Syllable Soup

Written by Writer Dad on January 7, 2010 - View Comments
Categories: Syllable Soup

Syllable soup is not sour or sweet
No chunky vegetables and no floating meat
There are terms and expressions, from message to motto
Enunciated nouns and verbs with vibrato
There are plenty of adjectives and probably some slang
At least if you’d like your syllable soup to have tang
Would you care to make some? Anything goes -
Gather ingredients and write them in rows
Mean what you say and say what you mean
To create quintessential communication cuisine
Let’s get our soup started, the syllables are hot
Decide on your words then fill up the pot
Now start the stirring, let the flavors all change
A good hearty soup should have sounds that are strange
But you must be careful – do not over spice
Words should enhance, invite and entice
Though all words are free, some do have a cost
Sometimes they’re not simple, so the reader gets lost
The stovetop’s the page, the chef is the writer
Who chooses the words to make stories burn brighter
Syllable soup is a scrumptious delight
When the cook stirs in all the syllables right
Never too many and never too few
Make the syllable soup that’s inside of you
What’s that you say? You’d like a sample?
How about instead I just cook an example?
Seems fair enough – sometimes once we see
Then our hearts and our minds and our spirits agree
Let’s start with a word that’s been pummeled to pulp
Drop it into the soup and get ready to gulp
You may have had a teacher who said, “said is dead!”
But said is not dead, it’s like butter to bread
Or syllables to soup – I’ll explain what I mean
Your teacher just meant that “said” shouldn’t be seen
Said is a word which has only one sound
No matter how you inspect it or spin it around
Yet how many ways can you also say said?
There’s at least a bajillion bulging outta my head!
Speak, utter, voice; pronounce or reply
Your hero could exclaim, or opine or cry
Or maybe declare, recite or disclose
But a rose by another name, is still just a rose
When you find yourself looking for the perfect ingredient
Don’t settle for the one which seems most expedient
There is no substitution for that one perfect word
Which will get the page read and your stories all heard
There is music to language, each word has a beat
To get you nodding your head and tapping your feet
Each word has a sound, whether they run short or long
They are notes in the verse of a sentence’s song
Choose each one wisely, place them all in a group
Then share a savory spoon full of syllable soup!

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  • Hi Writer Dad,

    Here's the poem you inspired me to write:

    Why Do I Write?

    I write for many reasons
    Tons I can’t say
    I write to imagine
    I write another way
    I write to tell stories
    I write to entertain readers
    I write so I can become a leader
    I write when I’m brimming with boredom
    Or for when there’s nothing to do
    I write to inspire others, just like you
    There are lots more reasons
    Some I can’t name
    I’ll save them for
    Our next rhyming game

    Katelyn Murphy
  • Just beautiful, Lisa. Thank you! I'd not heard that poem before.
  • Oh, I love this poem. You've captured the essence of a great recipe.

    It reminds me of a poem by Emily Dickinson:

    A word is dead
    When it is said,
    Some say.
    I say it just
    Begins to live
    That day.
    .-= LisaNewton´s last blog ..The Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook =-.
  • Your poem is awesome! It inspired me to write one of my own. Rhyming is fun!

    (Posted for Katelyn, age 11, by Katelyn's Mom)
  • Thanks, Kately! Don't be shy, you're welcome to come back and post your rhyme in the comments.

    P.S. You look EXACTLY like your mom! : )
  • Hi Sean, since you published this I've been trying to make the time to respond with a rhyme but it's just not happening. So instead I think I'll have a few beers and try to say quintessential communication cuisine.
  • So how did it work out? Did you manage to squeeze out all the syllables, inebriated as you were?
  • I don't know why, but the image of "floating meat" just cracks me up! :-D
  • Dude, if floating meat doesn't crack you up, there's something wrong!
  • Less than an hour? Even more impressive!
    .-= Rita´s last blog ..The Dentist, The Mugger, The Bank Robbery =-.
  • The fun thing about the Syllable Soup poems is that they sometimes fly out in about ten or twenty minutes, especially the shorter ones.
  • Sean,
    WOW what a poem! For somebody who claims not to be a fan of poetry this was brilliant and I couldn't stop reading it. What Cindy said is absolutely true. Just curious: how long did it take you to write this?
    .-= Rita´s last blog ..The Dentist, The Mugger, The Bank Robbery =-.
  • Hi Rita,

    Probably between 20 - 30 minutes. Then another twenty minutes or so of editing. This one took a little longer than most because it couldn't just go anywhere like most of my rhymes. It actually had an agenda, and was the first rhyme I ever wrote that had its title first. Most of the times, they start with one line, like a song in my head, that I'll record on the page with a fair amount of automaticity.
    .-= Sean´s last blog ..Introducing the Ghostwriter Dad Rolling Portfolio =-.
  • Brilliant!
  • Thanks, Susan!

    Seems like K would enjoy that one as well. I hope she reads it, but give her my best either way.

    Happy New Year!
    .-= Sean´s last blog ..Introducing the Ghostwriter Dad Rolling Portfolio =-.
  • I know I am your wife, but Sean you throw down rhymes the best in my view. My favorite part is the exclusivity of watching the process of your mind at work. You make my heart sing and my brain want to work harder and smarter. I can't wait to read these words to any child that will listen.
  • Well, thanks for listening to all my verbal vomit. We both know there's no shortage. And thanks for encouraging the rhythm. You know half the time I'm just showing off for you. : )
    .-= Sean´s last blog ..Introducing the Ghostwriter Dad Rolling Portfolio =-.
  • You must put this on video for parents and teachers to play!
    .-= Lori Hoeck´s last blog ..Do you know your bad guys? =-.
  • That's an excellent idea, and time permitting I certainly will. I actually want to put Syllable Soup on podcast and upload it to iTunes. We were debating whether to have Cindy read it, or whether it should be me. I've got the rhythm because it was born in my head, but she has a friendly teachery voice, so we're not sure.
  • Trina
    Smiles all around. I plan to share this with the kids.
  • Thanks, Trina! Let me know if they like it. : )
  • Trina
    Son quickly read your offering, blurted out, "coolMomcanIgoonXbox?" I queried him as to what he was getting out of your offering. "Ya,saidaintdeadMom,nowcanIgo onXbox?" he responded.
    The gal, much harder to tie down due to new boyfriend and studying demands, managedd to gift me some time between supper and dishes. After a thoughtful pause she offers up, "That's cute." I inquire as to her thoughts on the subject at hand, to which she released, "Sure, word choice is important, but, there's nothing worse than someone raping Thesaurus, and then having to read their love child." Apparently she has experienced such offerings at school... I reflected on her use of raping and love child; what a world kids live in these days.
  • @Sean & @mom

    Awesome, both of you!
    Syllable Soup runs in the family I see.
  • Thanks, Shane!

    Yes, the gift of gab comes from the old lady herself.
  • mom
    This brand new cookbook I don't quite understand
    Will you give us a topic, should we use our own brand?
    I sure love to cook and for sure like to eat, but counsel me please,
    vegetarian or meat?
    Will you determine the menu, or are we to choose?
    Do we randomly cook, or wait for your news?
    I can hardly wait to try new cuisine....
    the world's brimming with groceries, some fatty, some lean.
    There are great, tasty dishes just waiting to stew, should I drag out the crock pot or just wait for you?
    I just need to know what to mix in my bowl
    to cook something tasty is always my goal.
    You know when I cook, it's the more butter the better
    quick! let me know, by email or letter!
    xoxomom
  • That's pretty awesome there, Ma. It might be your best.
    Pretty cool you throw down - put your rhymes to the test.
    The one thing to remember when you're making Syllable soup -
    It's not like that roll down your windowey poop.
    It's not about fast, it's about preparation.
    You must put care in the craft of your worded formation.
    As long as you do that, it should be nutritious.
    Low on the fat and the syllables delicious.
    You will not need butter, if the words are just right.
    Write 'em all down and then edit it tight.
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