day, anytime, over anything else! I could write a whole book about my reading habits (and I’ve already started, like here and here). But honestly… are they really quirks, or just part of being a reader?!
5 O for Octo-
Octopus Moon by Bobbie Pyron (Novel-in-verse, 10 years and up)
A moving novel-in-verse about a sensitive fifth grader navigating depression, change, and growing up. As Pearl begins therapy and takes small “impossible” steps each day, she slowly finds her way back to herself with the help of family, friendship, and quiet resilience.
And Now, the End of This Post
Dear reader, which “O” word is your favorite? Have you ever written a response poem, or does it feel operose to you? If 👍🏻 do share, and if not, which poem would you respond to? Which of these books would you pick first? Plus, any bookish quirk to share? Drop your thoughts – or your own response poem – in the comments!
I am linking up to A-Z, Blogchatter, UBC, NaPoWriMo
And you can find all my A-Z posts (this year and previous years’ as well) here:
Well, I have to admit that I love everything about the word “oodles.” I like to say it. I like to look at it. I like the fact that it rhymes with a bunch of words. Oodle, doodles, noodles, poodles, strudels, etc. It truly is fun to play with words.
Now you have me on a path of oodles as well. There is a children’s song about Oodles and Oodles of Noodles which is so much fun to listen to
Thanks for sharing Ode to a Nobody.
Happy National Poetry Month.
Write on!
~Caroline B. DuBois