Neologism: "Zoem" - poem about living life abundantly

Authors can be unusual people with strange desires!

Many of our desires and drivers are to do with 'Legacy' - leaving a legacy we will be (favourably) remembered for and by.

For example, many of us would love to be remembered for a 'Signature Quote'. I thought I'd created mine:

"Reality leaves much to the imagination."

Then I discovered John Lennon had said this already:

"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."

Hey, I prefer my version but I'm hardly going to be remembered for coining that phrase.

Neologism

A Neologism is a new word. It's a phrase or word you have coined - and, assumedly, others have adopted and embraced as valid.

I make them up all the time - usually by accident when I can't get my words out straight!

My ambition is to add value to the English langugage by adding a word - or several words - that help us define and explain our experience more effectively.

"Zoem" is a fusion of "Zoe" and "Poem"... and humour me by letting me share how it came about.

POETS Day

POETS Day is a ruder version of this acronym: Pop Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday.

Given the fact that many people are forced by economic circumstance to work on Saturday, I think the following also works: Pop Off Early Tomorrow's Sunday.

Whatever your definition, I use it as an excuse to enjoy and share poetry!

But should our poems celebrate?

I'm a fan of Jesus - though I don't think this really counts as a spirtual blog. He is simply my example of ultimate kindness, thoughtfulness, and putting-other-people first. My own life is so different to His example of excellence that I aspire to be like Him.

What He says has 'weight' in my opinion, so when He shared His own mission for Life, I really paid attention.

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

You can check that out in John's good news, chapter 10, verse 10... and get it in context where He highlights the opposite of Life to the full.

My point is, the highest form of poetry for me should mirror this mission and celebrate that which defines Life as being 'abundant'.

Abundantly

The Greek word for abundance is rather splendid!

"All bases are covered."

perissós (an adjective, derived from 4012 /perí, "all-around, excess") – properly all-around, "more than" ("abundantly"); beyond what is anticipated, exceeding expectation; "more abundant," going past the expected limit ("more than enough . . . ").

Who wouldn't want that?

• A Life that is "all round" and even in "excess" - every aspect good
• A Life that was "beyond what is anticipated"
• A Life experience that is "exceeding expectation"
• A Life "more abundant"
• A Life that is "going past the expected limit" and that is "more than enough..."
• A 'Wow!' kind of Life

What is "Life"

I grow curious when we use one word in English to represent multiple words in another language. The fact that they need more words to describe the experience or object means that there are finer distinctions in the way native speakers of that language think.

Eskimos have rather a lot of words for 'snow' because these distinctions can make the difference between life and death.

The Greeks have three words for 'Life':

• Bios - the word for material and biological life - where we get 'biology' from
• Psyche - the life of the mind - where we get 'psychology' from - mind, will, emotions
• Zoe - the eternal, divine kind of life that is not created - surprisingly the source of the word 'zoology' - and perhaps inappropriately.

Death-bed revelations suggest that the only Life that matters in the end has to do less with the material aspects of experience and more with the emotional and adventurous aspects of experience. It's not how many hours we clocked up at the office. Nor is it how much we are left with in the bank. It's emotional capital, intellecutal capital, legacy capital.

Zoem

For me, then, I would like to write and share more poetry on the theme of Life to the Full, the Life Abundant.

What topics should this cover?

Family, Friendship, Freedom

A great starting point is family and friends. It's relationships that add the greatest joy to life - if we are to enjoy the Life Abundant. I know they are a source of sorrow too - but that's not living Life abundantly ("The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy..." being explicitly stated as the opposite to living Life more abundantly according to John 10:10.)

Add to a deep enjoyment of my family and friends, I'd add 'Freedom'

• Freedom of movement
• Freedom of location
• Freedom of time
• Freedom of relationships (in the sense of choosing who to share my life story with - the cast. I'm not talking about bigamy!)
• Freedom from fear, self-doubt, and a troubled-mind
• Even financial freedom.

Fruitfulness

A Life of productivity. A productive Life. And a Life that is rich in the nine aspects of the fruit of that Eternal Life, the Fruit of the Spirit:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faith
• Gentleness, and
• Self-Control.

Naturally, a Life full of Sensory-Enrichment

To see, hear, feel, smell, and taste Life in all its abundant beauty - that's a Life to the full.

To travel and to submerge my senses in another culture.

To be so time-rich that I can afford to 'press-pause' and enjoy the moment.

Listen to the breeze.

Listen to the birds.

Listen to my heart-beating.

To taste spices.

To savour herbs.

To enjoy the finest of wines.

Don't you find it fascinating that Jesus' first miracle was to create the finest wine every tasted?

And for that, His disciples put their faith in Him!

Wise Gifts

The gifts the "Wise Men" gave Jesus were all deeply symbolic.

They were in tune with His later declared mission: Life to the Full.

• Gold said He was a King and full of virtue
• Frankincense said He was Holy and Pure - destined for a Life of prayer
• Myrrh said He was anointed... and there is a foreshadowing of His redemptive suffering too.

All three Wise Gifts have strong associations with the Temple. Only Gold was really worthy enough for the Temple. Frankincense was the only spice appropriate for use at the Altar. And Myrhh was used in the anointing of the priests for service at the Altar.

We have a Divine Life offered to us. A Life rich beyond our imagination.

And I intend to write poems about this... or should I say, "Zoems"?

Just thinking about these topics makes my heart sing...

...

My First Zoem

This, of course, is deeply personal. I'd love to hear yours.

...

I have a thirst

For ‘Friendship’ first

With ‘Family’ as ‘Friends’

The best, not worst.

...

‘Relationships’ are the key

To what defines me as a ‘McKee’!

They make all of Life truly great

Though I’ve only realised that of late.

...

And as for faith, and hope, and love

I can only conclude they are from above;

To build one’s confidence in oneself

Is valuable above all else.

And to see tomorrow as full of hope

Pumps me up, it’s really ‘dope’!

My heart beating faster pumps me more

For what is Life?  It’s what Love’s for!

...

I see, I hear, I feel, smell and taste

Though much of my life has been in haste – therefore, a waste;

I’ve missed so many moments in time

When pressing ‘pause’ would be the Life Divine - sublime

To savour that blink of my inner-eye

When I caught a glimpse of the real reason why…

...

Your names are Samuel, Joshua, Richard

My sons, my spark, my perfumed nard

The incense I bring to the altar of our lives

To give thanks for your children and your wives.

...

There is no good thing without my friends,

My family bring meaning from start to end.

And if I am to be fondly remembered, 

Let Zoem be one of the words I rendered.

...

A poem of the Life Abundant

Leaving sorrow behind as redundant

Life to the full, bursting at the seams,

Exceeding expectation, hopes, and dreams.