I learned a new word today, thanks to my brother. :o)

I wasn’t sure how to do a Google search for my question, so I sent him something I’d written whilst in the throes of 2020 and asked, “is there a ‘name’ for this type of writing, when you use the first letter for a sentence?”

His response: “There is a term for that, actually.  It is called an “acrostic”.”

According to Wikipedia, “an acrostic is a poem or other composition in which the first letter of each line spells out a word, message or the alphabet.”

The acrostic I wrote a couple of years ago is entitled, “Don’t Cry.” It came to me very quickly and from a subconscious level:

Don’t get discouraged

Open your mind to new possibilities

Never give up

Toot your horn

Celebrate accomplishments, both large and small

Remember to focus on the positives

Year after year, it’s been an amazing journey

My acrostic was never intended to discourage the act of crying. Someone dear to me once said, “tears are an expression of a deep emotion”, and anyone who knows me knows I am not one to hold back the tears, as I am an emotional being. :o)

When I wrote the poem for myself, it was to help counter all of the emotions I was feelings at the time – to put a positive spin on life and to remind myself that even in the darkest hours, there are still positives; sometimes we just need to look harder for them.

Over time, I have occasionally looked back at my poem to remind myself of the good in my life. Today, I learned something new. Thanks Bro! :o)