J is for Jabberwocky

 "And has thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day!  Callooh!  Callay!

He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and slithtoves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

-Lewis Carroll 1872

(Through the Looking-Glass and

What Alice Found There)

J'adore Alice in Wonderland!  And, The Jabberwocky is one of the earliest memories of poems from my childhood, -for some inexplicable reason, these two particular stanzas above, have remained, deep-rooted in the darkest recesses of my grey matter.   I don't know why, they just like, reside there...  It could be the words, say them aloud - they roll off your tongue and make you want to recite them, over and over, and...well you know what I mean.

As children, we love nonsensical words, they are fun to hear and learn, - alas, as adults, we forget how wonderful new words can be.  I have a plan though!  We should strive to recapture the joy of discovering ridiculously sounding made-up words, methinks!  After all, a little madness in one's day, keeps the doctor away...isn't that how things should be?  What say you?  And, yes I really wish I lived in Wonderland, -I often wander through the woods, searching for rabbit holes large enough to fall down...




Poem and photo credits via Jabberwocky