Wordbirds, 13

This new series—“Wordbirds”—arises from a journey I am taking through my Webster’s 3rd Dictionary. What I’m doing: I look on the first page for each letter, and the first word that flies up at me (because I don’t know it, because I just think it’s interesting, etc.) becomes the subject for that day’s doggerel. I will move through letter z, then work my way back again, the second time using the last page of each letter’s section of Webster's. Let’s see what happens ...

Words that flew into my life from Webster’s 3^rd …

mabe noun

A cultured pearl that is essentially hemispheric in form

When thinking of a gift, old Abe

Decided that he'd give a gabe

To Mary Todd.

But she was not at all impressed.

In fact, she sort of second-guessed

Old Honest Abe.

So there was tension ’twixt the two—

So what on earth could those two do,

The man and wife?

He said, “Well, let's go see a play—

I hear a good one’s on today?”

And Abe got shot.