Poem Tryouts: To Arms!

9:16 a.m. — Atlanta

listening to the Weather Channel and the speed skater announcers at Sochi

Hello, everyone. Are we all wet enough? Cold enough? Growing webs between our toes? Here’s something to take your mind off the weather for a little.

I have a plan for the next few weeks: a series based on parts of the body [punctuated with interesting word prompts and image prompts]. While parts of the body have been done, they are usually directed at our bodies and are single-focused. I want us to explore a broader view. The challenge will be to not write the obvious.

Almost every body part has a different meaning along with its body connection. That will be one possibility for a poem topic. Another will be to follow the etymological origin. We also have the literal and metaphorical uses of the words. Many of us will have a sharp memory that involves one, or more, of the parts. More fodder. Finally, I shall include a couple of sayings, another avenue you can wander down. Final finally, you do your thing.

As you will have gathered from the title, we are starting with arms. I was fascinated on looking at the etymology, to learn that our arms take their word from weapons, and not the other way around. This makes sense, as early weapons will all have involved that part of the body.

The descent of meaning continues when we named the arm of a piece of furniture that, because our arms rest there.

How about the meaning to do with power, the arm of the law, or a branch of the military?

Idioms: walking arm in arm; cost an arm and a leg; a call to arms; at arm’s length; with open arms. Interesting: I notice that the idioms fall into a positive or negative camp.

How about a family’s coat of arms? The phrase alone becomes more interesting after my investigation of arms.

Then, there is our own arms that join our shoulders to our wrists/hands.

Enough to start you off? Should you have a couple of ideas warring with each other, write and post both.

I shall see you Friday for the roundup of the week’s prompts; and Tuesday for another body part. Meanwhile I shall get back to hunkering down for the storm.

Happy writing, everyone, and stay inside.