Butyraceous ... Butter

Today's word is "butyraceous" ... byoo-tuh-REY-shuhs ... of the nature of, resembling, or containing butter. (dictionary.com)

Butter
It's as smooth as,
It's as yellow as,
It's as slippery as,
It's as fattening as,
It's melty as,
It's as tasty as,
As, as, as, butter!
It's butyraceously delicious!

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Ad Hockery ... Plot

Today's word is "ad hockery" ... ad hok-uh-ree ... Reliance on temporary solutions rather than on consistent, long-term plans. (dictionary.com)

Plot

We make our plans,

Yet live by ad hockery,

Hoping for glory.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Inutile ... Dance

Today's word is "inutile" ... In-yoo-til ... of no use or service. (Dictionary.com)

Dance

Would the worst thing be,

To live a life inutile?

Selfish to the end?

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Pickwickian ... Question

Today's word is "Pickwickian" ... pik-WIK-ee-uhn ... (of words or ideas) meant or understood in a sense of different from the apparent or usual one. (dictionary.com)

Question
In this Pickwickian universe,
It's hard to see at all,
What couldn't be the reason,
For man's spectacular fall.

Lust or greed or envy,
Gluttony or pride,
Sloth or massive anger,
All travel side by side.

To destroy this company,
And triumph in the end,
A power beyond imagining,
Must into our world blend.

From this mundane perspective,
Perhaps healing will infuse,
And give a plethora of reasons,
For us to see and use. 

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Demassify ... What

Today's word is "demassify" ... dee-MAS-uh-fahy ... To break (something standardized or homogeneous) into elements that appeal to individual tastes or special interests: to demassify the magazine industry into special-interest periodicals.

What?
Picture God like this,
Demassified to your own
Picture. Who is he?

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Brolly ... Squint

Today's word is "brolly" ... BROL-ee ... British Informal. an umbrella. (Dictionary.com)

Squint

In the warm, tropical light,

Everything seems extra bright,

And there is no sign of rain,

And a brolly's use is oh so plain,

It is for keeping out the sun,

Before summer's even begun!

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Glitterati ... Glance

Today's word is "glitterati" ... glit-uh-RAH-tee ... wealthy or famous people who conspicuously or ostentatiously attend fashionable events. (dictionary.com)

Glance

When cameras flash,

The ones with cash,

Or those renowned,

Appear in gowns,

To strut and preen,

So they are seen,

By everyone,

Under the sun,

Or moon.

But glitterati,

At those parties,

Can't hold a candle,

To those who dangle,

True courage rare,

Who do and dare,

Upon real stages,

As the ages,

Pass.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Augur ... Seize

Today's word is "augur" ... AW-ger... (Verb) to conjecture from signs or omens; predict. (Noun) soothsayer; prophet. (Dictionary.com)

Seize
There are none that know,
What augers for tomorrow,
In this partial light.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Doggo ... Balance

Today's word is "Doggo" ... DAW-goh ... Informal. in concealment; out of sight. (Dictionary.com)

Balance

'Round and 'round the conversations go,

Who is right they say, no one really knows,

There is no end inside this circle's bound,

So we're forced to follow each around.

What we need's a stopping place, or height,

Some road map, or sign to mark our flight,

Something brilliant that we won't revile,

That frees ideas lying Doggo, to beguile.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Effulgence ... Break

Today's word is "effulgence" .. ih-FUL-juhnt ... shining forth brilliantly; radiant. (dictionary.com)

Break

Looking toward the effulgence sky,

Asking so many questions why,

The thoughts going 'round my head,

Show me that I'm full of dread.

Let those sparkles fall on me,

Lift my heart and help me see,

All is not dark as is this night,

But springs to life in holy light.

Anne Selleck 

Copyright 2014

Thaumaturge ... Sparkle

Today's word is "thaumaturge" ... THAW-muh-turj ... a worker of wonders or miracles; magician. (dictionary.com)

Sparkle
The way things are now,
A thaumaturge is needed,
To make this place home.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Ballast ... Bend

Today's word is "ballast" ... BAL-ust ... anything that gives mental, moral, or political stability or steadiness: the ballast of a steady income. (dictionary.com)

Bend

Whenever you're deliberating,

Or for clarity are waiting,

And everything is pilling up,

And your demeanor's now abrupt,

Look around you and take stock,

Or take a walk around the block,

Then keep the ballast and remove,

The things that have no purpose proved,

And thank the Lord who holds you near,

For all the good that brings you cheer,

As your heart rests, in his grace,

You will know you've found your place.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Polymathy ... Wow

Today's word is "polymathy" ... puh-lim-uh-thee ... learning in any fields; encyclopedic knowledge. (dictionary.com)

Wow

Ask a question. Anything.

How high's the sky?

Why do bells ring?

Where do bears sleep at night?

Why do people feud and fight?

What's the matter with my nose?

Where's the wind that blew so low?

His polymathy never blunders,

His mind is filled with facts and wonders, 

Yet, his life is still a mess,

But to this, he'll not confess.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Belie ... Watch

Today's word is "belie" ... To show to be false; contradict: His trembling hands belie his calm voice. (Dictionary.com)

Watch

Silken smiles,

Talk that beguiles,

A smooth sly wink,

Might make you think

That they are on your side.

Their words belie,

The heathen cry,

That whispers low,

Where e'er they go,

To conquer those not like them.

Our task must be,

To remain free,

And take a stand,

For freedom's land,

And hold in trust the future.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Pigsney ...

Today's word is "pigsney" ... PIGZ-nee ... Obsolete. a darling. (dictionary.com).

Dear
When someone is your darling,
The apple of your eye,
Your only Valentine,
Your cloudless, sunny sky,
Your sweetheart or your pixie,
Your sweetness, your boo boo,
Then she's probably your pigsney,
To whom all your love is due.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Triskaidekaphobia ... Twelve

Today's word is "Triskaidekaphobia" ... tris-kahy-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh ... fear or a phobia concerning the number 13. (Dictionary.com)

Twelve
There are so many things to fear,
Black cats who stray too near,
Ladders leaning in your path,
Shadows in the aftermath.

These are bad enough you say,
But there is fear that lasts a day,
Triskaidekaphobia is one,
When the thirteenth Friday has begun.

I can't be bothered with these trifles,
As through true terrors I do rifle,
But I lean on God to keep me strong,
Out of harm's way, far from wrong.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Skookum ... Patience

Today's word is "skookum" ... SKOO-kuhm ... Northwest U.S.; Canada: excellent, first rate. (Dictionary.com)

Patience
When one is fishing for the beast,
And has cast North, South, and East,
But no bite's been taken from the bait,
All that's left is to sit and wait.

With hope before the sun is set,
The catch will be within the net,
And all aboard will shout with glee,
These fish are skookum! We agree!

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Sternutation ... Ah-choo

Today's word is "stur-nyuh-TEY-shuhn" ... The act of sneezing. (dictionary.com)

Ah-choo

Leaves and grass and cats,

And dogs and mold and dusties,

Sternutation's next!

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Commensal ... Sit

Today's word is "commensal" ... Kuh-MEN-suhl ... Adjective: eating together at the same table. Noun: a companion at table. (dictionary.com)

Sit

It would all, be so fine,

If we could eat and drink some wine,

And joke and laugh with one another,

Call each one our sister, or our brother.

Then we could share things of the heart,
And be of each other a small part,

Our children would with each other play,

From dawn 'til end of every day.

If we at this commensal table,

In our fantasies are able,

To love and care for strangers all,

Could we not in real life, heed this call?

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Peacock

Today's word is "peacock" ... to make a vainglorious display; strut like a peacock; any peafowl. (Dictionary.com)

Deceive

His word is all ... To himself.

Like a peacock, he shows himself splendid.

His words smooth and steady. 

Confidence and style are his mark ...

Everywhere he goes, people listen.

Unbelieving. Because there's

Something just a little bit too

Shiny, too slippery. Something

That rings ... Not quite true

To common ears. Which are,

Most times, finely tuned to lies.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Solipsistic ... Mine

Today's word is "solipsistic" ... sol-ip-SIS-tik ... of or characterized by solipsism, or the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist. (Dictionary.com)

Mine

Solipsistic thoughts,
Make him much less than human,
More like his own god.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Epistolize ... Right

Today's word is "epistolize" ... in-PIS-tl-ahyz ... to write a letter.

Right

Taking time to epistolize,

Is rarely done these days,

Because we're totally plugged in,

And don't use the ancient ways,

Of taking pen to paper,

And inking in emotion,

Spending hours composing,

With deep thought and true devotion.

In fact machines come in between,

As we attempt communication,

Their errant beams destroying speech,

Talk without elation.

A return to parchment and pen,

Will not likely be the cure,

But if we put our devices down,

Perhaps we can confer?

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Tenebrific ... Soon

Today's word is "tenebrific" ... ten-uh-BRIF-ik ... producing darkness.

Soon

Tiny buds have yet to bloom,

Summer birds to sing,

Tenebrific clouds hang low,

Anxious, snow to bring.

But our hearts can see ahead,

To warm and sunny days,

Where darkness is mere memory,

Where love and joy hold sway.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Succorance ... Give

Today's word is "succorance" ... SUHK-er-uh-ns ...the act of seeking out affectionate care and social support. (Dictionary.com)

Give

In a different world,

Perhaps we wouldn't be,

Preoccupied with stuff,

To such a great degree.

As it is however,

We look for succorance,

In work, and health and leisure,

For an unending second chance.

If our hearts were humble,

We might give more of our gain,

To ease the suffering of others,

Finding peace instead of pain.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Winnow ... Harvest

Today's word is "winnow" ... WIN-oh ... to separate or distinguish (valuable from worthless parts) (sometimes followed by out): to winnow falsehood from truth. (Dictionary.com)

Harvest
What will we be then,
At the end of all our days,
When we're winnowed clean?

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Brobdingnagian ... Can

Today's word is "Brobdingnagian" ... brob-ding-NAG-ee-uhn ... of huge size; gigantic; tremendous. (dictionary.com)

Can
Surely this problem,
This Brobdingnagian knot,
Isn't tied forever.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015

Nonesuch ... Here

The word for Feb. 1, which arrived on Feb. 2, is "nonesuch" ...A person or thing without equal; paragon. (dictionary.com)

Here

Of course he's the one,

The only nonesuch I know,

And King of the world.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2015

Missle ... Follow

Today's word is "MIZ-uhl" ... South Midland and Southern U.S. to rain in fine drops; drizzle; mist. (dictionary.com)

Follow
Snow falling, blowing into
Drifted silent mountains.
Waiting for a footstep,
A grooved sled runner,
A rabbit's foot. Soon
Those signs of travel
Will melt to ground
With muzzle and rain.
Followed by, first, a peak 
Of sun and spring. But
For now, we can track
The squirrel's route
From tree to feeder,
And wait with him
For warmth.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2015