Can You Come Out to Play?

The Fine Art of Playfulness

• A winter adventure with son Atz Lee
• Texting fun
• What Alice Walker said to me
• A little poem ditty for you to play with

Even as a teenager, my younger son, Atz Lee, would ask me to come out and play. I remember a gorgeous sunny winter day when he wanted me to go outside to see something he was very excited about. I was pretty cozy and content by the fire but he was insistent, so out we went on his adventure. This involved laboring along in the lung searing cold, clouds of breath puffing around us as we hiked through the crunchy snow. We crossed the field in front of the house to the place where a frozen culvert had created an overflow of frozen ribbons and flowing layers in a variety of colors from the minerals in the water. It was great looking, artful, and I was glad I came. It turned out, though, there was more to come.

“We have to lie down and crawl in here,” he said, pointing to a small opening. The stream had risen during an earlier thaw, and then frozen on top before the water receded again in the next cold spell. Which meant we could wriggle along the frozen flood area for a long ways, with a “roof” of ice above us. Like two legless creatures, we snaked through saplings, dried grasses and odd crystal formations that grew down through the ice layer above, making a magical underworld lit by sparkling sun, diffused through prisms of ice. I’ve never forgotten the visuals of that enchanting temporary winter land found on our playful adventure and, though he’s grown now, Atz Lee still loves to play outside during the cold Alaskan months.

Playful could well be my middle name which means one of the main problems I have with grown up life is a shortage of people who can come out to play. Most of the time everyone is too busy in the moment. I think I’ve mentioned this to you before. Playful thoughts and ideas often fill my head and I look for people to toss them around with. My friend Kelley can usually be counted on for a moment of fun by text.

A few days ago I sent her this text. “When I woke last night I quickly jotted down these words from my dream:

I dreamed I was a blaze of light
that split the night like atoms with
Stardust motes adrift
in bright so iridescent white I couldn’t
fathom quite their number.
Worlds unending in my view
and I unending happy too…
Oh Kelley, dear, I can’t remember what came next. Can you?”

Even though she was on a rushed work deadline, she answered quickly with, “in lightness, power cleaving my slumber.” I recorded a warm laugh to text her – I love that I can record little bits and text them on my iPhone.

Playful.

I remember Alice Walker asking me once, at her house, if I’d had a good nap. I said I didn’t sleep “because that bouquet of yellow irises from your garden made too much ruckus on the bedside table.”

Without missing a beat she said, “Well. Next time you just put those flowers under the bed if they won’t be quiet.”

To which I replied, “Oh, I’d never do that! I have no idea when I’d next be able to hear the yellow irises blooming full of rowdy song.” We both laughed then. Playfully.

While writing this article a random phrase popped into my head to offer you. Don’t ask me where it comes from or what it means; it’s just for fun. In fact why don’t you add to it!

The frowning tenebrific clouds like shrouds
across the sun can’t hide…

You go ahead and finish it and send to me! Don’t worry about “tenebrific,” I even had to look it up…it basically means darkening. Imagine conjuring a random phrase that includes a word you don’t even know for extra credit fun. Remember, though, it’s about being playful, not perfect or smart or talented. Though sometimes, in just such moments, genius comes along on the playful wings of spontaneity.

Maybe you don’t have time to crawl on your belly through the sparkling hoar frost crystals of a subterranean frozen river, but can you take time for a couple lines of poem ditty today – even if only in your head? I hope so.

Sending you a wink and a warm giggle,
Ma HuLiLi

PS – Speaking of poem ditty.. well, I just had to write a poem about that. Say it out loud to yourself as you read along.

Poem Ditty

Ditty Poem Poem
Poem Ditty Poem
Ditty Poem Poem
Poem Ditty Poem
Ditty ditty Poem ditty
ditty ditty Poem
Ditty poem
Ditty poem
Ditty poem poem.
Ditty ditty ditty Poem
Ditty ditty Poem Poem
Ditty Poem
Ditty Poem
Ditty ditty Poem!

Poem ditty Poem
Poem Poem Poem
Poem poem Poem Poem
Poem Poem Poem
Ditty poem Ditty poem
Ditty poem Ditty poem
ditty ditty Poem ditty
Poem Poem Poem
Ditty poem. Ditty.
Ditty poem? Diddy?
Ditty Poem?
Poem ditty Poem!
Poem Ditty Poem!

Copyright Notice: © 2015 Ma HuLiLi J. Carroll All Rights Reserved. You may forward or make copies of this message and distribute it in any media you wish so long as you do not alter it in any way, do not charge for it, kindly credit the author and include this copyright notice.