Is there an actual term for “word constipation”? Is there a cure? My words have been very slow to come, when they do. Is this how my godmother, Ninang Deling, felt when she drew a blank casting for the English word for orange or something as seemingly simple to me? Ninang Deling’s stroke was the cause for her loss of words. In one way, the stroke made her stronger, feisty, the kind of woman I suspected she was before she reunited with her husband about 30 years later in another country. Fortunately, she physically came back from her stroke. Me, no stroke, thank goodness. Knock on wood. Not my head, please. I have been...am...word constipated because, oh, this is so trite after having brought up Ninang Deling, I was feeling down in the mouth. Quite. Not so much now. The words are showing up on the blank page. It’s baby steps again.