Sapinaceous ... Lather

Today’s word is “saponaceous” ... resembling soap; soapy. (Dictionary.com)

Lather
We have all become familiar,
With saponaceous things,
We wash our hands six times a day,
As birthday songs we sing.

The bubbles wash away the germs,
We didn’t know we had,
Anyone refusing,
Is labeled very bad.

We will continue on with this,
Until the panic’s done,
In the meantime, sing along,
It might be kind of fun!

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Ylem ... Before

Today’s word is “ylem” ...  the hypothetical initial substance of the universe from which all matter is derived. (Dictionary.com)

Before
We have by-guesses and by-gollys,
Regarding the beginnings of all things,
But we know not of the ylem, quarks,
Or the reality of strings.

Even the most sparkling intellect,
Cannot see past the start,
Anymore than we can ascertain,
The motives of the heart.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Iwis ... Bake

Today’s word is “iwis” ... certainly. (Dictionary.com)

Bake
It’s easy to eat, iwis,
Warm bread from the oven,
And easy to take for granted,
Being nourished from the earth.
We are thinking these days
Of those who provide for us,
Who are forgotten in our
Normal world. Ah, but now,
The essentials matter. Those things
That keep body and soul
Together. Because that’s what
We have left.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Soi-disantt... Almost

Today’s word is “soi-disant” ... calling oneself thus; self-styled. (Dictionary.com)

Almost
He observed the world,
A soi-disant holy man.
Until the night came.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Precipitate ...

Today’s word is “precipitate” ...  to hasten the occurrence of; bring about prematurely, hastily, or suddenly. (Dictionary.com)

What could have caused,
The state that we are in ...
A lack of love and trust,
Precipitating sin?

It seems that on our own,
We are no good at all,
No matter how we try,
We are bound to fail and fall.

Only something bigger,
Than our selves so small,
Can bring about the change,
If it’s possible at all.

Perfection will not come,
In this short lifetime,
But progress can be made,
As we upward climb.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

succedaneum ...

Today’s word is “succedaneum” ... a substitute. (Dictionary.com)

Red
For the cardinal,
There is no succedaneum.
A flash of wonder.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Silvics ... Lessons

Today’s word is “silvics” ... the scientific study of trees and their environment. (Dictionary.com)

Lessons
You don’t need a course in geology,
To enjoy a hike in the hills,
Or volumes of books on hydrology,
To thrill to the river’s sweet rills.

Nor do you need silvics to show you,
How trees bring their generous shade,
Or grow like a giants among us,
Surrounding each sweet forest glade.

Stars do not need to be named,
For their light to shine down on us here,
Revealing unending distance,
Inspiring an awe beyond fear.

And only one life was needed,
To show us God’s love on the earth,
Giving us hope in the darkness,
Changing our sadness to mirth.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Fardel ... Safe

Today’s word is “fardel” ... a bundle; burden. (Dictionary.com)

Safe
Once there were some little pigs,
Who built a house made out of straw,
And carried fardels made of sticks.
And then they finally built with bricks.

The wolf was not afraid of pigs,
In fact he found them quite delicious,
But the bricks were problematic,
So he went in from the attic.

This was not a smart idea,
As sometimes shortcuts fail to be,
And the pigs came out the winners,
As no wolf ate them for dinner.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Stewardship ... Level

Today’s word is “stewardship” ... the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving. (Dictionary.com)

Level
So fragile, quiet.
How do we care for our souls?
Stewardship measured.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Taradiddle ... Whoops

Today’s word is “tarradiddle” ... a small lie; fib. (Dictionary.com)

Whoops
Oh so much trouble
From a mere taradiddle.
No one could have guessed.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Ambages ... Dirt

Today’s word is “ambages” ... winding, roundabout paths or ways. (Dictionary.com)

Dirt
The car is standing still,
Waiting for an invitation,
An invitation to wander,
To explore ambages near and far.
It has forgotten the roads
Already taken.
So have we, as we wait.
We can walk backwards 
Through our images,
Track our loves and losses,
But we need the feel
Of new roads, 
The intake of fresh air,
The joy of moving.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Kitch ... Critic

Today’s word is “kitch” ... something of tawdry design, appearance, or content created to appeal to popular or undiscriminating taste. (Dictionary.com)

Critic
“It’s just not very good,” she said,
“Very kitchy and sad,
I think that there’s no talent there,
And that just makes me mad!”

So she sat down to make something better,
Something with style and grace,
But when it was done, she realized.
She’d fallen right on her face.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Chockablock ... Distance

Today’s word is “chockablock” ...  extremely full; crowded; jammed. (Dictionary.com)

Distance
Chockablock last year,
This year sit 6 feet away.
Then, enjoy the beach!!
Alone together.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Breviloquent ... Wordy

Today’s word is “breviloquent” ...  speaking or expressed in a concise or terse style; using brevity of speech.  (Dictionary.com)

Wordy
So many speeches and lectures,
And videos YouTubed for free,
Commentaries from every side of the aisle,
Tell us what we should see.

We could use some breviloquence,
Just the facts people, please,
Before every single thing that you know,
Is unkindly into us squeezed.

A minute or two in the morning,
Should be enough for the day,
But the headlines are screaming their warnings,
Don’t miss anything that we say!

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Panacea ... Complex

Today’s word is “panacea” ... an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties. (Dictionary.com)

Complex
Each day like the last ...
Problems like sequoias rise,
Where’s the panacea?

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Taxonomy ... Know

Today’s word is “taxonomy” ... a classification into ordered categories. (Dictionary.com)

Know
We are intent on questions ...
Why the earth moves the way it does,
Why the planets revolve just so,
Why water flows in currents,
Why all creatures fit in a taxonomy,
Why rain falls down and vaporizes up.
Why our human bodies are such a wonder.
And our answers are recorded in volumes of
books and on tapes and sent to clouds,
And collected on websites.
So that we can know all things, at all times.
Except why we are here at all or
How life came to be.
Details.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Idomeous ... Temporary

Today’s word is “idomeous” ... appropriate; fit; suitable; apt. (Dictionary.com)

Temporary
Yes, we’re stuck inside,
But now it seems idomeous,
To be trapped at home,
May just make the best of us.

We’re sharing all our moments,
With people that we love,
Realizing what’s important ...
Are gifts given from above.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Quidnuc ... Look!

Today’s word is “quidnuc” ... a person who is eager to know the latest news and gossip; a gossip or busybody. (Dictionary.com)

Look!
What is going on?
The quidnucs question it all.
Tell us your secrets!

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Daffadowndilly ... Shine

Today’s word is “daffadowndilly” ... a daffodil. (Dictionary.com)

Shine
Daffadowndilly, yellow, yes please,
To match the sweet sunshine
Shinning on me,
Fresh soft green grass 
for my knees and my toes,
And purple lilacs to smell with my nose.
A brown and red Robin hopping around,
Catching the wiggly worms from the ground.
Cardinals of red, sparkling in trees,
Adding a spark to the greens that I see.
All of the promise of spring is about,
And it’s come without comment or shout.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Cosset ... Hold

Today’s word is “cosset” ... to treat as a pet; pamper; coddle. (Dictionary.com)

Hold
Hidden in our homes,
We cosset ourselves and hope ...
Soon and very soon.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Hero ... Friday

Today’s word is “hero” ... a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character.  (Dictionary.com)

Friday
This day is darkness.
We know there will be an end,
Promised in three days.
But from this hour’s perspective,
It might as well be two thousand years.
Waiting with patience for the hero’s return,
Takes everything we’ve got.
After all, we’ve been here before.
This place where we are blinded,
By our fear and selfishness and ego.
By our unwillingness to encounter
Something bigger than ourselves.
By our unwillingness to be forgiven,
Or loved.
And yet, He comes. 
Always. Unfailingly. Certainly. 
And we can count on that.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Force majeure ... Saved

Today’s word is “force majeure” ... an unexpected and disruptive event that may operate to excuse a party from a contract. (Dictionary.com)

Saved
Long, long ago, in a garden,
A great decision was made.
At the time, it seemed a small thing,
A bite of tasty fruit,
Against the advice of someone
Who knew better.

And consequences followed.
No force majeure available ...
The full brunt would be felt.
By everyone. Everywhere. At all times.

And yet, provision was made,
As Christ came, and taught,
And healed, and died and rose again.
Making peace with us and 
For us all.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Chryon ...

Today’s word is “chryon” ... a text-based graphic overlay displayed at the bottom of a television screen or film frame, as closed captioning or the crawl of a newscast. (Dictionary.com)

News
We can’t live with chryons,
Shaping our attitudes,
Leaving our reason empty,
Fueling unending feuds.

We need no journalists,
To take truth for a spin,
We hear with our own ears,
When facts are stretched too thin.

So reason must prevail,
And sound judgement reach
Beyond prejudice and fear,
As we love beseech.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Perigee ... Light

Today’s word is “perigee” ... the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, especially the moon, or of an artificial satellite at which it is nearest to the earth. (Dictionary.com)

Light
Our hope sinks to earth,
Like a lunar perigee.
It will rise again.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020

Jabberwoky ... Direction

Today’s word is “jabberwoky” .... an example of writing or speech consisting of or containing meaningless words.

Direction
There’s far too much confusion,
To sift through in a day,
Much sounds like Jabberwoky,
As inside we stay.

We’re tuned into the internet,
YouTube and the rest,
We pick and choose our facts,
By turns we’re cursed or blessed.

Choose life, they say, not death,
Why this instruction strange?
Perhaps we wayward wonder,
When with God we don’t engage.

The path that’s straight is easy,
And crowded with humanity,
We need to find the narrow way,
And that takes faith to see.

Anne Selleck
Copyright 2020