Poems from my Merriam-Webster Word of the Day project. For more information, look here.
perceptible : capable of being perceived especially by the senses
The baby crying
her distress perceptible
and how it carries!
Louder than a fire siren!
(Maybe they should hire her? Hmmm…)
tanka 364 : 12/3/22
lachrymose : given to tears or weeping : TEARFUL
We stood there
small lachrymose group
our old car
hauled off to
the junkyard. Good-bye, old friend.
End of an era.
shadorma 482 : 12/7/22
festoon : to decorate, adorn – : to hang or form festoons on
On the floor
festoons of blond curls.
A small girl.
First haircut.
Scissors snip. The child unsure.
Is it tears or smiles?
shadorma 411 : 6/14/22
Attributions:
“Perceptible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perceptible. Accessed 3 Dec. 2022.
“Lachrymose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lachrymose. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.
“Festoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/festoon. Accessed 14 Jun. 2022.
Claudia McGill Writes Poetry, Did You Know That? 
Your poems illustrate the fact that we cry as a result of a variety of emotions and responses to diverse experiences. Also, I love the word “lachrymose” and wish I could find more opportunities to use it.
I like the word lachrymose so much, too. Many of these dictionary words are just plain difficult to use, but this one, I could come up with more than one scenario. And tears to me are very useful in expressing so much – and I find crying such a relief no matter what the circumstances, a great outlet for feelings.
There is often that uncertainty in life I think. (K)
Yes. Crying and tears work in a spectrum of emotions, I think.
Son#2 wailed getting his first haircut. A sharp contrast to son#1 who sat proud and we had to remind him to keep his mouth closed because he was smiling so big!
I thought of this topic because of how over time I’ve seen a lot of kids getting haircuts at the family hairdresser I’ve gone to for 20+ years. Some love it and some are crying and a lot don’t know what to think. For some reason it has always interested me!
A baby’s cry pierces heart and brain. It’s hard to ignore.
Lachrymose is such a great word.
Yes. About the baby, you said it perfectly. And I think lachrymose is a wonderful word, perfectly expressing a mopey weepy feeling of being kind of dragged down by something sad. Very full of emotional overtones.
Yes, lachrymose makes me think of huge 19th century cemeteries with lots of weeping willows. 🙂
That is perfect! And now you are making me think of mourning samplers, which often featured a weeping willow and other cemetery symbols such as the draped urn. Totally lachrymose.
Yes–now I have that image, too. And widows in voluminous mourning gowns with broaches that hold the hair of their loved ones. . .
And with one of them having done her husband in (for the sake of our story), it’s fake lachrymose!
😂