Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Ella's Edge

Hello Toads, hope the New Year is off to a great start for you~  I have been cleaning my FROG=Furnished Room Over Garage, lol. Frog is not a bad word. They are our cousins after all.  I am going through some of my things-it is time to reorganize, let some things go and sort through my supplies.  I was looking at  some magazines and found this, when this article jumped out at me.  The Power of Wow-written by Anne Lamott.


".....Wow, is often uttered with a sharp intake of breath, when we can't think of another way to capture the sight of shocking beauty or destruction, an unbidden insight or unexpected flash of grace."

What do you think of when you think of wow?  When did you last say the word?  Was it in an awestruck way or due to destruction?   Things Anne mentions that are wow:  volcanoes, a bird's song, the veins in a leaf, the northern lights, and a teen's reaction to a car at Christmas.  Anne expresses that wows come in all shapes and sizes, lowercase and uppercase.

Then there is the scary wow of storms that create sadness, death and destruction.  We are a loss for words and all that comes out is "wow".

She reminds us to look at what emerges from the wreckage.   She reminds us that love falls and it rises and pools around those affected.  "Love pulls people back to their feet and we heal.  After a forest fire, with time grass grows again and the sun rises!  Wow..."

I want a poem about wow!  Your choice on the size, shape and form of it.  Remember to wow us with your words~   ( I know I thought "Wow" when I read Corey's n' Shay's collaboration...didn't you ;D)

Hello Toads, Kerry stepping in here to take the opportunity to thank Ella for her wonderful prompts (18 in total! Wow!) which have been a part of Real Toads since its inception in July 2011. This is her last formal contribution, but we will continue to enjoy her company as a valued member of the Imaginary Garden.  



32 comments:

Mary said...

For some reason, the prompt carried me into unusual territory.....but it is what it is.

Ella, I have always enjoyed your challenges. They will be GREATLY missed....but I know I will still see you 'hopping' around the garden!

Kerry O'Connor said...

It is so hot here today... my brain is like soup. I'm really hoping to find a topic with some wow factor!

Unknown said...

I love the "WOW!" Thanks, Ella, for today's inspiration.

Helen said...

I use WOW and AWESOME often ... they mean the best of the best (when you see them in my comments.)

Marian said...

hah, i say WOW all the time but don't know that it's appeared in my poems. hmmmmmm.
also, Ella, thank you for your wonderful prompts! xo

Ella said...

Marian-I think I do, too! Wwoooowww :D
Thank you, I look forward to being more active. More leaping in the garden-I was held hostage in my FROG, lol.

Helen-I love that you shared that!
I am happy they are for the best ;D

Kim-You know you can use your art...wow ;D

Kerry-Look at that sky-your sky poems always wow me :D Blue sky soup...oooh, that is good!

Mary-Yes, I will still be hopping around. I love poetry and won't give it ;D Thank you~

Janine Bollée said...

A good oldfashioned Scots word, dating back to the late 15th century no less.
To my knowledge I have never used it.

I'm glad you are staying around, even if not posting here. You have given us great pleasure.

Fireblossom said...

I will try to cook something up!

Sharp Little Pencil said...

Ella, thank you for all your prompts and comments. I'll take this on later, when I'm in more of a WOW mood. Say, after therapy! Ha ha

Love, Amy

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Ellie, thanks for all your hard work in the Garden. I am happy we will still see you hopping about in here. I say wow probably too often......but now, when invited, have no clue.....will see what I can do! Thanks again, kiddo, for all of your time and hard work. Keep shining.

Herotomost said...

Couldn't very well not participate if this is your last....love the prompt. Hope you like!

Ella said...

Corey-I will love it ;D YOU rock!

Sherry-Thank you! I will be hopping about, lol Thanks for all being so fun to party with in the garden ;D

Amy-Oh, yes I bet your wow will be fab! :D Thank you~

FB-I love your desserts, best ;D

Aprille-Thank you! Are you sure? I see you as a wow gal ;D

Susan said...

Love Lamott, love your prompts, said Wow twice at that Fire/Heroto creation, and last said Wow at Sherry's "On Reflection" over at Poets United! Phew! This is Great! I'll be back, Ms. Ella.

LLM Calling said...

Ella I will really miss your challenges, off to hopefully create something wow for wow.

Ella said...

Emma-You are sweet...I will be joining in and having fun leaping around the garden :D Thank you so much~ I look forward to your wow!

Susan-I too love her! Thank you :D
Hopping over to PUnited...lots of hopping today! I look forward to your wow, too Ms. Susan

Peggy said...

Thank you Ella for your many good prompts! And this one is no exception. Yes, Wow for sure.

Laurie Kolp said...

I'm sad this is your last prompt here, Ella... but glad you'll still be writing (and I know where to find you, too).

Susan said...

Deliberation in miracle land . . . Working on imagining a way to save everything like in Avatar, only better! Wow will be my theme of the month,

hedgewitch said...

I love some of the quoted lines in this, especially those about love 'pooling'--Ella, thank you for all the wonderful prompts you've given us, and I'm so glad you're staying in the garden with us.

Ella said...

Joy-Thank you :D I hope you had a wonderful day! I know I loved the idea of love pooling-so poetic ;D
Yes, I am happy to be part of the garden's magic and look forward to being challenged!

Susan-Oh, so cool! I love that-I want to see love pooling ;D

Loredana-lol, you are cute! :D You are welcome~

Laurie-Thank you! I need to stretch my wings in a few other directions! :D I am happy to be here, such a gorgeous garden!

Peggy-Thank you! I have enjoyed my turn. Now another toad gets to croak and share. It is all part of the magic ;D No, part of the wow!

Kerry O'Connor said...

Susan - your link here doesn't take us to your poem.

Gail said...

sometimes there is just no other word as fitting as a simple full-bodied wow.

Ella said...

Gail-YOU are so right! I appreciate Anne Lamott's lowercase and uppercase view :D

Janine Bollée said...

No wow girl, me.
It took me a while and will undoubtedly be seen as controversial. What else is new:-)

Ella said...

Aprille you can own and rock controversial...we need that ;D <3

Scarlet said...

Ella, I will not miss your last prompt ~ We had a storm last night so I wrote about it ~

Happy day to everyone ~

Fireblossom said...

I tried, Ella. I really did, but alls I came up with was a song to go with the poem I never got written: Kate Bush's "Wow", naturally!

Susie Clevenger said...

This evoked so many wows in me...I just decided to close my eyes and pick one. Thanks Ella for the prompt.

Ella said...

Susie-I am so glad you did :D

FB-It is fine! Life happens, but email me sometime with a Wow ;D

Heaven-Oh, I loved what you shared!


Thank you everyone! YOU all are amazing and so talented! I feel honored and humbled to be a Toad :D

Peggy said...

I have now visited and commented on all 21 postings (oh I guess my own is included in that). On some blogs my comments do not seem to show up right away even when there is no notice that it will be posted after approval. Anyway I hope you all got my comments!!

Peggy said...

I have now visited and commented on all 21 postings (oh I guess my own is included in that). On some blogs my comments do not seem to show up right away even when there is no notice that it will be posted after approval. Anyway I hope you all got my comments!!

Hannah said...

Finally. I've added one.

Thank you, Ella for all the inspiration you've added here...you're inspiring! ♥