Quiddity, that is the essence or the “whatness” of things, drives my eternal quest through words, whimsies, and wonders–on a quotidian basis. And quirkiness balances that quest for me. Today’s post brings both to you.

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Quotidian Quiddity

Today’s NaPoWriMo prompt is inspired by Carl Phillips’ Black Swan in Water, and challenges us to write our own poem that uses an animal that shows up in myths and legends as a metaphor for some aspect of a contemporary person’s life, and to include one spoken phrase. Like Phillips’ poem, I also tried to make it a single-line poem.

Quest for What Remains

I looked for clarity
in the muddled maze of my brain
but she was not there, so I went on a quest
to find wisdom instead—
my brain, I swear, rolled her eyes,
so drained of me asking for both—
and of course neither was to be found

so I asked the goddess of knowledge—
after all, my name should know*—
please send me a sign

and a swan* swooped down—royal, rare—
settling on water, dipping its beak,
lifting what I could not see,
letting the rest fall away

and beside it, a qilin*—horn lit with moon—
kept to the edge of things,
as if guarding what remained

just as my phone lit up in my hand,
a soft ping: look ahead, look around,
most importantly, look within

for I—neer–ksheer viveka*—live there.

~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Quick Notes

• Qilin: a Chinese mythical creature symbolizing wisdom and good omens.
• Swan: the vahana (vehicle) of Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, music, and wisdom.
• Nir-ksheera viveka: Sanskrit for “pure discernment”—separating truth from illusion.
• _{Nir-ksheera viveka refers to the metaphorical ability to distinguish water (neer/nira, the pure but insubstantial element) from milk (ksheera, the valuable essence), much like a swan (hansa) is said to separate them in Indian lore}
• Vidya: knowledge; the essence of my name.

The Quiddity of Quirks

The Quomodocunquizing Queen

The quinquagenarian quean-queen loved to quibble,
to quabble, to quomodocunquize—
her quirk: to quiddle away
on that triad of Qs, the QQQ—
yes, that one too.

A quidnunc at heart,
all aquiver for scandal,
yet the quiddity of the quotidian
she dismissed—quite quietly.

Such a quean—this queen—
even a quokka couldn’t coax a smile—
and the horse, mid-gallop,
went quotha.

This quomodocunquizing quean-queen
placed a quinella—quite incorrect—
a quodlibet of wagers, of whims:
numbers like quux in her ledger.

~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

• Quabble is petty bickering over nothing much, like siblings fighting over the armrest.
• Quadrate means to square, align, or fit exactly—matching up neatly like puzzle pieces.
• Quean is archaic, insulting slang for an impudent or disreputable woman.
• Quibble means to argue over trivial details or raise petty objections to avoid the main point.
• Quiddity is the essential “whatness” of a thing—what makes it itself.
• Quidnunc is a nosy gossip, always sniffing around for the latest rumor.
• Quiddle means to waste time on small, fussy, pointless tasks.
• Quinella is a horse-racing bet where you pick the first- and second-place finishers in either order.
• Quinquagenarian is someone in their fifties.
• Quodlibet is either a fanciful debate topic or, in music, a playful mashup of familiar tunes.
• Quokka is a small Australian marsupial famous for its cheerful-looking expression.
• Quomodocunquize means to make money by any means possible.
• Quotha is an old exclamation meaning something like “indeed?” or “really now?” often with irony.
• Quotidian means ordinary, everyday, routine.
• Quux is a nonsense placeholder word used by programmers, alongside foo and bar.

Quiet: It is Time to Read!

• Quack and Count by Keith Baker, illus. Keith Baker (0-3). Rhyming adventure follows seven ducklings for toddlers, teaching counting with lively quacks and playful antics. This one is delightful!
• ¿Qué es un poema?/What Is a Poem? by Jovi de la Jara, illus. Jovi de la Jara (4-7). Bilingual picture book playfully explores what a poem can be through simple language, shapes, and word magic for young kids. I love the almost-zen like nature of the artwork and the sparse text.
• The Queen Who Saved Her People by Tilda Balsley, illus. Ilene Richard (4-8). Retells the Purim story of Queen Esther’s bravery in saving her people, with vibrant illustrations for young readers.
• Quiet as Mud  by Jane Yolen, illus. Nicole Wong (4-8). Gentle story celebrates introversion with quiet moments like “silent as a stone” or “quiet as mud,” inviting kids to observe their inner and outer worlds. Yolen’s as always lyrical narrative weaves a wondrous story about being quiet.
• The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood, illus. Renata Liwska (3-6). Explores many kinds of quiet—from delicate to thundering—through a child’s day, cozy and perfect for bedtime.

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, which of these “Q” words is your favorite? Which of these books would you pick first? Share your thoughts and your favorite q words/books 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:

A to Z Challenge Posts