Monday 28 February 2011

Depone

DEPONE

–verb (used with or without object)
to testify under oath; depose.






















The robin depones in favour of spring
The olive tree refuses to comment.

Sunday 27 February 2011

Mazarine

MAZARINE

–noun
1. a deep, rich blue.
2. a silver strainer fitting over a meat dish and used for draining the water from boiled flesh.



I consider mazarine patterns
In those china bowls
Wondering which dish
They might best highlight

Saturday 26 February 2011

Leptorrhine

LEPTORRHINE

-adj.
Having a long narrow nose.






















Caos
Sports a leptorrhine face
And a handsome set of whiskers.
The latest feline
Fashion

Friday 25 February 2011

Prolix

PROLIX

–adj.

1. extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
2. (of a person) given to speaking or writing at great or tedious length.



Consider
The haiku
As
Antithesis
To prolix
Prose

Thursday 24 February 2011

Epigenesis

EPIGENESIS

–noun

1.Biology .
a. the theory that an embryo develops from the successive differentiation of an originally undifferentiated structure (opposed to pre-formation).
b. the approximately stepwise process by which genetic information, as modified by environmental influences, is translated into the substance and behaviour of an organism.
2.Geology . ore deposition subsequent to the original formation of the enclosing country rock.



Our story has its own epigenesis
Made of mistakes and false starts
Hopes and absurd contentment
Little betrayals and complicity
Doubts and utter certainty
Grand accesses of fury, sad tempests
Shared drinks and laughter
Shared food and sadness.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Frisson

FRISSON

-noun
a sudden, passing sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; thrill






















Just
A
Moment
Bare shivers
From the Earth’s shoulders
Is all it takes: a mere frisson
Crumpling worlds and lives to dramatic origami
Jigsaw puzzle missing pieces, blood along edges
Torn corners that will never fit
Never be cradled
Or held tight
Again
Sick
Earth



The background picture is copyright of Willow of Willow Manor, who has put it forth as a writing prompt.
Join the writing fun at Magpie Tales.

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Abrasive

ABRASIVE

-adj.
1 : tending to wear away by rubbing
2 : causing irritation






















Abrasive
Rains and times alike
Attacking
Metal, leaves
Intent to slow agony
Yet shared misery

Monday 21 February 2011

Intromit

INTROMIT

-verb tr.
To enter, send, or admit.



A mirror
Ways to intromit
Alternate
Universe
Into dreams, nightmares, or worse
Most uncertain quest

Sunday 20 February 2011

Benthic

BENTHIC

-adj.
Of or relating to the bottom of a sea or lake.






















We should all be grateful
For a plate full
Of benthic pleasures

Saturday 19 February 2011

Lickerish

LICKERISH

-adj.

1. Fond of and eager for choice food.
2. Greedy; longing.
3. Lustful; lecherous.






















Her life is that
Of one lickerish
(She does lick her plate so)

Friday 18 February 2011

Betide

BETIDE

–verb (used with object)
1. to happen to; come to; befall.
–verb (used without object)
2. to happen; come to pass



Bed time betides
Even if
The bed isn’t tidy
At all

Thursday 17 February 2011

Dock

DOCK

–noun
1. a landing pier.
2. the space or waterway between two piers or wharves, as for receiving a ship while in port.
3. such a waterway, enclosed or open, together with the surrounding piers, wharves, etc.
4. dry dock.
5. a platform for loading and unloading trucks, railway freight cars, etc.
6. an airplane hangar or repair shed.
7. Also called scene dock. a place in a theatre near the stage or beneath the floor of the stage for the storage of scenery.
–verb (used with object)
8. to bring (a ship or boat) into a dock; lay up in a dock.
9. to place in dry dock, as for repairs, cleaning, or painting.
10.to join (a space vehicle) with another or with a space station in outer space.
–verb (used without object)
11.to come or go into a dock or dry dock.
12.(of two space vehicles) to join together in outer space.

–noun
1.the solid or fleshy part of an animal's tail, as distinguished from the hair.
2.the part of a tail left after cutting or clipping.
–verb (used with object)
3.to cut off the end of; cut short.
4.to cut short the tail of.
5.to deduct from the wages of, usually as a punishment.
6.to deduct from (wages)

–noun
1.the place in a courtroom where a prisoner is placed during trial.

–noun

1.any of various weedy plants belonging to the genus Rumex, of the buckwheat family, as R. obtusifolius (bitter dock) or R. acetosa (sour dock), having long taproots.
2.any of various other plants, mostly coarse weeds.






















Stricken statues
Docked from the top
By frost and time
Stand unperturbed.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Potent

POTENT

–adj.
1. powerful; mighty.
2. cogent; persuasive.
3. producing powerful physical or chemical effects.
4. having or exercising great power or influence.
5. (of a male) capable of sexual intercourse.

–noun
heraldry
1. a fur having a pattern of T -shaped forms, placed in alternate directions and having alternating tinctures, one metal and one colour, so that all forms of one tincture face the same way and are between, above, and below forms of the other tincture facing the other way.
2. a T -shaped form used in potent or counterpotent.
–adj.
3. (of a cross) having a crosspiece at the extremity of each arm




I remember your scent
Permeating the space.
We would sniff at the walls,
Sofas, curtains
Whenever you were away
Perfume holding its magic

You left traces of you
So we would not miss you
Too much
We thought the enchantment
Cast to reel you back home.

You held your secret
Tightly bottled and sealed
A little star
So potent, so huge, then
A fragile empty shell.


The background picture is copyright of Willow of Willow Manor, who has put it forth as a writing prompt.
Join the writing fun at Magpie Tales.

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Dun

DUN

-verb tr.
To make persistent demands for payment, especially for a debt.
-noun
1. Someone who duns.
2. A demand for payment.

-noun
1. A dull greyish brown colour.
2. A horse in dun colour.
-adj.
Of dun colour.






















Life is not so dun
That it can’t be redeemed
By a splash of colour
A sprinkle of extravagance
Or a smattering of spices.

Monday 14 February 2011

Fletcherize

FLETCHERIZE

-verb
1. To chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.























I breathe
In short shallow breaths
Afraid to realize I could
And that
The air was sweet and cool.

Fletcherizing moments
In a scared attempt
At savouring life.

Sunday 13 February 2011

Shining

SHINING

–adj.

1. radiant; gleaming; bright.
2. resplendent; brilliant.
3. conspicuously fine






















Fat and sugar
Overloading
Yet the morsel is shining
Fat and sugar
Most precisely

Saturday 12 February 2011

Maw

MAW

–noun
1. the mouth, throat, or gullet of an animal, especially a carnivorous mammal.
2. the crop or craw of a fowl.
3. the stomach, especially that of an animal.
4. a cavernous opening that resembles the open jaws of an animal
5. the symbolic or theoretical centre of a voracious hunger or appetite of any kind



The creature's maw
Is nowhere as impressive
As its appetite.

Friday 11 February 2011

Paralipsis

PARALIPSIS

-noun
Drawing attention to something while claiming to be passing over it



I told you
That these were not the jedis you were looking for
But you saw through my paralipsis.
Getting rid of the bodies
Might prove difficult.

Thursday 10 February 2011

Strophe

STROPHE

–noun
1. the part of an ancient Greek choral ode sung by the chorus when moving from right to left.
2. the movement performed by the chorus during the singing of this part.
3. the first of the three series of lines forming the divisions of each section of a Pindaric ode.
4. (in modern poetry) any separate section or extended movement in a poem, distinguished from a stanza in that it does not follow a regularly repeated pattern.





















I try to put it in words
Arranging the strophes
In hope for solace.

But no matter how much
I try to water my pain
It still blossoms
With each passing hour.

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Valance

VALANCE

–noun

1. a short curtain or piece of drapery that is hung from the edge of a canopy, from the frame of a bed, etc.
2. a short ornamental piece of drapery placed across the top of a window.





















From behind the valances
I signal the all clear
Opening the bed wide
For the cats to hop in
To snuggle in the warmth
Left by your body.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Presume

PRESUME

-verb
1. (when tr., often takes a clause as object) to take (something) for granted; assume
2. (when tr., often followed by an infinitive) to take upon oneself (to do something) without warrant or permission; dare.
3. (intr.; followed by "on" or "upon") to rely or depend
4. law to take as proved until contrary evidence is produced






















Do
Not
Presume
That you know
All creatures that roam
In the dark corners of your dreams
New ones call out still
Not conceived
Not dreamt
Yet.
Yet.

Monday 7 February 2011

Apophasis

APOPHASIS

–noun

Rhetoric . denial of one's intention to speak of a subject that is at the same time named or insinuated



Our phone calls?
Full on apophasis
Wielded as warfare,
To the blood.
To death.
Darling.

Sunday 6 February 2011

Hyaline

HYALINE

-adj.
1. Glassy or transparent.

-noun

1. In biochemistry, a transparent substance found in cartilage, the eye, etc., resulting from the pathological degeneration of tissue.



Hyaline noodles
Offering warmth
Despite their look

Saturday 5 February 2011

Inexpugnable

INEXPUGNABLE

–adj.

incapable of being taken by force; impregnable; unconquerable.























The top of the fridge is her castle
Both comfortable and inexpugnable
From which she pities us poor lower life forms

Friday 4 February 2011

Gazetteer

GAZETTEER

–noun
1. a book or section of a book that lists and describes places.
2. Archaic . a writer for a gazette or newspaper; journalist






















To travel
I would repair to my old gazetteer
And follow my progress
In its pages
All well thumbed.

Thursday 3 February 2011

Volage

VOLAGE

-adj.
Light; giddy.



A volage wine
On a volage mind
A volatile mix
The dregs explosive.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Tautology

TAUTOLOGY

-noun
1. needless repetition of an idea, especially in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness.
2. an instance of such repetition.
3. Logic .
a. a compound propositional form all of whose instances are true.
b. an instance of such a form.























I resent
The tautology of brick laying
Forced labour in the drizzle
So I apply myself to the task
Mindless,
Until bricks disappear
Leaving only pure movements
Urban zen.



The background picture is copyright of Willow of Willow Manor, who has put it forth as a writing prompt.
Join the writing fun at Magpie Tales.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Taper

TAPER

–verb (used without object)

1. to become smaller or thinner toward one end.
2. to grow gradually lean.http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6791158482078908160
–verb (used with object)
3. to make gradually smaller toward one end.
4. to reduce gradually.
–noun
5. gradual diminution of width or thickness in an elongated object.
6. gradual decrease of force, capacity, etc.
7. anything having a tapering form, as a spire or obelisk.
8. a candle, esp. a very slender one.
9. a long wick coated with wax, tallow, or the like, as for use in lighting candles or gas.

–noun

a person who records or edits magnetic tape, videotape, etc.






















Despite fear, panic,
Anger tapered with sorrow
Time applying its soothing wash
Stealing more memories every day.