Armamentarium ... One

Today’s word is “armamentarium ... ahr-muh-muhn-tair-ee-uhm ... the aggregate of equipment, methods, and techniques available to one for carrying out one’s duties: The stethoscope is still an essential part of the physician’s armamentarium. (Dictionary.com)

One
Father,
Son, Holy Spirit,
Love, grace and forgiveness,
A Christian’s armamentarium,
That’s all.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Flexitarian ... Nom

Today’s word is “flexitarian” ... flek-si-tair-ee-uhn ... a person whose diet is mostly vegetarian but sometimes includes meat, fish, or poultry. (Dictionary.com)

Nom

Eating

Is necessary,

Carnivore or vegan,

Omnivore, flexitarian,

Choose one.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Transmundane ... Listen

Todays word is “transmundane” ... trans-muhn-deyn ... reaching beyond or existing outside the physical or visible world. (Dictionary.com)

Listen
If transmudane answers are ignored 
     we will create our own, the way we wish,
          or hope, they might be.
We will wander, round and round, only 
     to find ourselves back where we began.
Unhappy, we think that magic will answer,
     our deepest longings. We believe somehow
          we can become masters of our fate.
Of course all illusionists know there is always
     a trick. A gimmick. Some slight of hand.
In God’s economy however, only love
     holds all the cards.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Farouche ... Submerged

Today’s word is “farouche” ... French. Sullenly unsociable or shy. (Dictionary.com)

Submerged In his castle, under water,
     he hides.
Safe in the dark. No one
     can find him.
But he can watch and wait,
     for food.
This farouche fish declines,
     finned company,
          or company within a shell.
When the lights go out,
     he retreats far into
          the plastic plants.
Hidden so far that no matter
     your viewpoint, front, back, top
          or corner, you cannot see him
               and might presume him dead.
But he is not. He must be content;
     happy as a fish can be. Pleased within
          his self imposed solitude.
Perhaps he is a piscatorial philosopher,
     practicing his craft. In a school of one.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Benedict ... Circumstance

Today’s word is “benedict” ... ben-I-dikt ... a newly married man, especially one who has been long a bachelor. (Dictionary.com)

Circumstance
Small boy, dreams.
Grown to manhood,
Works. Lonely alone.
Smitten. A benedict at last.
Complete.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Scupper ... Cloudy

Today’s word is “scupper” ... skuhp-er ... British. informal. to prevent from happening or succeeding; ruin; wreck. (Dictionary.com)

Cloudy

Why do some insist,

That good things must not stand,

And do their level best,

To discontent the land?

They hurt and they deceive,

As if their view is right,

And no one else my speak,

Creating fight or flight.

With this great divide,

There is no win or gain,

The only thing continuing,

Is more confusion and more pain.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Edentate ...

Today’s word is “edentate” ... ee-den-teyt ... toothless. (Dictionary.com)

Unify

Lovely sassafras,

Edentate oval, bilobed,

Trilobed, all in one.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Backstairs ... Record

Today’s word is “backstairs” ... bak-stairz ... secret, underhanded, or scandalous. (Dictionary.com)

Record

Ages then and now,

Hold backstairs diplomacy,

We will never know.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Pellucid ... Tea

Today’s word is “pellucid” ... puh-loo-sid ... clear in meaning, expression, or style. translucent, transparent. (Dictionary.com)

Tea

The meaning was pellucid,

When the tables turned,

The powers that be were trembling,

When he with anger burned.

Doves and coins were scattered,

People running from the place,

Sure that he was crazy,

From the look upon his face.

But more than tables turned that day,

Like an actor on the stage,

He showed the future to us all,

Mirrored in his rage. 

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Summarize ... Yuck

Today’s word is “summerize” ... suhm-uh-rahyz ... to prepare (a house, car, etc.) so as to counteract the hot weather of summer: to summerize a house by adding air conditioning. (Dictionary.com)

Yuck

Today we would not think,

(Though it’s the longest day)

To summerize our dwellings,

Where inside we stay.

But when the heavy heatwaves,
Sit upon our heads,
And work their way inside our clothes,
And lay sticky on our beds,

Then we’ll ponder sadly,
The whatifs of our plight,
And wish we had upgraded,
For a cool and restful night.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Thigmotropism ... Climb

Today’s word is “thigmotropism” ... thig-mo-truh-piz-uhm ... Biology. Oriented growth of an organism in response to mechanical contact, as a plant tendril coiling around a string support. (Dictionary.com)

Climb

Sweet pea reaching up,

Thigmotropism action,

Just a little help.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Turophile ... Hole

Today’s word is “turophile” ... toor-uh-fahyl ... a connoisseur or lover of cheese. (Dictionary.com)

Hole

Tiny turophile,

Following his nose to feast.

Mouse concentration.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Day-tripper ... Gone

Today’s word is “day-tripper” ... dey-trip-er ... a person who goes on a trip, especially an excursion, lasting all or part of a day but not overnight. (Dictionary.com)

Gone
Deep within the Smokies,
Hiking through the trees,
Seeing all the secrets,
Day-trippers never see.

A waterfall most precious,
Old Baldy in the sun,
Covered camps secluded,
Under green leaves overrun.

While back in town the fudgies,
Were drinking lemonade,
Watching like-minded people,
As they rested in the shade.

Our footprints soon would vanish,
The signs of us undone,
‘Til the woods were quieted,
As if they’d just begun.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Paragon ... Steep

Today’s word is “paragon” ... par-uh-gon ... a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence: a paragon of virtue.

Steep
What’s our paragon?
Everyone has their own now.
Which of them is right?

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Stanchless ... Fundamental

Today’s word is “stanchless” ... stawnch-lis ... incessant: a stanchless torrent of words. (Dictionary.com)

Fundamental

Red blaze belches,

     violence fueled by inner fire.

The stanchless molten river runs;

     trees, homes, earthmelt.

Life will return ... one clump of soil, 

     one seed, one seedling, one tree.

But first the cooling, spark by spark,

     lava to rock to earth.

 All nature holds her breath.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Nacreous ... Cinquain

Today’s word is “nacreous” ... net-kree-uhs ... resembling nacre or mother-of-pearl; lustrous; pearly. of or relating to nacre. (Dictionary.com) 

A cinquain is a poetic form of syllables: 2 in the first line, 4 in the second, 6 in the third, 8 in the fourth and 2 in the fifth; with the option to add or subtract a syllable on any line ... here goes! (Try one ... it doesn’t even have to rhyme!)

Cinquain

Small oyster

Rests quietly.

Necreous treasure hides,

Open only to prying eyes ...

Behold!

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Semaphore ... Flagged

Today’s word is “semaphore” ... sem-uh-fawr, -fohr ... a system of signaling, especially a system by which a special flag is held in each hand and various positions of the arms indicate specific letters, numbers, etc. (dictionary.com)

Flagged

We wish for clear signs ...

Semaphore for our lost souls.

Open your eyes wide!

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Antigodlin ... Light

Today’s word is “antigodlin” ... an-ti-god-lin ... lopsided or at an angle; out of alignment. (Dictionary.com)

Light

When everything is antigodlin,

And you can’t see ‘round the bend,

And all your choices seem to lead,

To a dark uncertain end.

You’ll need a searchlight to illumine,

All the edges and the turns,

As you take each broken step,

On the road you seek to learn.

Listen to the myths and stories,

Let your heart help lead the way,

Gently open to the spirit,

He will all your fears allay.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Blamesrorming ... Hmmm

Today’s word is “blamestorming” ... the process of assigning blame for an outcome or situation. (Dictionary.com)

Hmmm

If things just don’t turn out right,

Do you blamestorm why?

Looking for an answer,

That does not show a lie?

A reason that is present,

Underneath your skin,

Would be as uncomfortable,

As blaming all your kin.

But will determines action,

As results imply,

There is no triumph surely,

If there is no try.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Scrutator ... Search

Today’s word is “scrutator” ... skroo-tey-ter ... a person who investigates. (Dictionary.com)

Search

Electronic search,

A scrutator’s greatest gift.

Acquire all knowledge.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Sennight ... Measure

Today’s word is “sennight” ... sen-ahyt ... Archaic. a week.

Measure

Sennight to sennight,

Just one holy day divides.

God’s chronometer.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Congeries ... Focus

Today’s word is “congeries” ... kon-jeer-eez ... a collection of items or parts in one mass; assemblage; aggregation; heap. (Dictionary.com)

Focus

Standing very close,

The congeries was a maze,

Fabric of all colors,

Reds and greens ablaze.

Some stitches ran in circles,

Some looked like a leaf,

Fraying edges dangled,

Detail beyond belief.

Focus came with distance,

Images began to dance,

It was clear that all of this,

Was not happenstance!

Hills and valleys beckoned,

Birds homed in the trees,

Waterfalls cascaded,

There, for all to see.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Bacciferous ... Blistered

Today’s word is “bacciferous” ... bak-sif-er-uhs ... Botany. bearing or producing berries. (Dictionary.com)

Blistered
Hiking in the Smokies,
We entered a new land,
Wandering in green undergrowth,
We were a merry band.

We had tents and walking sticks,
And food to rehydrate,
If there were no plants bacciferous,
We’d still fill our plates.

We lasted most of a whole week,
And learned a thing or two,
It is a young one’s hobby,
And you better have good shoes!

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Disneyfy ... Silly

Today’s word is “Disneyfy” ... diz-nee-fahy ... to create or alter in a simplified, sentimentalize, or contrived form or manner. (Dictionary.com)

Silly

Little squirrels, happy dear,

Birds and bunnies galore,

Smallish people with long beards,

Pretty princesses to adore.

Even Pooh’s been Disneyfied,

With his tiny brain,

Making Kippling and A.A. Milne,

Sound about the same.

But, not everything is rosy,

Villains are sometimes real,

Princes do not always come on time,

And queens will try to steal.

We have a chance to make things right,

If we wake and see,

That truth has been embodied,

And grace abounds for free.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Superliminal ... Twist

Today’s word is “superliminal” ... soo-per-loo-muh-nl ... Astromomy. appearing to travel faster than the speed of sound.(dictionary.com)

Twist

Then, what will save us?

Superliminal savior ...

There is only one.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Schlimazel ... Frazzel

Today’s word is “schlimazel” ... shli-mah-zuhl ... Slang. an inept, bungling person who suffers from unremitting bad luck. (Dictionary.com)

Frazzel

Cloudbursts run the skies,

The schlimazel runs in fear ... 

Anticipation.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Atavism ... Foggy

Today’s word is “atavism” ... at-uh-viz-uhm ... reversion to an earlier type; throwback. (Dictionary.com)

Foggy

Phones with dials, Colgate smiles,

Roller skates with keys,

Saddle shoes, printed news,

Three channels on t.v.

Dick and Jane, Trigger’s mane,

Hopping on pogo sticks,
Real Mother Goose, Mr. Moose,
Milk with Nestle’s Quick.

Atavisims, looking back ...
Wondering what we see today
Will seem old by future’s view,
On some internet display.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Doss ... Sigh

Today’s word is “doss” ... dos ... Chiefly British.; to sleep or lie down in any convenient place. (Dictionary.com)

Sigh

Bare conflict exhausts.

To doss in peace is tempting.

Feel its heaviness.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Brontide ... Past

Today’s word is “brontide” ... bron-tahyd ... a rumbling noise heard occasionally in some parts of the world, probably caused by seismic activity. (Dictionary.com)

Past

Broken hearted, wandering,

     ignored by man and beast.

Cart in hand, picking breakfast

     from the ground.

On occasion, resting, little dog in hand,

     on the median. Waiting.

For a coin or two. Enough to keep

     body and soul together

          for one more day.

Sometimes with a sign. But he is a sign ...

     like a brontide, announcing 

          the confusion of our hearts.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Concupiscent ... Purple

Today’s word is “concupiscent” ... kon-kyoo-pi-suhnt ... lustful or sensual. (Dictionary.com)

Purple

Lovely, concupiscent flower,

Reaching toward the sky,

Knowing only climbing,

With no reasoned why.

It’s nature’s proclamation,

Of how life finds a way,

Struggling always upward,

Tenaciousness displayed.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018