My Anthem

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

words - simple or big

Simple words to say
Simple words to receive
Like "I love you"
Or "Go fly a kite"

Big words, difficult words
Like "misleading", "expectations"
Or deep thoughts prefacing with
"I beg to differ"
Sometimes they cause misunderstanding

But if given in sincerity
With no ill intent
Friends can live with some misunderstanding
Exchanging simple or difficult words

But beware sweet, rambling words
Coated with honey and wine outside
Loaded with arsenic and bile inside. ***


Yan of yancorner.blogspot.com yesterday posted about why she enjoyed the writings of Andre Norton, the Grand Dame of science fiction and fantasy, who died on March 17, 2005 aged 93. She said "... (Andre's) people are real -- maybe because her words are simple".

I fully endorse her views that "Simplicity" is indeed a virtue in writing. It's for the same reason why my favourite poet is Max Ehrmann -- yes, my Blogname was inspired by his desiderata of happiness. ("Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence."...)

Ehrmann used very simple words, and yet the message makes a strong connection with the reader, touching the heart, the soul, and exercising the mind, as exemplified by the following:

Love Some One

Love some one -- in God's name

love some one -- for this is

the bread of the inner life, without

which a part of you will

starve and die; and though you

feel you must be stern,

even hard, in your life of affairs,

make for yourself at least

a little corner, somewhere in the

great world, where you may

unbosom and be kind. *****

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