Modish ... Hippy

Today’s word is “modish” ... moh-dish ... in the current fashion; stylish. (Dictionary.com)

Hippy

Once in the long ago,

I had some notions, wild,

About going with the flow,

And being nature’s child.

Bell bottoms were new,

Mustaches bloomed like flowers,

Paisley wove it’s way into,

Everything with flower power.

Posh were the things of England,

Far out our jeans and beads,

No tie or tails in this land,

There was not any need!

But now confused am I,

By scarves and yoga pants,

My fashion time’s gone by,

I’m trying not to rant!

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Keek ... Whiskers

Today’s word is “keek” ... Scot. and North England. to peep; look furtively. (Dictionary.com)

Whiskers

A windowed face keeks,

Big eyes; a silent meow,

Demanding entrance.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Atelier ... Go

Today’s word is “atelier” ... at-l-yey ... a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designer. (Dictionary.com)

Go

In the atelier,

Magic muses meet and dance,

Beauty leaps for joy.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Tsuris ... Lean

Today’s word is “tsuris” ... tsoor-is ... Slang. trouble; woe.

Lean
See, many clouds of doubt are scurrying,
Across our all too human land of dreams,
Building dark thunderclouds and hurrying,
To blot the certainty of reason’s beams.

We down our heads against the windy blow,
And hold our coats around to block the cold,
Fending feelings as fierce as freezing snow,
Sensing in tsuris, we become less bold,

Yet we go on, fighting the best we can,
Our weapons faith and its eternal light,
Knowing there is truth on which we stand,
Though we can’t see it through this darkest night.

We pray to God for revelation’s sight,
For he’s the one who makes from wrongs, the right.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Misinformation ... News

Today’s word is “misinformation” ... mis-in-fer-mey-shuhn ... false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead. (Dictionary.com)

News
I wish I could trust, everything I see,
Or hear, on the internet or t.v.,
But nothing is the way it first appears,
Misinformation wends its way around,
Through every single syllable that’s found.

How to unravel all these tangled threads?
That is the question that is on my mind.
The fabric woven fills my heart with dread,
I’d like to deconstruct the knots I find,
And reweave them into something fine,

But a mind much bigger than my own,
Is needed to decipher facts unknown.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Serry ... Float

Today’s word is “serry” ... ser-ee ... Archaic. to crowd closely together. (Dictionary.com)

Float

Watching silent snow fall,

     first of the season, but not the last,

Flakes serry and obey the wind,

     floating one on one on one,

The green ground accepting them

     like frozen gifts; a cold blanket, 

          covering. Protecting.

The snowflakes will stay, packed, pressed, 

     interlocked, until spring comes

           to set them free.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Waggish ... Keys

Today’s word is “waggish” ... wag-ish ... roguish in merriment and good humor; jocular; like a wag. (Dictionary.com)

Keys
We so need the waggish ones,
Who lighten life in sorrowful times,
Who see the humor and the rhyme,
When we’re blinded and undone.

Our souls thrive when hope is near,
And there is hope that may be found,
We search and are by this unbound,
We find; the face of love appears.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Doorbuster ... Knock

Today’s word is “doorbuster”  ... dawr-buhs-ter ... Informal. a retail item that is heavily discounted for a very time in order to draw customers to the store. (Dictionary.com)

Knock

Some people think that God’s a doorbuster,

Crashing and ranting to get his own way,

That he chooses a few to merit blessings,

Then ignores the rest ‘til the end of all days.

They think he pulls strings to make us behave,

Or whimsically heals only the pure,

That he maniacally sends fire and rain,

Enjoying agony; his will ensured.

Because they can’t see him, some say he’s not there,

(Though voltage is real ... they’re willing to boast!)

And because life seems to bash them about,

They think if he’s near, he’s meaner than most.

But God’s not waiting for our explanations,

He’s come in love, to save his creation.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Thanksgiver. ... Amen

Today’s word is “thanksgiver” ... thangks-giv-er ... a person who gives thanks. (Dictionary.com)

Amen

Be a thanksgiver,

Giving thanks for all that’s good.

All good comes from God.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Cornucopia ... Sit

Today’s word is “cornucopia” ... kawr-nuh-koh-pee-uh ... Classical Mythology. a horn containing food, drink, etc., in endless supply, said to have been a horn of the goat Amalthaea. (Dictionary.com)

Sit

Who fills the cornucorpia,

That horn of plenty we desire,

Which we find most satisfying,

Of which we speak with tongues like fire.

Having everything we need,

We take for granted its true source,

Believing in our own poor power,

To master this, the roughest course.

That mythological belief,

Shivers under heaven’s gaze,

Soon enough our sated selves,

Will with understanding blaze.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Sippet ... Move

Today’s word is “sippet” ... sip-it ... a small piece of bread or the like for dipping in liquid food, as in gravy or milk; a small sop. (Dictionary.com)

Move

When we’re done with every sippet,

Satiated beyond capacity,

Will we think of those less rich,

Compassionately, with pity?

Of course on this Thanksgiving day,

It’s obvious we’re blest,

But on every other day,

Do we even think about the rest?

Within our inner sanctums lie,

Possibilities unknown.

Visions which might satisfy,

If we make our way back home.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Gallinaceous ... Thanks

Today’s word is “gallinaceous” ... gal-uh-ney-shuhs ... belonging or pertaining to the order Galliformes, comprising medium-sized, mainly ground-feeding domestic or game birds, as the chicken, turkey, grouse, pheasant, and partridge. (Dictionary.com)

Thanks

It is time for a gallinaceous feast,

Vegan or omnivorian sweet treats,

To celebrate our bounty which like yeast,

Has grown and swollen with richness repleat.

We often do not realize fortune’s hand,

Through which God blesses us, though undeserved,

Waked from ungrateful dream, we understand,

Our inheritance ... all within earth’s curve.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Shunpike ... Return

Today’s word is “shunpike” ... shuhn-pahyk ... a side road taken instead of a turnpike or expressway to avoid tolls or to travel at a leisurely pace. (Dictionary.com)

Return

Take the long way home,

The shunpike contains blessings
Unseen by speedsters.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Conurbation ... Touching

Today’s word is “conurbation” ... kon-er-bay-shuhn ... an extensive urban area resulting from the expansion of several cities or towns so that they coalesce but usually retain their separate identities. (Dictionary.com)

Touching

Some cities and towns insist,

On spreading all together,

North, south, east and west,

To each other they are tethered.

This sneaky conurbation,

Results in seemless places,

But ugly, ubiquitous restaurants,

Duplicate in retail races.

So, no matter where you go,

In this metropolis so fine,

You’ll find each street monotonous,

With no special place to dine.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Scienter ... Who?

Today’s word is “scienter” ... sahy-en-ter ... a mental state in which one has knowledge that one’s action, statement, etc, is wrong, deceptive, or illegal: often used as a standard of guilt: The court found that the company had the requisite scienter for securities fraud. (Dictionary.com)

Who?

It seems we have a problem,

Of scienter as it’s known,

The reasons for our actions,

Are rarely overblown.

We have a little feeling,

When we do what we should not,

Or when the good we did not do,

Becomes our story’s plot.

Only true forgiveness,

Will save us from our fate,

We ought to ask our God for that,

As we eye heaven’s gate.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Voluptuary ... Here

Today’s word is “voluptuary” ... vuh-luhp-choo-er-ee ... a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit and enjoyment of luxury and sensual pleasure. (Dictionary.com)

Here

The voluptuaries know but small things,

Beauty of the form and taste and senses,

Only these truely seem to fly and sing,

No thought given to the future’s tenses.

Yet, in this world are spirit’s pleasures fine,

Found not with hands or ears or tongue or eyes,

But by the heart where holy love entwines,

We voluntary captives are love’s prize.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Catastrophize ... Worse

Today’s word is “catastrophize” ... kuh-tas-truh-fahyz ... to view or talk about (an event or situation) as worse than it actually is, or as if it were a catastrophe. (Dictionary.com)

Worse

As if pain has not pressed upon us all,

The shards of broken lives, piercing us in,

And as if wars have spilled too little blood,

Leaving us concussed; conscious of our sin,

We cannot escape; darkness and doubt surround,

Catastrophized events pierce even more,

Echoed voices raise decibels too loud,

Until we long for quaint and peaceful shores.

It seems the whole world cries out its great pain,

As if crying could carry pain away,

A swollen river made of tearful rain,

Who with us then, will through this torment stay?

Just one, whose tears have bathed our saddened world,

By wounds he bore before the world unfurled.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Sequacious ... Swagger

Today’s word is “sequacious” ... si-kwey-shuhs ... Archaic. following, imitating, or serving another person, especially unreasoningly. (Dictionary.com)

Swagger

He’s such a bright light, wherever he goes,

Playing his music and singing his rhymes,

Behind him, sequacious followers flow,

Through worst of weather, no matter the time.

When he cheers, they all cheer, loudly with zest,

If he’s thoughtful. Quiet. They bow their heads.

A cause he embraces without a rest,

They too will parrot, “Whatever he said.”

A piper pied, would be jealous of this,

They’re marching in line to pay him his due,

Not watching carefully, some steps they miss,

Closing their eyes to anything new.

But deep in his heart he’s never quite sure,

If his mixed motives are holy or pure.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Valorous ... Plod

Today’s word is “valorous” ... val-er-uhs ... having valor; courageous; valiant; brave. (Dictionary.com)

Plod

Soldiers and sailors courageously go,
To war scarred places where we close our eyes,
Doing the things that we don’t want to know,
Gaining fame they often view with surprise.

Obstacles great; traumas laden with shame,
Beset humans on each square inch of earth,
We applaud; we hear they’ve overcome pain,
Amazed and humbled at their extreme worth.

Mountains are climbed; books are written and shared,
Faces on screens are known well and proclaimed,
Fame and success are cheered on and compared,
The doers and makers win all their games.

But, for all whose days groundhog-like repeat,

Those hours too shine, valorous, complete.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Armistice ... Try

Today’s word is “armistice” ... ahr-muh-stis ... a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties; truce. (Dictionary.com)

Try

When all our strivings have become as dust,

And we before our great God rightly stand,

We’ll wish we’d fought for a true armistice,

Between ourselves and his almighty hand.

We’ve tried to act our way into his grace,

Where good deeds will endear us to his heart,

Hoping that when we finally see his face,

He’ll recognize we’ve done our kingdom’s part.

And we work hard to drive temptation out,

We fail and flail, time after time again,

Pushing against the darkness and its doubt,

Struggling, although it seems we try in vain.

Yet, God is all and lives within us all,

And catches us in love each time we fall.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Solmization ...

Today’s word is “solmization” ... sol-muh-zey-shuhn ... Music. the act, process, or system of using certain syllables, especially the sol-fa syllables, to represent the tones of the scale. (Dictionary.com)

Lost

Systems keep things orderly,

Patterned like solmization,

Like grammar for the writer,

Good government for the nation.

But, some joyfully thrive,

With chaos all around,

Creatively abandoned,

To the muse’s sweet, sweet sound.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Rococo ... Entice

Today’s word is “Rococo” ... ruh-koh-koh ... ornate or florid in speech; Fine Arts. Noting or pertaining to a style of painting developed simultaneously with the rococo in architecture and decoration, characterized chiefly by smallness of scale, delicacy of color, freedom of brushwork, and the selection of playful subjects as thematic material. (Dictionary.com)

Entice Fancy words and phrases,
Like rococo art, ornate,
Fall from deceitful lips,
Testing all the fates.

How they please the ear,
And make the senses shake,
Confusing and inciting,
Though no logic do they make.

Stop and think it through,
Before you take their bait,
It will help your mood,
And satisfy your state.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Volute ... Around

Today’s word is “volute” ... vuh-loot ... a spiral or twisted formation or object; Zoology. a turn or whorl of a spiral shell. (Dictionary.com)

Around
Nature has a certain shape,
The volute twirling round,
Little shells upon the beach,
By little children found.

We have so admired them,
We’ve copied all their grace,
In stone capitals and carpentry,
And in centrafugal space.

Strange how this precise design,
From the dawn of time,
Forshadows our creations,
As we trace every line.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Dissemble ... Ripple

Today’s word is “dissemble” ... dih-sem-buhl ... to put on the appearance of; feign: to dissemble innocence. (Dictionary.com)

Ripple 

Through all the days we live,

Our judgements fly and flee,

Targeting our enemies,

As if we’re the referees.

We dissemble in this game,

We forget our places,

The rules apply to all of us,

In our mirrors, see our faces.

In this circumstance,

The others we would change,

But, it would be much easier,

Ourselves to rearrange.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Dopester ... Poll

Today’s word is “dopester” ... dohp-ster ... a person who undertakes to predict the outcome of elections, sports events, or other contests that hold the public interest. (Dictionary.com)

Poll

The dopesters are tired,

They’ve been guessing for days,

This one or that one,

Making sense of the maze.

Some contests are easy,

Some now in doubt,

We don’t even know,

What some are about.

Tomorrow at sunrise,

The results will be known,

We’ll still live together,

This place is our home.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Bewhiskered ... Missing

Today’s word is “bewhiskered” ... bih-hwis-kerd ... ancient, as a witticism, expression, etc.; passé; hoary; having whiskers; bearded. (Dictionary.com)

Missing

Old bewhiskered phrases,

From the dim, dark past,

Make no sense to young ones,

Who’re moving all too fast.

Language has been shortened,

To fit on little phones,

People sit together texting

This is their cornerstone.

No more letter writing,

Just electronic mail,

I like it better, hearing,

The words that come by snail.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Fillip ... Cold

Today’s word is “fillip” ... fil-uhp ... anything that tends to rouse, excite, or revive; a stimulus. (Dictionary.com)

Cold

The rain is beating on the sill,

The wind is blowing where it will,

Fire burns steadily inside,

To warm us here where we abide.

What fillip would excite today,

Is if the rain would go away,

The sun would come to warm our bones,

And no longer weather we’d bemoan.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

grumphie Besties

Today’s word is “grumphie” ... gruhm-fee ... Chiefly Scot. a familiar name for a pig. (Dictionary.com)

Besties

The best of friends were they,

The grumphie and the bear,

Walking in the woods all day,

With no problems and no cares.

The grumphie was quite timid,

The bear of little brain,

But they helped each other,

Through sunshine and through rain.

The bear ate sweet, sweet honey,
It was acorns for the pig,
Many children love them truly,
Even when they grow up big.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2018

Univocal ... Sure

Today’s word is “univocal” ... yoo-niv-uh-kuhl ...having only one meaning; unambiguous. (Dictionary.com)

Sure

Univocally,

When the sun rises, we wake.

All moments are new.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018

Penumbra ... Halo

Today’s word is “penumbra” ... pi-nuhm-bruh ... a shadowy, indefinite, or marginal area. (Dictionary.com)

Halo

Evil’s penumbra

Hides a multitude of sins,

Stay within love’s reach.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2018