Gorgonize … Whiskers

Today’s word is “gorganize” … hypnotize; petrify. (Dictionary.com)

Whiskers

He could gorganize,

With his enormous eyes,

Staring into you,

As can very few.

He watches butterflies,

Startling as they rise,

In their path he jumps,

Landing with a thump.

At last he comes home,

No more lawns to roam,

A pause is what we are,

He loves to wander far.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Nostrum … Tired

Today’s word is “nostrum” … a pet scheme or remedy, especially for social or political ills; panacea. (Dictionary.com)

Tired

If we only had a nostrum,

To cure the world of all its ills,

If the plan was oh so simple,

Who would not quickly take that pill?

But, things are not plain or simple,

With plans wrapped with frills and bows,

How we escape this common madness,

Is something only our God knows.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Irrefragable … Flimsy

Today’s word is “irrefragable” … not able to be refuted or disproved; indisputable. (Dictionary.com)

Flimsy

Are there any facts

     Irrefragable?

Is anything truly 

     Proved?

Irrefutable? Certain?

     Beyond a shadow

          Of a doubt?

If not, what can we rely on?

     Spirit? Intuition?

The voice of God?

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Cruciverbalist … Squared

Today’s word is “cruciverbalist” … a designer or aficionado of crossword puzzles. (Dictionary.com)

Squared

Puzzling he is,

Like a cruciverbalist,

Patterns we can’t see.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Orogeny … Crack

Today’s word is “orogeny” …  the process of mountain making or upheaval. (Dictionary.com)

Crack

The upheavals never end,

One rolls into another,

     Like an orogeny,

Building mountains of

     Fear and rage.

A force of nature.

How do we stop it? What can

     Mere humans do in the 

          Face of such power?

We walk carefully along

     The ledges.

Hoping not to disturb

     Stones along our path.

Hoping not to slip.

     Hoping we will not cause

Even more danger.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Xanadu … Lampstand

Today’s word is “Xanadu” … a place of great beauty, luxury, and contentment. (Dictionary.com)

Lampstand

Run from this dark place.

Xanadu. Where is it?

Perfection in us?

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Mishpocha … Gather

Today’s word is “mishpocha” … an entire family network comprising relatives by blood and marriage and sometimes including close friends; clan. (Dictionary.com)

Gather

What are we by ourselves,

Sitting lonely, sad,

With no mishpocha to surround,

No warmth to make us glad?

We must find eachother,

To make moments fine and rare,

Together love and laughter,

Our torn souls will repair.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Rapprochement … Still

Today’s word is “rapprochement” … an establishment or reestablishment of harmonious relations. (Dictionary.com)

Still

If we could agree …

A rapprochement of sorts,

Trees would clap their hands.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Prelapsarian … memories

Today’s word is “prelapsarian” … characteristic of or pertaining to any innocent or carefree period. (Dictionary.com)

Memories

Once upon a time,

Prelapsarian humans,

Shown with holy light.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Beastie … Squirrelly

Today’s word is “beastie” …  a small animal, especially one toward which affection is felt. (Dictionary.com)

Squirrelly 

We have many beasties here,

They run across our lawn,

They chew on bulbs and sprinklers,

They’re busy dusk to dawn.

We feed them peanuts in the hope,

That they will find us friends,

And that their maurading will,

Come to a peaceful end.

They beg for them and eat them,

But soon are bored again,

Scurrying and hurrying,

Back to the places they had been.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Arete …

Today’s word is “arete” … the aggregate of qualities, as valor and virtue, making up good character. (Dictionary.com)

Work

We would hope that somewhere,

Arete would express,

Shining bright above the average,

And everyone impress.

For the few that do possess it,

Success should be a breeze,

Passing sloth-like creatures,

With extraordinary ease.

But it is rare to find this,

In places high or low,

It is a gift and promise,

Far above the status-quo.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Mickle … Tease

Today’s word is “mickle” … great; large; much. (Dictionary.com)

Tease

Warmth is ours today,

Soon there will be mickle frost.

Look up to the sun.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Phlegethon … Abandoned

Today’s word is “phlegethon” … a stream of fire or fiery light. (Dictionary.com)

Abandoned 

Their tears are burning.

But their enemy’s road is sure.

The Phlegethon waits.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Vamoose … Persist

Today’s word is “vamoose” … to leave hurriedly or quickly; decamp. (Dictionary.com)

Persist

Who told you to vamoose?

Who told you to give in?

Who said that it is hopeless?

That there’s no way to win?

Do you believe those voices?

They are surely strong.

They are loudly shouting,

And yet they may be wrong.

Pray and listen closely,

To the still, small voice within,

There you’ll find the courage,

With which to begin.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Minatory … Dark

Today’s word is “minatory” … menacing; threatening. (Dictionary.com)

Dark

Minatory clouds

Race wildly across the earth.

The rain blinds our eyes.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Zuzwang … Still

Today’s word is “zugzwang” (tsook-tsvhng) in chess, a situation in which a player is limited to moves that cost pieces or have a damaging positional effect. (Dictionary.com)

Still …

An accidental movement.

Zugzwang. There you are.

Just one bad decision and

You’ve lost your fine, North Star.

Whichever way you turn,

All you see is black,

Whichever way you turn,

There is no going back.

But even in this state,

One thing remains true,

Good things still can blossom,

And make tomorrow new.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Fustian … Guided

Today’s word is “fustian” … pompous or bombastic, as language. (Dictionary.com)

Guided

The writing was most fustian,

And hard to understand,

Yet and still she persevered,

Holding wisdom in her hand.

But as she read it more and more,

She liked it less and less,

It seemed a long way from the truth,

She felt far from being blessed.

Then one day, she put it down,

And sighed and walked away,

Determined to decide herself,

Which way her life would play.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Saltigrade … Sum

Today’s word is “saltigrade” … moving by leaping. (Dictionary.com)

Sum

Saltigrade thoughts whirl.

Trying to add two plus two.

There is no answer.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Ambisinister …

Today’s word is “ambisinister” … clumsy or unskillful with both hands. (Dictionary.com)

Wanting to craft great things,

Having wonderful, wild aims,

Yet being ambisinister,

Only brings sorrowing pain.

Wanting to sing a song,

But with no voice at all,

Wanting to dance and play,

But heading for a fall.

Maybe though, the joy,

Of trying is enough,

To help us make it through

When things are really rough.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Flump … Bath

Today’s word is “flump” … to plump down suddenly or heavily; flop. (Dictionary.com)

Bath

He walks stately in.

Flumps with an ooph on the floor.

Cleans his whiskers there.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Skerrick … Arrow

Today’s word is “skerrick” … a small piece or quantity; a bit. (Dictionary.com)

Arrow

A skerrick a day,

Gets you closer to the end …

Goodness or evil.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Saudade … Listless

Today’s word is “saudade” … a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for a person or thing that is absent. (Dictionary.com)

Listless

Heavy saudade,

Memories overwhelming.

Past is present now.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Hejira … Steps

Today’s word is “Hejira” … any flight or journey to a more desirable or congenial place. (Dictionary.com)

Steps

It might seem a Hejira,

Would take you far away,

But the things you truly fear,

Come with you anyway.

The answer to this misery,

Is to look those monsters in the face,

More than likely they will turn,

And leave you perfectly in place.

Soon you will be stronger,

Ready for another provocation,

Then it is you’ll fight and win,

And be filled with great elation!

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021

Chuffle … Whiskers

Today’s word is “chuffle” … (of the larger species of cats) to make a low snuffling sound analogous to the purring of smaller cat species, often as a greeting. (Dictionary.com)

Whiskers

Big cats and little cats,

Chuffle and purr,

They’ll give you love,

If of you they’re sure.

It will be however,

In their own way,

On their own schedule,

At their time of day.

Anne Selleck

Copyright 2021