Ordinarily I offer up opinionated posts and odes that illustrate those themes. I might tackle our modern ordeals as we hurtle toward obsolescence in an over-wired and under connected world. I might opine on the offensive behaviors I observe in others on our little blue orb. I might obsess over the obstacles of my ordinary existence, or even try to prove myself an oracle by exploring the omens obviously looming over all of us. But today I thought I'd try something different.
Today's blog post is inspired by the letter O.
I'm not sure why, but yesterday I had an urge to read the O section in the dictionary. (I do that sometimes - read sections of the dictionary in search of new vocabulary - I've always had a fascination with words.) I found a lot of gems in the O's - and only wish I could've incorporated more of them into my poem.
O is full of ideologies - it introduces us to oligarchy (government in the hands of the people) and ochlocracy (rule by a mob). It introduces us to concepts like omnipotence (being all powerful) and omniscience (being all knowing) and orthodoxy (conforming to or holding the accepted or standard opinions). It offers moral lessons - one should be obdurate (unyielding) in upholding one's moral standards lest they fall into obliquity (departure from sound moral principles or behaviors) and face opprobrium (disgrace resulting from shameful behavior) as a result.
O teaches us that oology is a study of eggs, and that odiferous rolls off the tongue better than "stinky" and oleo sounds more exotic that margarine. O begins a few ominous words too - I mean if too many of us are obviated than we might all face obsolescence! And obituarese is the obvious language for writing the obituary of one who overdosed on opium, or was obliterated by an obnoxious overlord. (It's obvious!)
O gives us one of my favorite words - onomatopoeia. Who doesn't love to see words like BAM! Whoosh! or thud! (Can you really write any of those words without adding an exclamation mark?) Without O - and onomatopoeia - pigs couldn't oink!
Think what life would be like if you could never outwit an oaf or overpower an onerous ocelot. What would you be without original ideas, ordinary ordeals and occasionally outrageous opinions? This odist would be truly ornery without O's overwhelming offerings.
And so today my offering is an opportunity for you to dust off the other "good book" and let Mr. Webster help you optimize your vocabulary with a few new O words.
"O"
I like the letter O because
it's oval shaped you see -
used to start optimistic words,
like opportunity.
Without an ordinary O
no odes would poets write;
no oboes in an orchestra
would ever ears delight.
We'd miss oodles of oddities
without the letter O -
no oology, orthography
or odysseys we'd know.
We would miss the ostentatious -
for orchids could not thrive;
not even Ozzy Osbourne could
without his O's survive.
We would all live without order
if O did not exist;
without an orbit 'round an orb
organic life desists.
So much in life would obfuscate
without O's awesomeness -
I'm really quite obdurate when
O's merits I assess.
We couldn't breathe in oxygen
or ogle or observe;
nothing would be orgasmic - oops!
(I might have hit a nerve!)
Please pardon my obliquity -
I face opprobrium.
I'm not yet quite omniscient -
might cause offense to some.
If my ode seems over zealous,
odiferous at best,
please take the opportunity
to put O to the test.
Though onerous this opuscule
I hope - at least for some -
I've optimized O's offerings
and not plied opium!
by Sharon Flood Kasenberg, April 20, 2015
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