Captured by the Power of Words

Can you remember a moment in your childhood when words took you away, words with the power to build new worlds and transform your thoughts?

Memories take me back to a time when I was only 5 or 6 years old. I remember asking my mother to read the same poem over and over. The author was Robert Louis Stevenson and the piece was My Shadow. To this day sections of that poem are written on my memory in indelible ink.

A few years later a similar thing happened in the classroom. My fifth or sixth grade teacher set on the corner of her desk with a book in her hand. The room was silent as we eagerly reached out with our minds to catch every word. It was hard to wait from day to day for the next chapter. Weekends were unbearable. The book was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Have you ever longed to paint pictures with words using the same vivid strokes you saw in a favorite book or poem?

Last week I had the privilege of participating in an online writing conference. My favorite workshop was a workshop on poetry. Anew I was captivated with the magic of words. But, this time the words did not flow from another’s hand. The instructor helped me capture the powerful potential of my own words.

What writers have inspired you in the past?
What encourages you to write now?