PRESENTED BY
PRESENTED BY
Minu Han

Wardle is the creator of the five-letter-word online game Wordle.

Today.

Alarm.

Arise.

Teeth: brush, floss.

Grabs phone.

Loads. Rules clear.

Legit words, slang taboo.

Ready? Ready.

Plays.

Picks usual first guess.

Sonar? Cable? Novel? Stare?

Ashen block after ashen block.

Lucky!

Clues. Hints.

Tries again.

Fifth space, amber (maybe lemon?).

Right vowel, wrong place.

Tries again.

Three right!

First, green. Third, green. Fifth, amber (maybe lemon).

Brain stirs.

Words. Order. Usage. Logic.

Tries again. Worse.

Feels faint. Think!

Needs quiet.

Fight doubt.

Avoid doing badly.

Tries again

Wrong!

Shock, truly.

Stuck.

Brain blank.

Sharp panic.

Takes pulse.

Keeps faith.

Brain spark: vowel twice?

Final guess.

Every fiber tense.

Waits.

First block flips.

Green.

Green, green, green, green!

Bliss!

Alive again!

Prize: pride.

Inner peace.

Waits.

Night, alarm, teeth, phone, newly blank board.

First guess again.

Final point:

minor thing, major magic.

Daily light among bleak times.

Happy place.

Hence,

folks thank

JoshW ardle.

Thompson is a Grammy- and Oscar-winning musical artist and director

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com.

Simu Liu
Tim Cook
Mary J. Blige
Candace Parker
Volodymyr Zelensky
5 stories
EDIT POST