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Monday 2 December 2019

Poetry Monday: Humming

It's Poetry Monday, and this week's topic is ........ HUMMING .....

Join us if you like! "Us" usually being Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi, Merry Mae and me . . . . .

Leave your masterpiece (or your two-liner, if you prefer) in the comments here, or post on your own blog and leave us a comment so we can come along and cheer you on. Use the topic, or choose another; the objective is to have fun and give our brains a workout :)

*****

I am a hummer.

Not one of those tiny marvels of birdy nature who can hover and drink at the same time -- although I actually CAN do that, just without the wings or the marvel.

No, I'm one of those people who hums under my breath a good deal of the time. Often, I don't even realize I'm humming unless somebody comments on it.

In an office setting, I realize this is even more annoying than microwaving popcorn or seafood (numbers one and two on my list of annoying things other people do at the office), and I try to be aware and avoid doing it so I don't drive folks off their hinges.

But when I'm alone, whether at home or in the car, I can hum to my heart's content. I hum when I'm happy, I hum when I'm stressed. It's strangely soothing to me to hum when I'm stressed.

Usually I hum a song I've heard on the radio when I'm waking up. It stays in my head until the next day when I hear another song. Sometimes I find myself humming a tune that has come out of nowhere and eventually vanishes to the same place after I have hummed all the good out of it.

My never-ending talent extends to singing badly and whistling, too. But those are both intentional acts that require concentration. Humming is just . . . there.

All. The. Time.

To some folks' dismay.

Are you a hummer? A singer? A whistler? Do tell in the comments! You can just add that info along with the poem you're leaving, okay? 😊

*****

Would You Rather I Talk To Myself? I Can Do That . . .

There was an old gal liked to hum
Made no difference if happy or glum
Some of those round her said
"She'll still hum when she's dead!"
And to those folks her nose she did thumb  😜


Disclaimer: I wouldn't actually thumb my nose at anybody; I just needed a rhyme for hum and glum :)

*****

And since I couldn't find a fully-appropriate picture to illustrate my poem, you'll have to make do with this semi-appropriate picture instead:



Well, I declare, you're coming in clearly at last!



And for good measure:

My next hobby!


*****

Hope you have a week that makes you want to burst out in song, or, at the very least, finds you enjoying music, whether it's self-made or  nature-made or any other kind :)

Next week's topic for Poetry Monday will be ..... PHONES ...

Good luck!





48 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

I talk to myself. Often. And sometimes I listen.
I don't sing, whistle or hum though.
And today I should be singing. I went into town. My wallet was in the pocket of my granny trolley. Going through the noisy and crowded bus interchange a stranger tapped me on the shoulder and handed me my wallet. The stitching on the pocket had given way and the wallet had just dropped through...
I am so lucky, and so grateful.

baili said...

This is really BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL post dear Jenny :)

thank you for sharing your heart in such a sublime way !
i am so glad you hum alot and vanish away your all kind of negative thoughts ,SUCH A GREAT WAY TO THROW THEM AWAY ISN'T IT :)))

you hum when you are happy ,so you share your heart with yourself in a sweet way :)
yes i am same as you ,when i feel like hum i have to do it spontaneously without concerning about how do it sound to ears around lol ,i whistle less but yes i do it when it come to me
you can call me bathroom or kitchen singer but not so regular :)
my soul hums more than me,she floats in the ocean of universe and never ever stop humming mostly ,it keep me connect with my Creator STRONGLY and DEEPLY !
wishing you more blessings and sweet humming in days ahead my friend!

River said...

I'm most certainly not a hummer, nor a singer either. I barely even talk, I'm such a quiet little mouse. My dad used to whistle.

dinthebeast said...

Yeah, I hum the melody to whatever song I'm thinking of, and sing the words, but I've learned to be quiet enough about it to avoid retribution.
I think that as a musician, I'm keenly aware (most of the time) of what the people around me might think of the sounds I make, even of the music that may be playing at work, for example. At Tumbleweed I would sometimes get fed up with the radio station that some of the guys would play constantly, and my boss told me "Doug, you're the warehouse manager, you can turn that crap off and put on Motorhead or the Meat Puppets if you want. It's only fair." And sometimes I did, but more often I'd just not want to do to them what I didn't like them doing to me.
But humming and singing quietly? Pretty much all of the time, and if I find I've stopped for very long it usually means that I need to find some music to get excited about.

-Doug in Rohnert Park until we move to Sugar Pine tomorrow

Charlotte (MotherOwl) said...

Ha what a beaut! I love limericks, but can't make one to save my life. Very well done.
And no, I don't hum, and have been known to almost strangle people humming or worse whistling continuously near me.

Anonymous said...

Soft half humming is so annoying. Sing properly or shut up. I am now looking forward to your Monday poem. Not a bad effort this week. Can You Hear Me Now is funny.

Steve Reed said...

I also usually have a song in my head, and sometimes I hum as I'm wandering around. I think it indicates a positive state of mind, overall!

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

Hum all you want, Jenny; it shows you have joy in your heart.

My mom and dad always sang around the house and as a result, my brother, sisters, and I do also. My brother is a big hummer and when he visits, we always know where he is in the house.

I love to sing in the car and can’t help belting out the songs on the radio. I once drove my son and his friend from PA to FL, a distance of 1000 miles. When we got there, I overheard the friend tell someone that I sang most of the way, but didn’t know half the words. I ‘guess’I was annoying but it was my car and my gas. I think he flew home.

Red said...

I'm not a singer or a hummer. I think I get more than my share of ear worms. Hey, maybe I don't know I'm humming! Have a great day.

Diane Stringam Tolley said...

I want to burst into song after reading this! I'm definitely a hummer/singer/whistler. All the time. Everywhere. There is a constant song in my head. Sometimes the same song for days. (I guess it takes me longer to hum the good out of it than you!) ;)

jenny_o said...

So, so lucky - and doesn't a person like that make one feel there is still a lot of good in the world? I'm glad you got your wallet back. I've lost mine before and it's a terrible feeling.

I talk to myself a fair bit, too, actually . . . and to the cats . . .

Susan said...

I would dearly like to be the kind of person who hums but I am not. I worked with a nurse who hummed and a couple who sang quietly, I enjoyed it. I am currently taking swimming lessons and our instructor tells us to hum under the water to control our breathing. I will think of you today as I dip my head in the water and hum hum, hum.

jenny_o said...

Now I will picture you humming in your kitchen as you make your delicious meals! And I like your description of your soul humming in the universe - that is a lovely thought. Wishing you all good things, baili :)

jenny_o said...

That's interesting, River - I didn't picture you as being quiet! But what is in our head (and written on our blogs) and what comes out of our mouths (in conversation) can be very different; I should have realized that.

My dad was a whistler too. It was always a cheerful sound.

jenny_o said...

"...I'd just not want to do to them what I didn't like them doing to me" - yes, exactly :)

Good luck with the move, Doug - hope it goes smoothly and you're back online quickly.

jenny_o said...

Even though I hum, it bothers me when most anybody else hums . . . that's not fair of me, is it? But it's what makes me tone down my own humming, knowing it's different when you're the one forced to listen! I'll be sure not to hum or whistle if we should ever meet :)

jenny_o said...

LOL Andrew - I hear you and will be sure to belt it out if we ever meet in person!

Your compliment has gone to my head! Now I shall no doubt suffer writer's block every week :)

jenny_o said...

Another hummer - excellent :)

I think it's a positive thing, too, but for me there are also benefits on the flip side when I'm anxious.

jenny_o said...

Joy . . . or stress :D

I love that story of the road trip! And who says you have to know the words to sing?? That's just wrong!

jenny_o said...

Maybe you need to ask the Micro Manager if you hum, Red :)

jenny_o said...

Hahaha! That's probably because you're doing it better and it doesn't get worn out so fast :)

jenny_o said...

That's an interesting technique, Susan - do you find it works for you? To be honest, I'm getting breathless just thinking about it - water and I don't get along real well, mostly because the water goes up my nose right away. Now I'm wondering if this could be a big breakthrough for me! Let me know how it goes?

Susan said...

The theory is, if your lips are closed to hum then air will automatically come out your nose and water won't go in. I find it works better for me to just concentrate on blowing bubbles out my nose which my instructor says is OK but you need to breath in more often.

Martha said...

I wouldn't mind the humming, to be honest. I say just hum to your heart's content. Life is too short not to.

I'm not a hummer but I am a singer. I sing all the time around the house, mostly stuff I make up, particularly geared towards our cats. They seem to like it :)

Joanne Noragon said...

I wonder how you thumb your nose. When Santa did it, he went up the chimney.

messymimi said...

Humming is certainly less annoying than off key singing, that's my story and i am sticking to it!

jenny_o said...

Ah, makes sense. I've tried just blowing air bubbles out my nose but ran out of air really fast, which I guess lines up with what your instructor said. Thanks for the explanation, Susan.

jenny_o said...

Now that sounds like something I'd enjoy listening to, both creative and entertaining - lucky kitties!

jenny_o said...

Hah! I don't think that's what Santa did to his nose! The line goes "and laying his finger aside of his nose" not "parking his thumb on the end of his nose" - lol :)

jenny_o said...

You're being very kind, Mimi, but I think it depends on the listener! :)

River said...

I can talk when I have to, for instance being a checkout operator I had to talk to fellow workers and the customers and I got really good at making stuff up to talk with the customers about. A temporary Irish 'gift of the gab'.

nothoughtsnoprayersnonothing said...

You can be sure I burst out in song! Sometimes I can't remember a tune and humming can help recall a bit of it.
Loved your post on Humming this week.
I had an electric alarm clock on my bedside chest. Worked well for years. Then all at once it started humming. Very irritating. I put up with it for a while. Finally got a new one.
I'm sure you don't irritate anyone. :)

jenny_o said...

Being able to do and liking doing it are not the same, are they?

jenny_o said...

Yes, it doesn't surprise me one bit that you are a singer-outer, MM!

As crazy as it sounds, my humming has been known to reeeeeally bother some people :D

kylie said...

I sing. Not well and not as much as I did. My kids go mad cos I don't know the words.
I was once singing around our camp site quite unconscious until our visiting friend laughed at my song. I felt so belittled I've always been careful who hears me since then.

Hum away! It's a good thing

37paddington said...

Humming is healing to the soul. So there.

jenny_o said...

I understand that - there have been a few people whose comments on my humming have made me extra careful where I let it out now. For the record, I would welcome your singing. No one's singing has bothered me yet!

jenny_o said...

I'm a believer :D

jono said...

You made me think for a moment and it gave me a headache, but this is what came out....
I once knew a lonely old bum
Who lived in town in a slum
He had not a bed
Nor a thought in his head
But he could beautifully hum!

jenny_o said...

Great limerick, Jono! Sorry for the headache but clearly it was worth it :D

The Blog Fodder said...

I sing inside my head. Sometimes the same song for days and sometimes a playlist. Once in a while it will burst out into the open.

jenny_o said...

I wish I could keep mine inside my head - hah

Mr. Shife said...

If anything, I am a hummer but not very often. You definitely don't want me to sing and I am not that great at whistling. Hope you have had a great week and your weekend is wonderful.

jenny_o said...

It doesn't matter how good you are, it's how much you like doing it :D

Happy weekend to you and the Shife family, too!

Chicken said...

I'm a whistler. I whistle while I work, yup, I'm that guy. I'm a pretty good whistler, too, if I do say so. I've been known to sing and hum also but not very well. Thus the whistling.

jenny_o said...

My dad was a whistler until his stroke (and then paralysis on one side kept him from being able to) -- I like hearing whistling!

Diane Henders said...

I like hummers! (Of both kinds.) It makes me happy to think that someone else is happy enough to hum. It's interesting that you hum when you're stressed - it must be your inner feline. They purr to comfort themselves when they're stressed, too.

I'm a whistler. Back when I worked in an office I used to drive everyone else absolutely batty; but it was their own fault for leaving the radio on all the time. If there's no music playing, I don't whistle. (And I actually prefer to work in silence anyway. Uh-oh... maybe there's some deep psychological motive there...)

jenny_o said...

Hah! And even if you're completely innocent, it's a wonderful bit of karma, is it not? lol

I prefer to work in silence, too. It's one reason I'm glad my work hours are flexible. I'm often the only one in the office (in the evening) and I get so much done.