Castrophrenia

CASTROPHRENIA

-noun
A morbid fear or delusion, occasional in schizophrenic patients, that their thoughts are being sucked out of their brains by enemies. Also spelled castraphrenia






















“Like carrots!” He cried
“Like carrots, they plop each one of them out of my head!”
“Castrophrenia” wrote the practician, wondering idly if thoughts were orange or even remotely crunchy

Whelm

WHELM

–verb (used with object)
1. to submerge; engulf.
2. to overcome utterly.
–verb (used without object)
3. to roll or surge over something, as in becoming submerged.






















I chose to let the smile
Whelm over sadness
For things beyond my control
Rust gritting my teeth.

Slumgullion

SLUMGULLION

–noun
1. a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
2. a beverage made weak or thin, as watery tea, coffee, or the like.
3. the refuse from processing whale carcasses.
4. a reddish, muddy deposit in mining sluices.























In winter’s grip
We wrap ourselves
Around spicy slumgullions
And into potent wines

Perceptive

PERCEPTIVE

–adj.
1. having or showing keenness of insight, understanding, or intuition.
2. having the power or faculty of perceiving.
3. of, pertaining to, or showing perception.






















Despite years of pretending
He was someone highly perceptive
He was forced to admit
That life largely
Passed him by
Still.

Parity

PARITY

-noun
Equality in amount, status, etc.

-noun
1. The condition of having given birth.
2. The number of children borne by a woman



Parity has us at a disadvantage
Only a few of us able to master that feat
And a good number of these
To live still.

Background picture courtesy of the Library of Congress on Flickr.

Shamrock

SHAMROCK

-noun
any of several trifoliate plants, as the wood sorrel, Oxalis acetosella,  or a small, pink-flowered clover, Trifolium repens minus,  but especially Trifolium procumbens,  a small, yellow-flowered clover: the national emblem of Ireland.























With the light just so
They look real
Kissed by life and glory
Glittering softly
Sugar confections
Fancy cake garnish
Of tropical disposition.
Shy Tanzanian violets
Ready for a party
Clad in green and shamrocks.



The background picture is copyright of Willow (Tess) of Willow Manor, who has put it forth as a writing prompt.
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Fumigate

FUMIGATE

–verb (used with object)
to expose to smoke or fumes, as in disinfecting or exterminating roaches, ants, etc.
























Despite the near advent of spring
Frost still fumigates our garden
Getting rid of mosquito larvae
And precocious blooms alike.

Pilcrow

PILCROW

-noun
a paragraph mark





















Pilcrows spread about the page
Anchors for phrases and notions
Dreams hooked to bent talons.

Rudimentary

RUDIMENTARY

–adj.
1. pertaining to rudiments or first principles; elementary.
2. of the nature of a rudiment; undeveloped or vestigial.
3. primitive.



All over the lawn
Rudimentary shower
Nature’s Morgenstern
Battering seeds in
Spreading tree madness

Clove

CLOVE

–noun
1. the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, Syzygium aromaticum, of the myrtle family, used whole or ground as a spice.
2. the tree itself.

–noun
Botany . one of the small bulbs formed in the axils of the scales of a mother bulb, as in garlic.

–verb
a simple past tense of cleave





















She clove the bulbs
Picking up the cloves
Doomed to later pickle
In wine vinegar
Fragrant with cloves


The background picture is copyright of Willow of Willow Manor, who has put it forth as a writing prompt.
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Helot

HELOT

-noun
A serf or slave.






















Furry heads
Love the helots
In their humans
Worshipping
Skilled hands
Most

Prosopography

PROSOPOGRAPHY

-noun
1. A description of a person's appearance, career, personality, etc.
2. A study of a collection of persons or characters, especially their appearances, careers, personalities, etc., within a historical, literary, or social context.























At the city square
A gaggle of old women
Indulging in the noble art of prosopography.

Escutcheon

ESCUTCHEON

–noun
1. a shield or shield-like surface on which a coat of arms is depicted.
2. an ornamental or protective plate around a keyhole, door handle, drawer pull, light switch, etc.
3. Nautical . a panel on the stern of a vessel bearing its name and port of registry.



Entangled escutcheons
Mating on the old door frame
Calling for skeleton keys
Iron twins joined at the hips
Door opening enigmas

Matutinal

MATUTINAL

–adj.
pertaining to or occurring in the morning; early in the day.
























Matutinal view
When all but a ray of light
Slumber still, at peace.
Magazines snore on the shelves
Books toss and turn in their sleep

Fomes

FOMES

-noun
An object (for example, clothing or bedding) capable of absorbing and transmitting infectious organisms from one person to another. (plural: fomites)






















I threw away your things
Dropped each item out of the window
To the street
A danger to all underneath
So many fomites
I needed rid of
Before washing in lye.

Urticant

URTICANT

-adj.
 Causing itching or stinging.
-noun
 A substance that causes itching or stinging.




Fragile lion fish
Urticant danger in rust
Floating from the blue

Fillet

FILLET

–noun
1. Cookery .
a. a boneless cut or slice of meat or fish, especially the beef tenderloin.
b. a piece of veal or other meat boned, rolled, and tied for roasting.
2. a narrow band of ribbon or the like worn around the head, usually as an ornament; headband.
3. any narrow strip, as wood or metal.
4. a strip of any material used for binding.
5. Bookbinding .
a. a decorative line impressed on a book cover, usually at the top and bottom of the back.
b. a rolling tool for impressing such lines.
6. Architecture .
a. Also called list. a narrow flat moulding or area, raised or sunk between larger mouldings or areas.
b. a narrow portion of the surface of a column left between adjoining flutes.
7. Anatomy . lemniscus.
8. a raised rim or ridge, as a ring on the muzzle of a gun.
9. Metallurgy . a concave strip forming a rounded interior angle in a foundry pattern.
–verb (used with object)
10.Cookery .
a. to cut or prepare (meat or fish) as a fillet.
b. to cut fillets from.
11.to bind or adorn with or as if with a fillet.
12.Machinery . to round off (an interior angle) with a fillet.






















Waiting to be filleted
Poor bass sings the blues

Anthropogenic

ANTHROPOGENIC

–adj.
caused or produced by humans



Her fate is anthropogenic
First taken in
Just to be abandoned next
Then given a shelter
She still likes humans, though
And courts stray caresses
At Torre Argentina.

Repair

REPAIR

–verb (used with object)
1. to restore to a good or sound condition after decay or damage; mend.
2. to restore or renew by any process of making good, strengthening, etc..
3. to remedy; make good; make up for.
4. to make amends for; compensate.
–noun
5. an act, process, or work of repairing.
6. Usually, repairs.
a. an instance or operation of repairing.
b. a repaired part or an addition made in repairing.
7. repairs, (in book keeping, accounting, etc.) the part of maintenance expense that has been paid out to keep fixed assets in usable condition, as distinguished from amounts used for renewal or replacement.
8. the good condition resulting from continued maintenance and repairing.
9. condition with respect to soundness and usability


–verb (used without object)
1. to betake oneself; go, as to a place.
2. to go frequently or customarily.
–noun
3. a resort or haunt.
4. the act of going or going customarily; resort.
5. Scot. Obsolete . a meeting, association, or crowd of people.























After many years
Ssleeping alone at sea
The mermaid repairs to stable grounds,
Hot blooded company and the comfort of a bed
Only to hear her lover complain
About scales in the sheets.

Thenar

THENAR

–noun
Anatomy .
1. the fleshy mass of the outer side of the palm of the hand.
2. the fleshy prominence or ball of muscle at the base of the thumb.
–adj.
3. of or pertaining to the thenar.






















Lines
Life
Strata
Embedded
Scrawling all over
My history loaded thenar

Pip

PIP

-noun
1. The small seed of a fruit, such as an apple or an orange.
2. Something or someone wonderful.

-noun
1. One of the dots or symbols on a die, playing card, or domino.
2. Any of the diamond-shaped segments on the surface of a pineapple.
3. An insignia on the shoulder indicating an officer's rank.

-noun
1. A disease of birds marked by mucus in the mouth.
2. Any minor, nonspecific ailment in a person.

-noun
The smallest change in the exchange rate for a given currency pair. Most major currencies (except yen) are priced to the fourth decimal place, so a pip is 1/100 of one percent (.0001).

-verb tr.
1. To defeat, especially by a narrow margin or at the last moment.
2. To hit with a gunshot.
3. To blackball.

-verb intr.
To peep or chirp.
-verb tr.
To break through the shell of an egg when hatching.





















Rust flowers blooming
Battered container as spring
Graceful graphic pips

Vermeil

VERMEIL

-noun
1. Vermilion or a similar bright red colour.
2. Gilded silver, bronze, or copper.
-adj.
Bright red in colour.






















Vermeil ghosts.
That is all I could think of
scanning the kitchen for signs
of you.
of life.
of hope.
You were all over the place
and nowhere at all.
Years have passed
on the kitchen walls;
meanwhile vermeil has turned to rust.
They still have not found
your body.




The background picture is copyright of Willow of Willow Manor, who has put it forth as a writing prompt.
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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.

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

Leptorrhine

LEPTORRHINE

-adj.
Having a long narrow nose.






















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

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

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.

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.

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

Intromit

INTROMIT

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



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

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

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)

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

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.

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.
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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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Volage

VOLAGE

-adj.
Light; giddy.



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

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.

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.