Scrittura Wednesday poetry prompt

One Word

of inspiration

Do not forget when you were down and out, and just one word changed everything.

Can you remember not just word, but also tone of voice,

speaking to your heart when you believed your heart was empty, barely able to beat?

Family, friend, stranger? Not stranger once the word is spoken, no such thing as stranger.

(excerpt from Just One Word, by Wry.)

…Two middle-aged men walked ahead. Quiet conversation not meant for me. I overheard one sentence: “You know, it’s never too late to have a happy childhood.”

I chuckled on the way home. Many miles over many years those words sustained me.

(excerpt from Sidewalk Words, by Wry)

Many of us have experienced periods when discouragement outweighs optimism. It seems like all our words and efforts have been for naught. It seems impossible to climb out of the pit of despair.

Yet we do climb out. Sometimes we just wait out the doldrums. Other times we are rescued by outside intervention from friend, family, stranger, therapist, cleric, book or poem. A word or sentence acts as a catalyst transforming dark negative energy into life-enhancing light. It can be cathartic.

Can you remember a dark time in your life when another human’s words inspired you to keep on going, keep on writing? This week's prompt is to write about the experience of a person’s words inspiring you with positive energy.

So strike a spark, siblings in ink! Your work may inspire others. Please abide by Scrittura guidelines and use topics Scrittura, poetry, and prompt. Please tag me in your response and include a boxed link to this page.

~ Wry Welwood October 2023

Attention: Audrey Howitt Aaron Quist Kevin E. Pittack Jr. Zay Pareltheon Viraji Ogodapola Marilyn J Wolf Samantha Lazar Mia Verita Pamela J. Nikodem, MSED Agnes Laurens Agnes Chan。阿詩疑亭🧕🏼✍🏽 A.j Thomas Alex Tiu Alice Armour Altus Amy Jasek Amy L. Bernstein Ana Maria Irueste-Montes Angelina Der Arakelian Annine Massaro Ann Marie Steele Anthony David Vernon Anna Rozwadowska Jam | Creative Bahora Saitova BJ Dawson Ben Human Betsy Denson Suntonu Bhadra Bob Metivier Victoria Ponte Brian S. Hook Caitlin Rebecca Camille Fairbanks Caroline Mellor Charlene Marron Cheryll MV Chris Mooney-Singh Joao Coimbra Connie Song D. Abboh Danielle Loewen Daniel Bhakti Rosy Rane Darryl Willis Dewain Belgard Dennett Dermott Hayes Destiny S. Harris Dylan Skurka Eddie Becker Enne Baker Ema Dumitru Ed Newman Era Garg Erika Burkhalter Evan Wildstein Filza Chaudhry Christina M. Ward Gary Chapin Geetika Sethi Alex Guenther Harley Bell Hawkeye Pete Egan B. Iain Lenninski Ian Cunnold IMΛBӨПG FΛMIПЦ Imad Ilaria Mangiardi Jade Willow Jaswanisarika Winifred J. Akpobi Jaylee Reign Jay Sizemore Jeff Langley J.L. Littlejohn Jenine “Jeni” Baines Jennifer Dodge Jenny Justice Jeremy McKay Joe Luca Joseph Lieungh Josh E. Josh Lonsdale just a twenty something Kate-lynne Pigg Katrina Bos km. rowe Kirk Albert Alexander Keith R. Higgons Kristin Doherty Kyla Sawyer laksh Laurie Perez Lennie Varvarides Wry Welwood Lisa Marie Simmons Ludovico Leone Mahnoor Mai Yamamoto Natalie Wilkinson Marcus Chan Margie Pearl Mary Jones Mary L. Holden Melissa Rodriguez Mark Tulin Michael Centrone Mike Scarpiello Debbie Miller Mimi Bordeaux Breathe & Be Still Sally A Mortemore M.T. Pariti Niki Madore Nilla Chen Jonah Angeles Pablo Pereyra Vaishali Paliwal Paroma Sen Patrick M. Ohana Paul Mulliner Penny Grubb Patrick Metzger Alistair J. Kraft Lindsay Soberano Wilson Rachel K. Ravyne Hawke Sean Zhai Rhonda Marrone Somsubhra Banerjee Shringi Kumari Suzanne V. Tanner Shiraz Zafar Hussain Sydney Duke Richey Margaret’s Reflections I am not a Robot Kira Dawn Theophilus Auctor Thomas Plummer Theodore McDowell Tree Langdon Fox Kerry Upen Singh Willow Schroeder Vic Spandrio Skye Nicholson Winslow Thornhill Carlo Zeno Evelyn Jean Pine Masha Zubareva Pseu Pending (Seu) John Newmark Zach J. Payne Crooked Timber Linda Sharp Kait Leonard Astral Escapes ∞ Jeff Burton Brother Bhunru Kensu Ridge Ryan Janise Jona Daye Anu Anniah Obinna Uruakpa Jessica Lee McMillan Barsha Kar Rui Alves Nikita Joshi Joel R. Dennstedt Katherine Myrestad Andy Lammers AVG Alicia Casner chel writes Sana Sparks Matt Youth Cat Strav Jay Squires Uzaifa Memon Debra G. Harman, MEd. Arka Ghosh Fiona Guest Anish Bhattacharyya Tariq Ulixes Hawili Edward Swafford Amanda Weir-Gertzog Arushi Sahu Charles Source Loddie Foose, Claire Kelly Emmanuel Ogamdi Mykel Vinitha Dileep A.M. Goode Helen Jesse Wilson Tiffany A Krista Lisa Fouweather Ann Mary Alexander Mahin Alexandra Axente Brian Throne 𝐡.𝐚.𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 Snehalsaju Aurelia Bliss Nitin Dangwal Lovely Poems M.A. Sonncraft Ashish Jha Sam Grackle Yong Kim Marie Cadette Pierre-Louis🇭🇹❤️💞