Thursday 31 May 2018

Samara

SAMARA

-noun
a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit with a wing-like extension to aid dispersal, as occurring in trees like ash, maple, etc.

























Samara smiles
Awaiting their journey

In the arms of wind


Wednesday 30 May 2018

Rebuke

REBUKE

-verb
1. (trans.) to scold or reprimand (someone)
-noun
2. a reprimand or scolding

























Death comes in
With a rebuke
For not having lived
Life to the full



Tuesday 29 May 2018

Malapropos

MALAPROPOS

-adj.
1. of an inappropriate or misapplied nature or kind
-adv.
2. in an inappropriate way or manner
-noun
3. something inopportune or inappropriate

























This cross-species
Shy romance
Is often seen
As a malapropos

Monday 28 May 2018

Numen

NUMEN

-noun
1. (more specifically in ancient Roman religion) a deity or spirit presiding over a thing or place
2. a guiding principle, force, or spirit

















Waiting
The ruin’s numen
Gathers dust


Sunday 27 May 2018

Escargot

ESCARGOT
[ɛskarɡo]

-noun
(from the French) a variety of edible snail, often baked with melted butter and garlic

























Italian escargots
An antique delicacy
Found in ruins

And tomato sauce

Saturday 26 May 2018

Hiss

HISS

-noun
1. a voiceless fricative sound like that of a prolonged s
2. such a sound uttered as an exclamation of derision, contempt, etc., in particular by an audience or crowd
3. (electronics) . receiver noise with a continuous spectrum, caused by thermal agitation, shot noise, etc.
-exclamation
4. an exclamation of derision or disapproval
-verb
5. (intr.) to produce or utter a hiss
6. (trans.) to express with a hiss, usually to indicate derision or anger
7. (trans.) to show derision or anger towards (a speaker, performer, etc.) by hissing

























Pushing boundaries
I am served a hiss
From the feral tom

Friday 25 May 2018

Resolute

RESOLUTE

-adj.
1. firm in purpose or belief; steadfast
2. characterized by resolution; determined


























Resolute efforts
Has brought the basilica
Back to life
But not its worshippers

Thursday 24 May 2018

Grim

GRIM

-adj.
1. stern; resolute
2. harsh or formidable in manner or appearance
3. harshly ironic or sinister
4. cruel, severe, or ghastly
5. (archaic or poetic) . fierce
6. (informal) unpleasant; disagreeable

























Nine years on
Grim ruins everywhere

And a ghost town





Wednesday 23 May 2018

Demur

DEMUR

-verb (intr.)
1. to raise objections or show reluctance; object
2. (law) . to raise an objection by entering a demurrer
3. (archaic) to hesitate; delay
-noun
4. the act of demurring
5. an objection raised
6. (archaic) hesitation


























Even history
Shies away from responsibility
Demurs and fades
Not wanting to be recalled
Offering mysteries

Tuesday 22 May 2018

Pollard


POLLARD

-noun
1. an animal, such as a sheep or deer, that has either shed its horns or antlers or has had them removed
2. a tree that has had its top cut off to encourage the formation of a crown of branches
-verb
3. (trans.) to convert into a pollard; poll

























Olive tree with
A poodle pollard

Trying to escape

Monday 21 May 2018

Prune

PRUNE

-noun
1. a purplish-black partially dried fruit of any of several varieties of plum tree
2. (slang) (mainly British) a dull, uninteresting, or foolish person

-verb
1. to remove (dead or superfluous twigs, branches, etc.) from (a tree, shrub, etc.), by cutting them off
2. to remove (anything undesirable or superfluous) from (a text, etc.)


























Dancing sumac
Pruned until they turned
And jumped
Shaking pompoms

Sunday 20 May 2018

Dehiscent

DEHISCENT
[dɪˈhɪsənt ]

-adj.
(of fruits, anthers, etc.) opening spontaneously to release seeds or pollen

























Summer joy
Of dehiscent spreads
Releasing delights

In our mouths



Saturday 19 May 2018

Litter

LITTER

-noun
1. small refuse or waste materials carelessly dropped in public places
2. a disordered or untidy condition or a collection of objects in this condition
3. a group of offspring produced at one birth by a mammal such as a sow
4. a layer of partly decomposed leaves, twigs, etc., on the ground in a wood or forest
5. straw, hay, or similar material used as bedding, protection, etc., by animals or plants
6. a means of conveying people - in particular sick or wounded - consisting of a light bed or seat held between parallel sticks
-verb
7. to make (a place) untidy by strewing (refuse)
8. to scatter (objects, etc.) about or (of objects) to lie around or upon (anything) in an untidy fashion
9. (of pigs, cats, etc.) to give birth to (offspring)
10. (trans.) to provide (an animal or plant) with straw or hay for bedding, protection, etc.

























Nostalgia to the days
When the feral pet colony
Was blessed with litters

Of joyous dynamic fluff


Friday 18 May 2018

Shim

SHIM

-noun
1. a thin packing strip or washer often used with a number of similar washers or strips to adjust a clearance for gears, etc.
2. (physics) . a thin strip of magnetic material, such as soft iron, used to adjust a magnetic field
3. (mechanical engineering) a small object or piece of material used, for example, to create a little extra height or a little extra space.
-verb
4. (trans.) to modify a load, clearance, or magnetic field by the use of shims


























In the cracks of
A little shim-induced distortion
New realities awaken
Ready to seep through
Invade our plane




Art by Gomez (from the Guido Reni District 2017 Black Decade exhibition) 

Thursday 17 May 2018

Octothorp

OCTOTHORP
[ˈɒktəˌθɔːp]

-noun
Symbol used in printing, in mathematics and, commonly, on a telephone keypad, consisting of two horizontal lines, one above the other, with two diagonal lines, one beside the other, through them. Also: hash

























Distorting shadows
Playing with the concept
Of octothorps and stars
Dialling lines to the horizon
A search tag dissolving

Wednesday 16 May 2018

Estrange

ESTRANGE

-verb (trans.)
1. (usually passive; often followed by “from”) to separate and live apart from (someone)
2. (usually passive; often followed by “from”) to antagonize or lose the affection of (someone previously friendly); alienate

























She flees
From an estranged husband
Alien children and pets
Unsure where reality is

Or what it is

Tuesday 15 May 2018

Lough

LOUGH

-noun
1.  an Irish word for lake
2. a long narrow bay or arm of the sea in Ireland

























Nature invaded
Violated and abandoned
Loughs regain terrain

Soon trees will be back

Monday 14 May 2018

Furze

FURZE

-noun

any evergreen shrub of the leguminous genus Ulex, in particular the European species U. europeaus, which has yellow flowers and thick green spines instead of leaves. Also called gorse or whin
























A bright flame
Furze in the rain

Sunday 13 May 2018

Flour

FLOUR

-noun
1. a powder, which may be either fine or coarse, prepared by sifting and grinding the meal of a grass, more than often wheat
2. any finely powdered substance
-verb
3. (trans.) to make (grain) into flour
4. (trans.) to dredge or sprinkle (food or cooking utensils) with flour
5. (of mercury) to break into fine particles on the surface of a metal rather than amalgamating, or to produce such an effect on (a metal) because of impurities.


























The future
Encrypted in flour patterns
Speaks of annihilation
Crumbs and white laps

Saturday 12 May 2018

Tail

TAIL

-noun
1. the region of the vertebrate body that is posterior to or above the anus and contains an elongation of the vertebral column, in particular forming a flexible movable appendage
2. anything resembling such an appendage in form or position; the bottom, lowest, or rear part
3. the last part or parts
4. the rear part of an aircraft including the fin, tail-plane, and control surfaces; empennage
5. (astronomy) . the luminous stream of gas and dust particles, up to 200 million kilometres long, driven from the head of a comet, when close to the sun, under the effect of the solar wind and light pressure
6. the rear portion of a bomb, rocket, missile, etc., usually fitted with guiding or stabilizing vanes
7. a line of people or things
8. a long braid or tress of hair
9. (angling) . the lowest fly on a wet-fly cast. Also called: tailfly
10. a final short line in a stanza
11. (informal) a person employed to follow and spy upon another or others
12. an informal word for buttocks
13. (vulgar, slang)
a. the female genitals
b. (offensive) a woman considered sexually
14. (printing)
a. the margin at the foot of a page
b. the bottom edge of a book
15. the lower end of a pool or part of a stream
16. (informal) the course or track of a fleeing person or animal
-verb
17. to form or cause to form the tail
18. to remove the tail of (an animal); dock
19. (trans.) to remove the stalk of
20. (trans.) to connect (objects, ideas, etc.) together by or as if by the tail
21. (trans.) (informal) to follow stealthily
22. (trans.) (Australian) to tend (cattle) on foot
23. (intr.) (of a vessel) to assume a specified position, as when at a mooring
24. to build the end of (a brick, joist, etc.) into a wall or (of a brick, etc.) to have one end built into a wall

-noun
1. (property law) . the limitation of an estate or interest to a person and the heirs of his or her body
-adj.
2. (immediately postpositive) (of an estate or interest) limited in this way

























She demurs
Unwilling to commit herself
She has been hurt before
So folds her tail
Ever so gently
Around her paws.
The way we cross arms

To signal reluctance





Friday 11 May 2018

Precious

PRECIOUS

-adj.
1. beloved; dear; cherished
2. very costly or valuable
3. held in high esteem, in particular in the context of moral or spiritual matters
4. very fastidious or affected, as in speech, manners, etc.
5. (informal) . worthless
-adv.
6. (informal) (intensifier)

























The glory of
Precious sleep
Dressed in silks
Dreaming of lemon

And seed rich cakes

Thursday 10 May 2018

Rickle

RICKLE

-noun
1. (Scottish) an unsteady or shaky structure, in particular a dilapidated building
2. (Scottish) a loose or disorganized heap

























In the abstraction
A rickle-world
So symptomatic

It rings true



Wednesday 9 May 2018

Cambium

CAMBIUM
[ˈkæmbɪəm ]

-noun
(Botany) . a meristem that increases the girth of stems and roots by producing additional xylem and phloem

























Our love
Pure cambium
As we become woody

With age 

Tuesday 8 May 2018

Marcescent

MARCESCENT
[mɑːˈsɛsənt ]

-adj.
(of the parts of certain plants) remaining attached to the plant when withered

























So many layers
Marcescent history

Weeds’playground

Monday 7 May 2018

Rustle

RUSTLE

-verb
1. to make or cause to make a low crisp whispering or rubbing sound, as of dry leaves or paper
2. to move with such a sound
-noun
3. such a sound or sounds

-verb
1. (mainly US and Canadian) to steal (cattle, horses, etc.)
2. (US and Canadian) (informal) . to move swiftly and energetically
























A brewing storm
Rustles golden buds
Shedding their sweet scent
In the air

Sunday 6 May 2018

Delectable

DELECTABLE

-adj.
highly enjoyable, (often: pleasing to the taste); delightful

























A few
Delectable treats
To grace the weekend

Saturday 5 May 2018

Moggy

MOGGY

-noun
(British) a slang name for cat.



















Blues
For lost moggies
Lost in thoughts
Of blue

Friday 4 May 2018

Versed

VERSED

-adj.
(postpositive; followed by “in”) thoroughly knowledgeable (about), acquainted (with), or skilled (in)
















She frowns and shakes
Her mind baulking at excess
Though she is well versed in introspection
Her instinct tells her to flee

The physical realm

Thursday 3 May 2018

Homiletics

HOMILETICS

-noun
(functioning as singular) the art of preaching or writing sermons
















Francesca discovered that
An expertise in homilectics

Isn’t always a good thing

Wednesday 2 May 2018

Trucage

TRUCAGE

-noun
art forgery


















Image processing
Always on the boundaries of trucage

Playing with past shadows

Tuesday 1 May 2018

Encroach

ENCROACH

-verb (intr.)
1. (often followed by “on” or “upon”) . to intrude gradually, stealthily, or insidiously upon the rights, property, etc., of another
2. to advance beyond the usual or proper limits

























Cheeky love
Ready to encroach upon one’s privacy
And peace of mind