Streaming my consciousness
on the page ~ squiggles and curlicues try to make sense of thoughts and ideas swirling through my mind.
The tip of the pen, a focal point
on the shape and meaning of
just the right word.
Spellcheck is my own knowledge - no little red caterpillars in sight.
Grammar does not come underlined with green caterpillars
No alerts when I might create a line of gobbledy-gook.
Random people in coffee shops and libraries notice my hand moving back and forth
drawing my thoughts out,
surprised and pleased to see that ‘someone still writes!
My pen points the way across the page so that
~ right to left ~
I fill each line dutifully until
I reach the end of the line and then
like a silent typewriter
my arm moves gently back
to the beginning of the next line to continue my thought.
Hand writing requires attention
away from alerts and notifications
so that only my thoughts enter the world
via a trail of ink or graphite.
Printing learned in Grade One
in exercise books with open spaced lines
shape each A B C until printing gave way to:
Cursive shapes of words.
Spelling and grammar next so
our primary skill of talking
could be sketched in the words we spoke ~
our learning of language
took a step forward to
wield our pens like flashing swords.
Too many swords are rusty,
put down in favour of
modern hieroglyphics in emoticons and cartoon figures
until we don’t know our words are a part of us.
Our ideas can be shaped rather that tapped
Tapping is more expedient and efficient
but do we need to be in a world only expedient and efficient
or
do we need the beauty of handwriting
taking the time to talk on the page.
Maybe both.......
“My spelling is Wobbly. It’s good spelling but it Wobbles,
and the letters get in the wrong places
~ A.A.Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
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