Word play

When I see some idea, several times in quick succession, I know that I'm supposed to try it out. At least three times in the last couple of weeks, I've read about the idea of making a collection of words -- going through old books or dictionary pages or what have you, and gathering the ones that attract your attention. Every person I've read gives credit to Susan Wooldridge and her book Poemcrazy for the idea.  Liz Lamoreux talks about it in her new book, Inner Excavation.  Diana Trout used this idea in one of her journal nudges on her blog; who am I to resist trying it?

I grabbed a couple of very old books off my bookshelf, and wrote down whatever struck me. Then, I chose ten words at random (with eyes closed!), and challenged myself to write a poem with them. To create the two-page spread, I loosely painted my journal with watercolors. I decided to cut out my long word list, and tuck the pieces into a pocket created from a magazine photo. Diana's nudge suggested creating a tab for the spread. I cut out some thick stock from an old calendar and taped on two tabs. I wrote down the poem, and contemplated doodling on one or both pages, but decided to stop there. The words should be the focus this time.