Adept

ADEPT

-adj.

1. very proficient in something requiring skill or manual dexterity

2. skilful; expert

-noun

3. a person who is skilled or proficient in something

A learner

Not yet an adept

But striving for perfection

Focus

FOCUS

-noun

1. a point of convergence of light or other electromagnetic radiation, particles, sound waves, etc., or a point from which they appear to diverge

2. another name for focal point, focal length

3. (optics) . the state of an optical image when it is distinct and clearly defined or the state of an instrument producing this image

4. a point upon which attention, activity, etc., is directed or concentrated

5.( geometry) . a fixed reference point on the concave side of a conic section, used when defining its eccentricity

6. the point beneath the earth's surface at which an earthquake or underground nuclear explosion originates

7. (pathology) . the main site of an infection or a localized region of diseased tissue

-verb

8. to bring or come to a focus or into focus

9. (trans. ; often followed by “on”) . to fix attention (on); concentrate

A point of convergence

Defining our eccentricity

By its colour and shape

A distinct focus

Slightly blurred by grain

Particles movement

Potter

POTTER

-noun

a person who makes pottery

-verb

1. (intr.; often followed by “about” or “around”) . to busy oneself in a desultory though agreeable manner

2. (intr.; often followed by “along” or “about”) . to move with little energy or direction

3. (trans. ; usually followed by “away”) . to waste (time)

-noun

4. the act of pottering

The problems with

Pottering about

A lack of balance

Exactitude

EXACTITUDE

-noun

the quality of being exact; precision; accuracy

In old age

A steely exactitude

Was all she could summon

To stay alive

Cup

CUP

-noun

1. a small open container, usually having one handle, used for drinking from

2. the contents of such a container

3. a unit of capacity used in cooking equal to approximately half a pint, 8 fluid ounces, or about one quarter of a litre

4. something resembling a cup in shape or function, such as the flower base of some plants of the rose family or a cuplike bodily organ

5. either of two cup-shaped parts of a brassiere, designed to support the breasts

6. a cup-shaped trophy awarded as a prize

7. (British) a sporting contest in which a cup is awarded to the winner

8. a mixed drink with one ingredient as a base, usually served from a bowl

9. (golf) . the hole or metal container in the hole on a green

10. the chalice or the consecrated wine used in the Eucharist

11. one's lot in life

-verb (trans.)

12. to form (something, such as the hands) into the shape of a cup

13. to put into or as if into a cup

14. (archaic) . to draw blood to the surface of the body of (a person) by using a cupping glass

The satisfaction

Of a fish in my cup

Going around

In all that saké

Scraggy

SCRAGGY

-adj.

1. lean or scrawny

2. rough; unkempt

She never trusts anyone

The scraggy old thing

Possibly for good reasons

Digress

DIGRESS

-verb (intr.)

1. to depart from the main subject in speech or writing

2. to wander from one's path or main direction

In the mirror

Ghosts digressing

From the tangible world

Following a light

Into oblivion

Emendation

EMENDATION

-noun

1. a correction or improvement in a text

2. the act or process of emending, i.e. to make corrections or improvements in (a text) by critical editing

Though it was his duty

He found emendation tedious

And borderline sacrilegious

An assault on an author’s rights

Deliberate

DELIBERATE

-adj.

1. carefully thought out in advance; planned; studied; intentional

2. careful or unhurried in speech or action

-verb

3. to consider (something) deeply; ponder; think over

Fake spontaneity

All here is deliberate

But for the lack of focus

Ataraxia

ATARAXIA

[ætəˈræksɪə]

-noun

Calmness or peace of mind; emotional tranquillity (also called: Ataraxy)

Behold the Etruscan death

Ataraxia in stone or terracotta

Crapulent

CRAPULENT

-adj.

1. given to or resulting from intemperance

2. suffering from intemperance; drunken

Here he is

A crapulent god

Tottering

Not clear on how

And why or where

He lost his crown

Bladdernut

BLADDERNUT

-noun

1. any temperate shrub or small tree of the genus Staphylea, esp S. pinnata of S Europe, that has bladder-like seed pods: family Staphyleaceae

2. the pod of any such tree

A curiosity

From Georgia

Pickled bladdernut buds

Milder than expected

Sedition

SEDITION

-noun

1. speech or behaviour directed against the peace of a state

2. an offence that tends to undermine the authority of a state

3. an incitement to public disorder

4. (archaic) . revolt

Despite her cute pink nose

Defiance and sedition

Vibrate from her whiskers

Scotoma

SCOTOMA

[skɒˈtəʊmə]

-noun

1. (pathology) . a blind spot; a permanent or temporary area of depressed or absent vision caused by lesions of the visual system, viewing the sun directly, squinting, etc.

2. (psychology) . a mental blind spot; inability to see, understand, or perceive certain things or matters

Let’s share other people's joys and sorrows

Stick a red rose at the side

Of the fairy palace in our minds

Ignoring the scotoma drapery

That renders us blind to others

Abridge

ABRIDGE

-verb (trans.)

1. to reduce the length of (a written work) by condensing or rewriting

2. to curtail; diminish

3. (archaic) to deprive of (privileges, rights, etc.)

The occasion will plead excuses.

To put two and two together

Whatever abstract ideas are here

Of an actual killing at once empirical

Abridged and yet unpractical

A comment kept unhurt

For private satisfaction.

Abri

ABRI

[æˈbriː]

-noun

a shelter or place of refuge, in particular during wartime or natural disasters

We pass shadows

With a doorstep for all abri

Trying hard not to see

In case we should feel

A vortex of compassion

Or pity sucking us in

Still

STILL

-adj.

1. (usually predicative) . motionless; stationary

2. undisturbed or tranquil; silent and calm

3. (of a liquid) not sparkling or effervescent

4. gentle or quiet; subdued

5. (obsolete) . (of a child) dead at birth

-adv.

6. continuing now or in the future as in the past

7. up to this or that time; yet

8. (often used with a comparative) . even or yet

9. quiet or without movement

10. (poetic) (dialect) . always

-noun

11. (poetic) . silence or tranquillity

12. a photograph or frame, in particular of a scene from a motion-picture film

-verb

13. to make or become still, quiet, or calm

14. (trans.) to allay or relieve

-sentence connector

15. even then; nevertheless

-noun

1. an apparatus for carrying out distillation, consisting of a vessel in which a mixture is heated, a condenser to turn the vapour back to liquid, and a receiver to hold the distilled liquid, used in particular in the manufacture of spirits

2. a place where spirits are made; distillery

A still life by heart

Of old men and many things.

The water shapes their mind

Shaking the meadows

Swift and shadowy heaving

Beneath the shadows on the walls.

Panic

PANIC

-noun

1. a sudden overwhelming feeling of terror or anxiety, in particular one affecting a whole group of people

-verb

2. to feel or cause to feel panic

-adj.

(with capital P) of or relating to the god Pan

My heart is beginning to return

In a house of panic

The colour of a burning blue

All for the records of high fields of work.

Biscuit

BISCUIT

-noun

1. (British) . a small flat dry sweet or plain cake of many varieties, baked from a dough

2. (US and Canadian) . a kind of small roll similar to a muffin

3. a pale brown or yellowish-grey colour

4. earthenware or porcelain that has been fired but not glazed (also: bisque)

Italian variations

On the art of biscuit

Ideal coffee companions

Bibliophile

BIBLIOPHILE

-noun

a person who collects or is fond of books

Such a cute sleeper

I never realised

He was such a bibliophile

But then again

Most cats are

Decay

DECAY

-verb

1. to decline or cause to decline gradually in health, prosperity, excellence, etc.; deteriorate; waste away

2. to rot or cause to rot as a result of bacterial, fungal, or chemical action; decompose

3. (intr.) (physics)

a. (of an atomic nucleus) to undergo radioactive disintegration

b. (of an elementary particle) to transform into two or more different elementary particles

4. (intr.) (physics) . (of a stored charge, magnetic flux, etc.) to decrease gradually when the source of energy has been removed

-noun

5. the process of decline, as in health, mentality, beauty, etc.

6. the state brought about by this process

7. decomposition, as of vegetable matter

8. rotten or decayed matter

9. (physics)

a.  radioactive decay

b. a spontaneous transformation of an elementary particle into two or more different particles

c. (of an excited atom or molecule) the losing of energy by the spontaneous emission of photons

10. (physics) . a gradual decrease of a stored charge, magnetic flux, current, etc., when the source of energy has been removed

11. (music) . the fading of a note

A monochrome crowd

A decay of some sort

Statue by Ellen Lindström

Promote

PROMOTE

-verb (trans.)

1. to further or encourage the progress or existence of

2. to raise to a higher rank, status, degree, etc.

3. to advance (a pupil or student) to a higher course, class, etc.

4. to urge the adoption of; work for

5. to encourage the sale of (a product) by advertising or securing financial support

6. (chess) . to exchange (a pawn) for any piece other than a king when the pawn reaches the 8th rank

Obsolescence is hard for a retired robot

This one could have ended on a dump

But was promoted to museum piece

Mystify

MYSTIFY

-verb (trans.)

1. to confuse, bewilder, or puzzle

2. to make mysterious or obscure

Everyday weird

Failing to mystify

Flânerie

FLÂNERIE

[flɑnri]

-noun

aimless strolling or lounging; idleness

Following scents

An olfactive flânerie

Through artificial

And curated grounds

Intimism

INTIMISM

-noun

a school of impressionist painting in early 20th century France whose painters portrayed everyday, usually domestic, scenes

Within the darkened set

I try my hand at intimism

With a digital filter

Carafe

CARAFE

-noun

an open-topped glass container for serving water or wine at table

Dreams you can drink

A genie swimming in a carafe

Georgian wines

Pococurante

POCOCURANTE

[ˌpəʊkəʊkjʊˈræntɪ]

-noun

1. a person who is careless or indifferent

-adj.

2. indifferent or apathetic

She likes to hide facts

Disguise her life

As a pococurante

With timely snoozes

Cumbersome

CUMBERSOME

-adj.

1. awkward because of size, weight, or shape

2. difficult because of extent or complexity

She seems to rant at the boy

For being such a cumbersome weight

And at his age too!

Staffage

STAFFAGE

[ˈstɑːfɪdʒ]

-noun

all of the additional figures, animals and other items of ornamentation in a painted scene or landscape, as distinct from the main figures or elements of the composition

Petals and decay

Staffage and props

Shadow taming