That language, ever-evolving thing
A wondrous thing, that we know
So let’s watch a metaphor come into being
The spoons of Miserandino

A spoon for getting up, for eating
“Can I have more?” “Let’s see—no”
A spoon for shopping, working, leaving
How many did you see go?

Some days you have more spoons to use
Some days you’re stuck with fewer
Some days you think you just might lose
Though ’nvisible to viewer

And thus a useful concept made
Into a phrase to share
That any hear, and understand
Hawaii to Delaware

Perhaps not universal yet
Months past, a group of friends
Did not yet recognize the phrase
I used to simple ends

But like the cart before the horse
Or e’en the quick brown fox
The record ’ventually shows the use
Accepted without cost
(And should you need more examples thereof,
wait until the origin of “subtweet” is lost)

 
But most importantly of all
You’ll now know what it means
If you ever receive a package of spoons
Addressed to you, from me

Today’s post for NaCreSoMo is inspired by going to a poetry reading that included my friend E from the writing group I’ve mentioned before. Not-entirely-coincidentally, that writing group is also the “group of friends” mentioned in the poem.

The topic, of course, is Christine Miserandino’s “The Spoon Theory”—or perhaps I shouldn’t say “of course”, since apparently it’s not as widely known as I thought. Miserandino’s original formulation was a way to explain what chronic invisible illness is like (in her case, lupus), but it’s been adopted to talk about depression and then broadened even further to any sort of hardship that leaves one unable to keep up with daily life. I really like it at all these levels, though I do want people to take it seriously when someone says “I don’t have the spoons for that.” That means “I literally cannot do that today; I do not have the physical energy for it, or I would be doing myself mental harm to do it” or something along those lines.

(I think it’s okay to use it in a more casual way too. I would just be unhappy if it could no longer be used in a serious sense.)

I haven’t actually sent someone a package of spoons yet, but knowing me it’s the kind of thing I would like to do for someone at some point.

Bonus: check out this combination iambic dimeter “bredlik” poem / iambic pentameter sonnet.

Part of NaCreSoMo 2018.

This entry was posted on March 24, 2018 and is filed under Creativity. Tags: Poetry, Linguistics, NaCreSoMo 2018