Naming My Daughter
by Patricia Fargnoli
In the Uruba tribe of Africa, children are
named not only at birth but throughout their
lives by their characteristics and the events
that befall them.
The one who took hold in the cold night
The one who kicked loudly
The one who slid down quickly in the ice storm
She who came while the doctor was eating dessert
New one held up by heels in the glare
The river between two brothers
Second pot on the stove
Princess of a hundred dolls
Hair like water falling beneath moonlight
Strides into the day
She who runs away with motorcycle club president
Daughter kicked with a boot
Daughter blizzard in the sky
Daughter night-pocket
She who sells sports club memberships
One who loves over and over
She who wants child but lost one.
She who wants marriage but has none
She who never gives up
Diana (Goddess of the Chase)
Doris (for the carrot-top grandmother
she never knew)
Fargnoli (for the father
who drank and left and died)
Peter Pan, Iron Pumper
Tumbleweed who goes months without calling
Daughter who is a pillar of light
Daughter mirror, Daughter stands alone
Daughter boomerang who always comes back
Daughter who flies forward into the day
where I will be nameless.
“Naming My Daughter” by Patricia Fargnoli, from Necessary Light. © Utah State University Press, 1999.
Do you love this poem by Patricia Fargnoli as much as I do? I think she’s an excellent poet.
What would your name be if you followed this tradition? Please add them in the comment section. (Email subscribers can do that by clicking on the name of this post.)
A few of mine would be:
Writer who never gives up.
Friend who is most sincere.
One who loves imagination.
One whose creativity saved her.
She who walks by the river.
P.S. I am an ex-shrink who writes award-winning novels. Check out my books here.
Friend who is most sincere
She who never gives up
One who loves imagination
Strides into the day
Excellent, Georgiann. I love them!
P.S. Here is one from one of my wonderful email subscribers: Her Heart Still Sings
She who embraces paradox.
I love that one, too, Anne. It says a lot about you!
He who seeks truth, wherever it may lead.
Wow. Excellent one, John. I love these. The people who read my blog are the coolest ever!!
Thanks. That’s the only reason I write. When I start out, I usually don’t know how I feel about something, or even if I do, it’s not unusual for me to change my mind (and the direction of my story) before I reach the finish line.
By the way, when I saw the title, “The Importance of Names,” I initially thought it was about how important it is to give your characters appropriate names. This is something I anguish over, going over dozens of names for even very minor characters before settling on the ones I do. And often I’m still not entirely satisfied. But names are extremely essential to the tone of your story. Just ask Margaret Mitchell, who initially named her heroine Pansy O’Hara! Yikes.