Look
See what I hold in my hands
Not a full something, yet
Until I name it.
Until it is named.
What I call is will make it real
Balancing the name,
Carrying the name,
Wearing the name,
Becoming or disavowing the name,
Until, eventually, forgotten,
It falls apart from memory.
Look
What I name it has it's own power
Be it meek and mild
or strong and fierce
The naming carries weight
And what I give it now
Will last a lifetime
And maybe more
It will be up to the named.
Look
Be witty or obtuse
Symbolical or Syllable driven
Contrived or Biblical
New Aged or Traditionalist
What is named becomes real
The reality is complete
The character is yet to be set
Where do we go from here?Dec8
Tale Spinning 
This is exactly what people do when they problem solve- they name it (i.e., define it).
Things that are not named can’t be quantified, qualified, or studied.
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When it’s unnamed (untested..ahem)…yup. Roy takes one of the threads in the piece. Thanks Roy
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Coming straight after that awesome story, this is another nice piece in a very different style, but on a similar theme. I like it.
I am glad I found your blog.
p.s. Is “mile” a typo?
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Ooops…mild…thanks for pointing it out. Glad you liked the variation on a theme. Naming something has become a mini-obsession…there might be one more. I’ll see how I feel later. Glad you found Tale Spinning, Nikki. Thanks.
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This unfolded nicely, leaving very curious as I was waiting to see what is it you were naming…now I see that it was all about nomenclature and how a name can shape the thing that it is.
You have a wonderful mind and I always enjoy my visits. Great post!
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ok..thank you Leah, especially for that “wonderful mind” comment. Yesterday Li was proud of me, now this…so many others… really glad you liked this, and…there is that in what you saw in the piece. It has more meanings for me. lot going on “upstairs” when I was writing this.
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A really nice poem, makes me think. Goes with your post from yesterday. 🙂
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Thank you! It’s what I was going for.
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Interesting… and true. Take, for example a new born baby; whether it is named Fred or Pile of Dog Doo, will have a powerful impact on it’s path through life. The same can be said of anything we create, or contemplate. How we define it will determine how we react to it.
Good un!
Ummm… have you any brownies left?
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Always for you, Allan. No one has commented on one aspect of it all: writing. Naming our characters is important. Thanks for stopping by.
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I really liked this one. It is a nice follow-up to What’s In A Name? Interesting–and thought-provoking.
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Thank you Judith. I felt I had to have a different pov for the previous post.
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Naming is a powerful thing – which is why, I suppose, there are so many cultures and traditions which include taking a different name upon reaching adulthood, when joining a particular group, getting married, etc. But does it change the intrinsic characteristics of the person or object? A rose, by any other name….
Naming can, however, be a valuable tool in writing; it’s yet another way that the author can convey something meaningful about the character’s background, history, or personality.
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You got it Li. It;s rare that I throw just any name onto a character. Often it’s just the straight meaning of the name, but there are layers to that as well. Thanks.
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Reblogged this on Tale Spinning and commented:
It still fits, eleven years later
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