Poems from my Merriam-Webster Word of the Day project. For more information, look here.
bravado : blustering swaggering conduct
Burst of bravado.
Spewed a few bald truths. Wigged out
in other words. Oops.
haiku 1058 : 12/10/22
hyperbole : extravagant exaggeration
So they say. But I
discard the hyperbole
Trim its frayed loose ends
Free up the truth. Skeletons
in her closet want to talk.
tanka 346 : 10/17/22
perspicacious : of acute mental vision or discernment : KEEN
How we have missed her
the perspicacious insights
the tart tell-the-truth
that balanced our sugared lives
All lost to us now. We mourn.
tanka 339 : 9/21/22
Attributions:
“Bravado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bravado. Accessed 10 Dec. 2022.
“Hyperbole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole. Accessed 10 Oct. 2022.
“Perspicacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perspicacious. Accessed 21 Sep. 2022.
Claudia McGill Writes Poetry, Did You Know That? 
“Perspicacious” is one of the words my mouth really struggles with. Something about the sounds and syllables makes my mouth stumble. The first two poems seem like companion pieces in that they are both about the exposure of truth, things hidden being brought into the light.
Funny you say that, I have the same problem. I think it is the “perspi” part that tangles me up.
I have always liked the word hyperbole. It sounds just like it should. (K)
Yes. And I have always liked how you actually say it versus how it looks – hy-perb-o-ly when I would think hyper-bole. (Like how I read Penny-lope until I heard someone say Pe -nell- opy)
words are endlessly interesting…
Perspicacious could have been written about Molly Ivins.
Wow, you are so right.!
It’s the first thing I thought of when I read your poem.