Restraint

RESTRAINT

-noun

1. the ability to control or moderate one's impulses, passions, etc.

2. the act of restraining or the state of being restrained

3. something that restrains; restriction

We talked all over the place

Crossing lines to rhymes and nonsense

But she insisted for restraint

And drew up lists instead

Betimes

BETIMES

-adv.

1. (archaic) in good time; early

2. (archaic) in a short time; soon

She rang a fugue

Betimes and back

We nearly missed it

Stirps

STIRPS

-noun

1. genealogy a line of descendants from an ancestor; stock or strain

2. botany a race or variety, especially one in which the characters are maintained by cultivation

Out at sea,

Lie the stirps that brought us here

Playing with waves

Singing sweet songs of death

Analeptic

ANALEPTIC

-adj.

1. (of a drug, etc.) stimulating the central nervous system

-noun

2. any drug that stimulates the central nervous system

3. (formerly) a restorative remedy or drug

Sunshine

The ideal analeptic

Cast in clay and glazed

For better conservation

Manteel

MANTEEL

-noun

a cloak, shawl or covering

Against summer winds
Famous blue manteel

Seltzer

SELTZER

-noun

1. a natural effervescent water with a high content of minerals

2. a similar synthetic water, used as a beverage

After excess
Seltzer might help
Though restraint
Would work best

Sheathe

SHEATHE

-verb (trans.)

1. to insert (a knife, sword, etc.) into a sheath

2. (especially of cats) to retract (the claws)

3. to surface with or encase in a sheath or sheathing

Magnanimous
He sheathes his blades for me
But could I please
Leave him alone?

Countervail

COUNTERVAIL

-verb

1. (when intr., usually followed by “against”) to act or act against with equal power or force

2. (trans.) to make up for; compensate; offset

When greed and curiosity

Countervail suspicion

Syllable

SYLLABLE

-noun

1. a combination or set of one or more units of sound in a language that must consist of a sonorous element (a sonant or vowel) and may or may not contain less sonorous elements (consonants or semivowels) flanking it on either or both sides.

2. (in the writing systems of certain languages, especially ancient ones) a symbol or set of symbols standing for a syllable

3. the least mention in speech or print

-verb

4. to pronounce syllables of (a text); articulate

5. (trans.) to write down in syllables

Wooden minstrel

Unable to syllable

If not in a song

Splatter

SPLATTER

-verb

1. to splash with small blobs; spatter

-noun

2. a splash of liquid, mud, etc.

Intemperate years

Have splattered these walls

With old age flowers

Gesticulate

GESTICULATE

-verb

to express by or make gestures

A debate of statues
Marble gesticulating
Arguments

Sheath

SHEATH

-noun

1. a case or covering for the blade of a knife, sword, etc.

2. any similar close-fitting case

3. biology an enclosing or protective structure, such as a leaf base encasing the stem of a plant

4. the protective covering on an electric cable

5. a figure-hugging dress with a narrow tapering skirt

6. another name for condom

-verb

7. (trans.) another word for sheathe

Despite looming fall
Pumpkin flowers still
Burst out of their sheath
Looking for adventure 

Scallion

SCALLION

-noun

any of various onions or similar plants, such as the spring onion, that have a small bulb and long leaves and are eaten in salads. Also called: green onion

A little kick
Scallions over a dish
Cheap domestic exotism 

Eyrie

EYRIE

-noun

1. the nest of an eagle or other bird of prey, built in a high inaccessible place

2. the brood of a bird of prey, especially an eagle

3. any high isolated position or place

Cats envy birds

Their eyries

And will steal them

Whenever possible

Distal

DISTAL

-adj.

(anatomy) (of a muscle, bone, limb, etc) . situated farthest from the centre, median line, or point of attachment or origin.

Tombs were thus placed

Distal growth along consular roads

To accompany citizens in their travels

A reminder of transience

Evaginate

EVAGINATE

-verb

(trans.) medicine to turn (an organ or part) inside out; turn the outer surface of (an organ or part) back on itself

Men’s ire had buried the place alive

The memory of his owner smothered

Archaeologists reversed the spell for a while

The hill was explored, evaginated

Nero’s palace came back to life

Before being eaten again by its tomb

Fettle

FETTLE

-verb (trans.)

1. to remove (excess moulding material and casting irregularities) from a cast component

2. to line or repair (the walls of a furnace)

3. British dialect

a. to prepare or arrange (a thing, oneself, etc.), especially to put a finishing touch to

b. to repair or mend (something)

-noun

4. state of health, spirits, etc.

5. another name for fettling

After a few years of fettling

The fountain is in fine fettles

Fulcrum

FULCRUM

-noun

1. the pivot about which a lever turns

2. something that supports or sustains; prop

3. a spine-like scale occurring in rows along the anterior edge of the fins in primitive bony fishes such as the sturgeon

Importance of a detail

Fulcrum against which all revolves

Turquoise green gem

Weft

WEFT

-noun

the yarn woven across the width of the fabric through the lengthwise warp yarn. Also called: filling, woof

Dusk builds up

One weft at a time

Across the loom of night

Shuck

SHUCK

-noun

1. the outer covering of something, such as the husk of a grain of maize, a pea pod, or an oyster shell

-verb (trans.)

2. to remove the shucks from

3. (informal) (mainly US and Canadian) to throw off or remove (clothes, etc.)

Just a glance

Inside a shuck

Reveals a whole world

Ready to happen

Quantum

QUANTUM

-noun

1. physics

a. the smallest quantity of some physical property, such as energy, that a system can possess according to the quantum theory

b. a particle with such a unit of energy

2. amount or quantity, especially a specific amount

3. (often used with a negative) the least possible amount that can suffice

4. something that can be quantified or measured

5. (modifier) loosely, sudden, spectacular, or vitally important

In the dirt

Quantum cuteness

Begging for food

And cuddles

Lumbar

LUMBAR

-adj.

of, near, or relating to the part of the body between the lowest ribs and the hipbones

Oh, the pleasure

Of the lower lumbar view!

Wail

WAIL

-verb

1. (intr.) to utter a prolonged high-pitched cry, as of grief or misery

2. (intr.) to make a sound resembling such a cry

3. (trans.) to lament, especially with mournful sounds

-noun

4. a prolonged high-pitched mournful cry or sound

In the dark of the night

Wailing ghosts argue

Swearing and cursing

Until someone calls the cops

Finally silencing the neighbours

Whitewash street art by Borondo

Overt

OVERT

-adj.

1. open to view; observable

2. (law) open; deliberate.

Not just sweet scents

Floating evanescent temptation

But overt seduction

Trumpery

TRUMPERY

-noun

1. foolish talk or actions

2. a useless or worthless article; trinket

-adj.

3. useless or worthless

The name says it all and

While people want to be lied to

Please resist the tawdry call of trumpery

Nub

NUB

-noun

1. a small lump or protuberance

2. a small piece or chunk

3. the point or gist

4. a small fibrous knot in yarn

She loses herself in the prose

Looking for a nub

An answer to all questions

Pasty

PASTY

-adj.

1. of or like the colour, texture, etc., of paste

2. (especially of the complexion) pale or unhealthy-looking

-noun

3. either one of a pair of small round coverings for the nipples used by striptease dancers

-noun

1. a round of pastry folded over a filling of meat, vegetables, etc.

Making tiny pasties

For a summer picnic

A Sunday at the park

Jocular

JOCULAR

-adj.

1. characterized by joking and good humour

2. meant lightly or humorously; facetious

On a good day

She entertains jocular moods

For a short while

Then sleeps it off

Dispossess

DISPOSSESS

-verb

(trans.) to take away possession of something from (someone), especially property; expel

Time moved in

Stripping the flesh from their bones

Dispossessing them of their lives

Leaving ruins in its wake

Nubble

NUBBLE

-noun

a small lump

Playing against the incoming storm

A pebble, a mere nubble

Awaits for rain