Growing Words



I'm laughing thinking if anyone could see me, they would think I am wacked.  Oh, I know you know I am-lol.   I was checking out the seeds I had planted, a couple of weeks ago.  My Sweet Peas and Asian Peas are up-they are sprouting.   I thought how much writing is like gardening.  We have to tend to our seeds, our thoughts.  We must  fertilize our gray dark matter, sometimes nurture it and sometimes just let it be.  When I write, words are like seeds.  You have to pick, sort, worry and wonder...  and wait.  Sometimes we just have to risk it and take a chance.   As we plant our words, we worry we might have to transplant them, some will die, some will thrive.  We will become attached to them-yet we may not use them. ( I know we can save our words for another time, just like seeds.)

 Gardeners will tell you it is trial and error, so will writers.  Plants can be striking, bold and sharp like words or delicate, trailing and fillers. As you tend your writing, just like gardening, you will have to weed out things that do not fit.  Yet, think of the joy of finishing and seeing your words bloom!  




I look forward to reading your book, I mean garden :D


Over in the Garden, Susan challenged us:


  Write a brand new poem using an extended simile or metaphor, in regards to relationships.  


 

 Inky seeds

planted on fragile paper 

dance like water colored rain

they whisper like caterpillars

   tickling my gray garden

building small pocketed

mysteries

      buried deep waiting

like a baby colt, timid, unsure

trying to stand 

Proud Mom watches

in  the transcending sunshine

   tenderness trails

       some wilt, some bloom
          
some will fade like a comet

scattering star dust

weed out the fillers

enjoy what remains.

  © Ella Wilson

 
 

Comments

Unknown said…
You cover a range of similes in this perky piece about new beginnings, seeds sprouting. Love the gardening theme, as we both share that passion.
Excellent analogy! And I see your seeds are sprouting.
L. Diane Wolfe said…
I wish I could get seeds to grow. We have plastic plants for a reason though.
Kerry O'Connor said…
Ella, I love that your seedlings each have their own little tag. That is so inspirational! Your poem expresses that wonderful connection you have made between the seed and the written word so well. What a lovely post :-)
Kay L. Davies said…
You're so right, Ella. If we don't nurture and nourish our seeds of thought, they will never grow into poetry, prose, or song.
Well done, and I love the photos of the tiny sprouts. I'm not a gardener myself, even though I have tried many, many times.
But words...I sometimes get those to sprout!
I really enjoyed your response to the challenge.
K
Mary said…
Ha, I interpret these seeds to be words which turn into a poem. And when that happens one can stand back, enjoy the fruits of one's labor and be a proud mama indeed. I enjoyed this, Ella.
kaykuala said…
Beautiful writing Ella and equally beautiful pics. A clever and accurate comparison. Never thought of it that way. Nicely!

Hank
Ella said…
Mary-Yes, proud and so much fun to pick words, just like flowers-sweet ;D Thank you~ Sweet when others like our flowers, lol I mean words!

Be right back...it is snowing! I want to snap a pic ;D
Susan Kane said…
Lovely analogies with the seeds. Sprouts always mean new life, beginnings.
Yolanda Renée said…
I love gardening -- especially when the plants grow and live and bloom and multiply. With me in charge it's a miracle!

Good luck with your art -- you'll do great!
Sherry Blue Sky said…
WOW! Such a feast! I love love love the bulbs sprouting with words on top - love your intro, adore the poem - and then, at the end you add one of my very favorite quotes. OMG. Your creativity always wows me, Ellie.
Helen said…
Perfect for the challenge .. perfect for the season!!
Susan said…
Well, dear Ella, go to the top of the class! This entire post with poem and prologue and pics is delicious! You put seeds on your words and words on your seeds! And how does such a garden grow? Better than any other, I am sure. You start out your poem with metaphor deep and true, and then as that extends, you find room for extended simile--a true one with feature after feature--like a baby colt . . . which takes both garden and page o another level. And your water color words on the page grow from timid weak into strong as the proud mare watches. And then she is the writer/planter again, knowing that not all of her words/seeds have the same fate. This is a lesson in starting, tending, revising--and it is gently and vividly done. (But go ahead and write another if you wish, I wait for your poems to drop like rain from heaven . . . )
Peggy said…
Yes! A whole garden of metaphors here, including your thoughts from the garden!
Anonymous said…
Love the poem and the post! I do think that writing is like gardening -- though I've always hated gardening; I love flowers, but not dirt. I love how the writing process is like growing something, and how it can be refined, just like dirt can, to make the story into something more beautiful.

Alexandra~
Lolamouse said…
Ella,
I love your analogy of gardening and writing! You also threw in some animals! Your seedlings make me so envious-every time I've tried to plant a garden, deer and squirrels take everything!

Keep creating, girl. Don't ever stop!
Shelly said…
Great analogy between gardening and writing.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly
M Pax said…
Beautiful and elegant words to accompany your lovely analogy. Excellent :)
Liza said…
I've often thought about the similarities between gardening and writing...you've said it well.
Sabio Lantz said…
Fun realism -- loved the poem and the pics.
Suggestion: on your blogger profile, put your website so that when folks click your name on their blog, they can go to your website -- otherwise, we can't find you.
Mary Ann Potter said…
Your poem --- metaphorically wonderful!

Your photos --- beautifully eloquent.

Your work --- inspiringly great!

(Loved this post and those nifty labels on the sprouting seeds!)
Maude Lynn said…
Some of the same sort things have been on my mind lately. Great minds, eh?
Ella said…
Hi MZ-Yes, I like that ;D Thank you!


Mary Ann-Wow, I love how you commented :D It was so fun to read!
Thank you so much~

Sabio-mmh, I thought it already worked that way?! Ok, I will check :D Thanks~

Hi Liza-I think we can compare a lot of things :D Thank you so much-it was fun~ I'll be by to visit you!

Mary-Thank you so much! When I see Moonflowers I think of you :D

Shelly-Thank you! You deserve hugs and a chocolate @>--------

Hi Lolamouse-Thank you so much :D
Oh, lavender keeps the deer away and I have heard human hair-I know weird right...but you take the hair out of your brush and put it near your garden area-I guess we smell bad to them?! I always try to start seedlings inside-I hope you will try again! You are sweet~

Alexandra-I love what you shared :D
Beautiful and we have to keep working those new seedlings ;D
Thank you so much!

Hi Peggy-Yes, I went there ;D I had fun-glad no one saw me with tiny words. My hound is good at keeping my secrets, lol Thank you~

Susan-I mean Teacher-thank you I am honored and humbled by your comments! I truly enjoyed this prompt, but feared it. I am glad I didn't remain in the bud~ Thank you so much-you made my week :D
I am in awe of your talent-this means a lot to me <3

Helen-Thank you! :D Yes, spring does enchant me~

Sherry-Thank you! I love to grow things and words are always sprouting new ideas. I thought it would be fun to share~ I am happy you liked it :D I love that quote, too~

Yolanda-I know how it can be-but truly think of it as writing. Some plants are different genres and need a different formula. Remember to read the tags and try, try again...yes miracles like that are wonderful! So are books ;D

Susan-Thank you, me too :D

Hi Hank-Thank you! Yes, now we need to think of our poems, our art as star dust and create new galaxies! ;D lol

Mary-see above comment :D

Kay-You get words to bloom ;D Thank you so much~


Kerry-Thank you! I do think of gardening as guided inspiration, so why not grow words, too ;D

Diane-What would you like to grow?!
I might be able to help ;D

Alex-;D Thank you Mr. AC-I mean Cool Ninja

Kim-I know you always have gorgeous flowers on your blog :D
Is your birthday in the spring?
Thank you so much!




Anonymous said…
Wonderful! You are so industrious as gardener and poet! k.
Wanda said…
What a perfect analogy. I like the way you think and the pictures are a great visual.
Vicki Sheehan said…
beautiful post Ellen! my words seem to have escaped me right now...
Ella said…
Hi Vicki-Thank you :D They are growing in spring's stillness! I see them bloom on your blog~ @>-------

Wanda-Thank you so much :D I had fun~ I had to plant some new ideas~
Hope your seeds sprout!

ManicDaily-Thank you so much! I need to gather more seeds and plant a book! I hope you do, too ;D
Jennifer Wagner said…
Ella, wow! Just too cool, your creative ideas here. Smiled the whole way through this post! I am feeling inspired! :-)