What is a Poesy Book?

po·e·sy

  

–noun,plural-sies.

1.

the work or the art of poetic composition.

2.

Archaic.

a.

poetry in general.

b.

verse or poetry in metrical form.

3.

Obsolete.

a.

a poem or verse used as a motto. Compare posy (def. 2).

b.

a poem.

po·sy

  

–noun,plural-sies.

1.

a flower, nosegay, or bouquet.

2.

Archaic. a brief motto or the like, as one inscribed within a ring.

When I was a young child growing up in Germany, all us girls had a Erinnerungs Album (I think that's what it was called) or Remembrance Journal. I call it a Poesy Book or a Memory Journal. I forgot the actual name of it, but my German blogging friends probably know what I'm talking about. It was a square journal with a nice, thick, cushy cover (some with locks) and good quality (heavy stock) white (blank) paper pages for drawing and writing poetry, rymes or mottos dedicated to the owner of the journal. The idea was to write an expression, idea or motto, usually in the form of a poem or rhyme, that represents the relationship of the two people (writer and writee) or some sort of morsel of wisdom for life's journeys. Each person is alloted one or two pages, but if two pages were used, they had to be facing each other and most of the space would be occupied by drawings and stickers. Each entry is always embellished with drawings or stickers - lots and lots of stickers! Especially for the girls, the more the better! Stickers were usually of the Victorian era, generally flowers, children, kitties or bouquets (posies) of flowers, especially violets, roses, forget-me-nots,  pansies and lily of the valley. I recall wanting to write into my friends journals, specifically for using my stickers. Buying stickers was a big deal and a popular after school activity - that, and buying candy.

The goal was to have as many people as possible write in our Poesy Books, not only to proof how popular we were, but moreover to commemorate ones relationships for future years. The idea was to re-read the entries  and feel some sort of connection with that person - and be transported back to the time of our youth. I wonder how many of my school friends still have their Posy Journals. Boys did not have them, but it was acceptable to ask one or two special (boy) friends to write into our journals. Adult males, such as teachers and relatives were always asked to write in our books. It was permitted to keep the book for a few days (up to a week if you're a busy adult person) to allow time for some meaningful and poignant entry and then return it to the owner who was anxiously awaiting its return; however, it was a disappointment to receive a two-liner after having the journal gone for a week. The entries were expected to be some significant message in the form of a poem or a philosophical saying that expressed the writer's sentiments in a unique and personal way.
(...and there had better be stickers!)

I had long entries and short ones in my book. They were anything from "roses are red, violets are blue..." like my mother wrote, to more elaborate, eloquently stated entries that I can't even  recall since sadly, I lost track of  my "Poesy" decades ago. I never did forget my uncle Franz' entry that simply stated: "Mit dem Hut in der Hand kommt man durch das ganze Land." (with your hat in your hand, one can get through all the land) ....meaning that being polite opens doors to possibilities. Short, sweet and to the point! (and a drawing of a guy tipping his hat, to boot!)

Seeing that our world has changed so much since I was eight years old, and many people live far away from one another, shipping a book back and forth may not be a feasible way to getting this new "old" custom (dare I say meme) off the ground; therefore, I will attempt to make this blog my Poesy Journal and from time to time grant access to some willing participants in order for them to write something in my journal - for me.

Again, the person who writes in a Poesy Book should always address something pertaining to the owner of the book and the better the two people know one another, the more effective the entry should be. For example, if you have shared something together, try to find a poem or saying that represents that certain situation as a means of commemorating your relationship. If you know the person briefly, consider their age, situation, hobbies, etc. to make an entry as appropriately and poetic as possible, or write a motto or philosophy (or famous quote) by which to live by to encourage the reader or offer guidance for a life well lived.

Here is an example of  Poesy Journal from a fellow blogger in Europe. Take a look:

The Beauty of 'Me"

I will share an example in my next post, since I am dying to use my stickers LOL - the ones I "stole" from Google Image search! I will try to post my future entries in the form of poetry, quotes, or philosophies embellished with artwork to make the presentation (posts) as attractive and posy-like as possible.

For the most part, I will explore poetry, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, fables, and present the occasional anecdote from my childhood in Germany.  Along with a little philosophizing, I basically want to use this blog for day dreaming and pondering - for finding my muse, if you will!