Very nice poem. And yes, the X was for Christians and the O was for Jews. Not only is that where we got hugs and kisses, it's also where we got tic-tac-toe. The "mark" of your religion was also for signatures because literacy was illegal for a long time in many places, so people couldn't write their name.
J Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author
I'd heard that history of O is apocryphal, but it could be. Of course, the X or cross was used centuries before the time of Christ, they "borrowed" it! I find the history of words, holidays, and traditions fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
It does make sense. Lots of things do once you find out the origins. As you probably know, what with so many stories having at least a kernel of history in them!
dVerse prompt for Sept. 9, 2024 For your Prosery prompt, I have selected the first line from her (Tina Chang) poem “Love”: “ I am haunted by how much our mothers do not know. ” Write a piece of prosery of up to or exactly 144 words, including the given line in the order in which it has been given. You may add or change punctuation, but you may not add or delete words. I purposely did not read the rest of Tina Chang's poem, as to not influence my first thoughts by her words and their meanings. I was recalled back to an overheard conversation between a group of teenage girls, who didn't realize I could hear. They were trying to come up with alternative ways they could have gotten "hickeys," or "love bites," what to tell their parents. I laughed and told them their parents told their parents those exact same things, and no one was fooled! No one would believe they "ran into a door knob," yet that's one that seems to pass through the ge...
NaPoWriMo Day 8 Yes, it's day 11, but my Monday-Saturday poems are A-Z , so I'm posting a NaPoWriMo prompt on Sundays only. Also, linking to Poets and Storytellers United Writers' Pantry #65 . The Prompt: "Today, I’d like to challenge you to read a few of the poems from Spoon River Anthology, and then write your own poem in the form of a monologue delivered by someone who is dead... (It)... could be a fictional remembering of some important moment, or statement of purpose or philosophy. Be as dramatic as you like – Masters’ certainly didn’t shy away from high emotion in writing his poems." ************ I remember Ruby with her curly hair. She had a little wire-haired terrier pup she carried in a basket. Then Ruby died. Measles. Rodney ran the fastest of any boy in school. Pertussis killed Rodney. He couldn’t breathe to run… or to live. Whooping Cough. Mary and her sister May were both born deaf and blind...
The Sunday Muse #139 photo prompt: “ I always sang, from the time I could make a noise. And I always wrote. I wrote little poems and at about 8 or 9, I started writing little songs. ” 1970 Laura Nyro, 1947- 1997. Surprisingly, this is the first I've heard of this song writer/recording artist, although I am familiar with some of the songs she wrote. After an afternoon learning more about her I wrote two responses to the prompt. I incorporated lines from her songs, which are italicized. Some poetic license was taken; don't take my words as biographical. I Know I know my days are numbered as my mother’s were. Mourn for me, yes, miss me when I’m gone. Then, scatter me beneath the maple where I saw leafy green springs and red autumns. For the trees have eyes , to see the stars . A Cool Jade Wind Will Blow Searching for a miracle , pearl in an oyster . I’m so tired . But the oyster’s just an oyster and there ain’t ...
Good point!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Actually, the origin makes sense. It has to do with kissing the cross, as well as the symbol X for a signature, then kissed.
DeleteVery nice poem. And yes, the X was for Christians and the O was for Jews. Not only is that where we got hugs and kisses, it's also where we got tic-tac-toe. The "mark" of your religion was also for signatures because literacy was illegal for a long time in many places, so people couldn't write their name.
ReplyDeleteJ Lenni Dorner~ Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge, Debut Author Interviewer, Reference& Speculative Fiction Author
I'd heard that history of O is apocryphal, but it could be. Of course, the X or cross was used centuries before the time of Christ, they "borrowed" it!
DeleteI find the history of words, holidays, and traditions fascinating! Thanks for sharing.
Totally makes sense! I have always wondered about this.
ReplyDeleteThe Multicolored Diary
It does make sense. Lots of things do once you find out the origins. As you probably know, what with so many stories having at least a kernel of history in them!
DeleteI think you've called this one correctly! And made me smile to boot.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Delete