Could I embody and unbosom now
That which is most within me,--could I wreak
My thoughts upon expression, and thus throw
Soul, heart, mind, passions, feelings, strong or weak,
All that I would have sought, and all I seek,
Bear, know, feel and yet breathe--into one word,
And that one word were Lightning, I would speak;
But as it is, I live and die unheard,
With a most voiceless thought, sheathing it as a sword.
--Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto III, Stanza 97

When I first read this passage of Byron's, I knew that I'd found my words. You know the ones: that perfect combination of units of meaning, the sequence of letters and spaces and punctuation marks that becomes your totem.

Of course, Byron, being a poet overwrought with great emotion about the perfection of his craft (among other things), seeks one word, one mighty utterance that would perfectly encapsulate the who, what, where, when, why, and how of him. Perhaps that's the place where writing comes from: a place that has no name, that wants to be named, that compels its own naming. Perhaps there is a word for each of us, one perfect set of symbols and sound that would render us as instantaneously as a lightning bolt.

( I try on a few words. )

Due to the relentlessness of life, I'm taking a bye this week. Even Paula looks in need of a nap.

The College of the Four Zoas

Welcome to The College of the Four Zoas. We at CFZ are glad that you're considering joining us; we hope that in your visit you'll discover much to consider, illuminate, and delight. Below you'll find some icons of the academic and social elements of campus culture.

Registration is as easy as adding a new friend.

Fast Facts:

Est. 1969
Philosophy: "Anyone who looks at life in all its aspects will see how far the remarkable, the great, and the beautiful predominate in all things, and he will soon understand to what end we have been born." --Longinus
Location: The Deep South, USA
Enrollment: 82 and rising
Demographic Information: Female, Married, Black
Degrees Offered: BA, MA, and PhD in ZoaStudies
Accrediting Body: therealljidol
College Mascot: The pretty lady in the icon there. She needed a new job.
Acreage: Don't you know it's rude to ask a lady her weight?

( A Few College Icons )

In response to Prompt 0 for therealljidol.