Just a quick sonnet on the power of words to lift and illuminate the heart and my own personal need for inspiration.

These words, winding articulation,
Breathe thoughts, spell into meaning,
Undo by backward mutters of incantation,
A serif’s stroke, familiar’s dingy film erasing.
Through this singing one is lifted
Above the air into high imagination
Where seeing is clearer, truth is untwisted,
Wisdom bodies forth, a worded incarnation.

But worry thickens my thoughts with care,
Muddles my mind, makes heavy my heart
Deafens my ears, blinds me to what’s there
And meaning’s concord shudders, falls apart.
Speak to me O Word, make my darkness light
Dawn as creation, give imagination sight.

© Randy Edwards 2016
pictured: codex page of John 1

On a whim, I took the same sonnet and swapped a few letters. In some cases this brought about new words, in other cases they made for new but meaningless words. Such a small stroke can make for such confusion.

Letters
Thee works, winding art iculation,
Breath thoughs, spill in too meening,
Undo by sackward butters of insantation,
A sheriff’s strobe, familial’s dinghy flim ear-aching.
Through this signing won is lighted
Abode the heir in two hugh imagication
Were beeing in cleaver, troth is untwister,
Wisdom bodies fourth, inwarded incurnation.
Butt sorry thickers by shoughts with bare,
Muddles my mine, sakes heady my hart
Deathens my bears, blonds me to whit’s their
Hand meening’s conquered udders, fills a part.
Spreak too meow ord, make my dirkness blight
Down as cremation, gave himagination slight.