Our local poet, Molly Fisk, whom everyone in town refers to as "our-local-poet-Molly-Fisk," all run together like that, encourages us to choose a word for the year. The whole community gets into it.
Molly's word is "empty."
Others have chosen "acceptance," "morph," "elevate," "see," "humility," "let go (yes, you can have two words), "euphoria," "love," "balance," and "refine" to name just a few.
My word is "alignment."
I wanted it to be "fruition." But, like a bad graft, it didn't take.
Molly advises that you to open yourself up to the word and not rush it. She says that your word might not find you until a few months into the new year. It might not find you until October. So don't stress.
Once you find it, look it up:
align·ment - noun \ə-ˈlīn-mənt\
alignment (n.) 1790, "arrangement in a line," from French alignement, from aligner (see align). Political sense is from 1933.
align (v.) early 15c., "to copulate" (of wolves, dogs).
Whoa. This should be interesting.
Happy 2014.
What is your word?
P.S. Molly Fisk is a writer, teacher, and poet who lives in the Sierra foothill town of Nevada City, California. Her latest book, Blow-Drying a Chicken: Observations from a Working Poet, is on its way to global domination via local bookstores across the country. She recently blossomed into an accomplished painter (her flowers in mason jars are my favorite). Listen to Molly's radio essays at KVMR. And view her spectacular Pinterest boards here.
