before words i shaped worlds

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Susan L Daniels

before words
i shaped worlds
behind my eyelids

framing stories
before i knew
there were tellers

there was an epic of ants
and whispered songs
of hummingbirds to butterflies
that needed translating

along with the cackling slapstick of chickens
bickering in their coop

all of it story, all of it mine
& spun in secret

About Susan L Daniels

I am a firm believer that politics are personal, that faith is expressed through action, and that life is something that must be loved and lived authentically--or why bother with any of it?
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31 Responses to before words i shaped worlds

  1. The Enfant Terrible says:
    October 7, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    A wonderful tribute to a child’s imagination. It’s a wonderful thing and such a shame that it gets lost for MOST people (not all).

  2. on thehomefrontandbeyond says:
    October 7, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    “spun in secret”–I like that

  3. Shah Wharton says:
    October 7, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    I felt this, before I wrote stuff down and saw it on a page. Before I got into reading and realising stories weren’t only in my head, but everywhere, in every head. Lovely. X

  5. Seb says:
    October 7, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    I can identify with that one – I always think words are the last thing you should add to a story. Allt he real work is done and fun is had before you get to them.

  6. Mama Zen says:
    October 7, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    This is breathtakingly lovely!

  7. nelle says:
    October 7, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    So true, the storytelling before the storytelling, the audience, ourselves. The first active effort came from the prodding of my eldest, and believe me, when my grandson hits four years old or so, I’m going to plant a subliminal message his mom needs to make up a story at every bedtime. 😉

  8. davidtrudel says:
    October 7, 2012 at 11:17 pm

    Excellent – simple and elegant. You captured the essence of that moment when there are no rules and all awareness is fresh.

  9. Bruce Ruston says:
    October 8, 2012 at 5:09 am

    along with the cackling slapstick of chickens – really liking that line

    • Susan L Daniels says:
      October 8, 2012 at 10:26 am

      Thanks, Bruce–they were funny as anything, and when I wrote that line–i said–wow, that even sounds as funny as it was–all those aaaaak sounds chickens make right in that line. Thanking my muse/chi for that one…

  11. unfetteredbs says:
    October 9, 2012 at 7:49 am

    glad you choose to spin your words for the world to see..

  12. George Ellington says:
    October 10, 2012 at 12:04 am

    I quite like this, Susan. The language of animals. The language of the world around you. Translated through a tremelous being. Finding vision and voice. I like how this makes me feel.

    • Susan L Daniels says:
      October 10, 2012 at 1:54 am

      Oh, George, thank you! This is how I have always seen things. I think sometimes those of us who write always make up our own worlds/stories long before we commit anything to paper.

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