In the beginning there was a word – then the world began

Always there is the word

It waits

Nothing by itself

It is neither this nor that

Lying flat

Devoid of any thing

Lacking meaning

The void stretches away as far as the eye can see

The mind cannot name

Anything

Without word

In the deep dark night

When images flicker like lightening storms across the brain

Eyelids flinch

Still nothing

Dawn arrives

The mind picks up its metaphorical pen

The day begins again

And we name it

Day

Human

Breathing life

Into nothingness

The words

Begin to talk

The mind to walk

Around

And around

This bunch of sounds

Turns this way and that

And a sentence comes out to play

Still it lives in the mind

Not yet spoken aloud

and

Yet

In the humans head

Dramas are playing out

Worlds are building

Dying

Being destroyed

Happiness

Joy

Pain

Worry

Anxiety

Words and their building blocks

Thoughts

Emotions struck

Fear

Anger

A cacophony of feelings

Crowding

Words

A steady stream now marching across the consciousness

Leaping dancing twirling

Animated things

Plucking like strings

Imagination firing

Visions flowing

Hormones cascading

Cortisol building

Dopamine dripping

Heart beating

Faster

Slower

Blood pressure rising

Lowering

All of it springing

From mans recognition

Of his environment

Via words

Describing

Her inner chanting being

Which never lets up

For as long as

He

She

Who

We

Just words!

Are alive

Relationships forming

Coming together

Breaking apart

Words

Flowing out into the ether

Along phone lines

Poured from mouths

Paper

Screens

Touching

Ears, eyes

The fingertips of the blind

Lighting up millions of minds

Switches flicking on

In what was once a silent cavernous darkened room

The Big Bang!

Didn’t happen

Until the word

That could describe it

Was first formed

Religion

Art

History

Words

Humans greatest victory

Over the void

Stretching our brains

Creating wires

Bigger and bigger

The whole world runs on words

World wars

Never would have been fought

Without words

These immensely powerful things

Never can they be killed

Silenced

Yet words

Are nothing

Without us thinking them

Shrodingers cat

What’s in the box?

Who knows?

Until the mind opens it

The word describes it

The mouth says “aha”

Quantum theory looping

Words leaping

They don’t begin

Without

The human being

Breathing

Life

Into

Them

Imagine the peace and silence of a world

Where there aren’t any words

Yet we can’t

Without the words

To describe it

First

There was the word

I wonder what my last will be?

***

Writing this poem was a bit like exploring quantum physics – I was aware of this massive thing beyond the edges of my mind

And line by line

It explained itself

I like to think – I like to let my mind of its leash let it unravel

Come back

Report to me

What it finds

This poem was birthed as I replied to Yassy the poet tonight – as I typed “the words always wait for us” it hit me – they do

They wait for us

Words are nothing without us …off went my brain weaving words together to describe words and this immense idea conspired

The world seemed to fold in on itself as I realised one after the other the full implications of words

The reason that animals are so peaceful compared to us

Is probably because they don’t have words

Words that build mountains out of mole hills

Twisting us into knots of emotions

Anyway here I go again

So I won’t

But just imagine

Who would you be if the words to describe you were not there?

Is the true potential of who you are contained

Caged

Smothered by your own or someone else’s description?

Well stuff that!

They’re just words and they are nothing

Meaningless

Powerless

Without the energy we give them

So

If words are messing with your life

Change them

Change yourself

And write yourself a new life

Oh and Yassy the poet writes sublime poetry – her words are like the finest porcelain cups that she fills with herbals and sweet fragrant tea – sip, swallowing without a sound as the meaning flows like music. I actually can’t describe it and I certainly can’t do it.

Check out Yassy’s blog and one of her latest poems here

I hope your mind is thinking up more things that wouldn’t have occurred without words

I don’t think mine will stop for awhile

27 thoughts on “In the beginning there was a word – then the world began

  1. Oh! my! my ! What a wonderful inspiring post from you my sweet wise Kate. Your words are like balm , soothing to the eye as the heart reads the deeply emotional depth of your words , portrayed in an everlasting visual that gives the reader a sense of new discovery.

    • So many different ways to use words Yassy- you paint with them as beautifully and thoughtfully as a dying man chooses breaths. ❤️🦋 thank-you for your kind thoughts but I believe mine just tumble out – a bit wild – they have always been feathery things that if I’m lucky let me write their song as they pass through. They aren’t mine though and just as quickly as they come, they are gone leaving me with a mouthful of normal. Why I love poetry so much. For a moment – it feels like being brushed with magic, like Cinderella entering a ballroom. Then it’s all gone and it’s back to “what do you want for dinner?” And typing business letters. 😂

      • I think poetry is inherently you , that is the reason you write and write with a heartfelt warmth and it connects with the reader , Katy. I think your goodness shines in the words that spill from your quill. I love this bond I have with you.
        I do live and eat and breathe poetry lol and words and phrases and rhymes are always going around in my head. Hehe
        Well, here is a warm poetic hug I am sending you dear Kate.
        And btw, typing business letters requires a lot of head and you my dear have a lot of good grey matter in that dear head of yours.

  2. These are beautiful words Kate – its amazing what power there can be in choosing just the right combination. Now feeling very inspired on this wet freezing night!

  3. “Words are nothing without us…” I never thought about that, but it’s oh so true. That’s just one of the many lines in your poem that made me pause for thought. This is a powerful, amazing, truthful piece! Well done. 👏👏👏

    • It wrote itself KT – I was just as surprised I think and my brain was on fire with thoughts – do you know every time I have got worried about something this morning I asked myself “how would this be without words?” All mental disturbance disappears – it’s true! Try it – of course it comes back when the words do but just having that pause made me realise – everything is bad because we describe it to ourselves – no description, no words and …the mind just goes blank. It’s quite extraordinary and a wonderful way to shove a buffer in between reaction.

      • I will have to try it, shove those pesky words away. I have some relationship issues that no amount of talking—using words—will ever solve. I will try to “not describe” those issues in my thoughts.
        Again, this is an amazing piece. I rarely save a post, but I did this one.

  4. So much meaty goodness in here! Lots of chewing and savoring going on in my head. I keeps getting stuck on “I wonder what my last will be” Mine will probably be the F-bomb, I use it frequently haha!

    • On another blog this morning this lovely lady was discussing rhyming slang and various words and their meanings like creamy crackers (knackered) and crispy duck (different sort of fowl or rather foul and beginning with f as well and I’m sure you know what I mean 🤣) anyway I’m finding it very satisfying because I made nougat (from another bloggers recipe so easy but about the messiest thing I’ve ever made – this is becoming a lengthy reply) anyway had these big sticky strings of stuff everywhere and I crispy ducked my way through to all and the end result is so yummy!
      Now what was I talking about?
      Oh yes words
      I use way tooooo many 😂😂

  5. I was just wondering why a picture is worth a thousand words. One day the computer will read our thoughts and type them into words. Interesting to see how that looks…kinda jumbled i would think.

  6. I really like cups and saucers, mugs and glasses. I don’t really have any matching sets. Sorry, just on a tangent because of the lovely photo. The message is pretty potent and important too.

    • I get so suckered with cups and china too. This was taken at our favourite coffee shop at the beach – they have beautiful cups and saucers that they buy when they go on trips – beautiful hey? I feel special drinking my chai out of a gorgeous cup

Leave a Reply to Nicola Cancel reply