The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily 1442: Apocatastasis by G.C. Waldrep
Jan 26, 2026
Reflections on parenting and poetry, and why the narrator avoided forcing verse on her children. Playful figurative language as a teaching method and a way to train poetic thinking. The idea that metaphor is a life skill for naming hard, beautiful, or complicated experiences. Introduction and reading of a poem that uses late-winter imagery and hope.
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Parenting Through Playful Language
- Maggie Smith describes how she didn't read lots of poetry to her children or push them to write poems.
- She instead encouraged poetic thinking through playful questions during everyday activities.
Use Questions To Spark Poetic Thought
- Ask children open figurative questions like "What does that rainbow remind you of?" to build imagination.
- Use low-stakes play with language to teach descriptive thinking and emotional expression.
Figurative Play As A Life Skill
- Playing with figurative language helps people explore the boundaries of words and meaning.
- Maggie Smith argues this play is not just a writing tool but a vital life skill for naming hard experiences.