Sound and Sense, 2-66

Time for more instances of the homophone: a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air.

1. missed (verb—past tense of miss): to fail to hit, catch, reach, or get (something); to fail to use (something); to fail to do, take, make, or have something; to discover or feel the absence of; etc.

2. mist (noun): water in the form of very small drops floating in the air or falling as rain; a fine spray; (verb): to become overhead with very fall drops of water; of a person’s eyes—to fill with tears; etc.

Because of all the mist he missed

His turn. And later he’d insist

That all had been an accident,

That neighbor’s yard where his car went.

The car destroyed some gorgeous plants

(And several rows of busy ants).

The owner’s eyes began to mist:
She started forming such a list

Of all that she would sue him for—

The flattened flowers—ants—and more.

But in the swirling, densest mist

He just drove off, while neighbors hissed.

They caught him quickly, down the hill:

So many flowers on the grille!