What's In A Name?

What’s In A Name?

A Poem by Izzy Sommers in Welland, Canada, for November, 2005

I had a friend named Schimmelpfennig. He

Was into genealogy and taught
Me that his name meant rusty penny. I
Had known that prior to my father coming
To America, his name was Sommerstein,
Or summer stone. My neighbour’s name
Was Wassermann or water man. I realized
The meanings of the names were often
Buried in antiquity, but it’s
Been fun ascribing features to such folks
As Schwarzkopf, Mahler, Mueller and a
Schiefelbein, because of meaning black head,
Painter, miller and a gimpy leg. I hope
We don’t convert to numbers. Names are fun.
When one can see that Beauregard, Leroy,
Deschamps and Kimmelbrod mean pretty look,
The king, some fields and caraway in bread,
It makes the conversation interesting.
In contrast, dull it be, if you were Mr. Eight,
Or Mrs. Hundred Twenty Six,
Ms. Ninety Seven Thousand Seven Hundred
Forty Five, or Dr. Nine Eight Seven
Six Five Four Three Two One. Imagine all
Six billion people having to be numbered.
Kids and people, being what they are,
Would secretly begin some better names, like
Pinhead, Snotnose, Grump and Pigeon-toed.
Perhaps a poet would compose an ode.

THE END