Hiatus

On Hiatus with the Royal We

We’re on hiatus—don’t debate us—

Arguments can so deflate us—

Just enjoy us—do not rate us—

And certainly do not conflate us

With some other poetaster!

Some doggerel can, of course, sedate us—

And some can (sure, we know) frustrate us—

But others can, well, activate us—

Maybe even captivate us—

Unless the lines spell out disaster.

To write some lines that fascinate us—

Perhaps to even liberate us—

We need at times to separate us—

We need some time to ventilate us—

Yes, this is how we poetasters

Exist. So please, my friends, don’t hate us:
It’s just, I hope, a brief hiatus!

Looks Can Fool You: Finis

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

The End

Our revels now are ended, Yo.

The road’s been long—and sometimes slow?

So now … enjoy the afterglow.

We looked at words a little weird—

And most were not what they appeared

To be (or not to be). So, geared

Up for a trip through Land of Word,

We saw the boundaries of absurd

And found our understanding blurred

From time to time. But now we’re back—

The journey done—and back on track.

(At least, I had no heart attack!)

Perhaps one day we’ll go again—

And go some place we’ve not yet been …

I wish that I could tell you when ….

Looks Can Fool You, 70

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

70: wound

He wound the bandage ’round his wound—

It hurt so much he nearly swooned.

“I guess,” he said, “when I am bored

I shouldn’t play with such a sword.

“It doesn’t help (I’m such a clunk!)

That I was also kind of drunk.

I’m prob’ly not the wisest guy—

I know I’m also kind of high.

“I’ve been depressed—just feeling low:
I asked her out, and she said, ‘No!’

And, yes, of course, I just got fired—

I told my friends that I’d retired.

“My eyesight isn’t good for me—

Without my glasses, I can’t see.

So messing with a sword? Not smart.

Is that my knife stuck in my heart?”

Looks Can Fool You, 69

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

69: wind

As days wind down, we gasp for wind—

Each breath, we realize, a gift.

It takes so long for us to find

That life is precious, very swift.

I’m grateful I’ve lived long enough

To thank so many who have made

My pathways through this life less rough—

I view the future, less afraid.

Looks Can Fool You, 68

 het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

68: tear

I knew my heart would tear in two

If I received the news—

The news that she had left me for

That guy from Syracuse.

The Orangeman made his love-struck pitch—

He thought he would prevail.

How could she turn his offer down?

He knew he couldn’t fail.

But fail he did. And when I heard

My thoughts were very clear.

But not my eyes, which both were full

With gratitude, with tear.

Looks Can Fool You, 67

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

67: subject

“Subject the subject to a search!”

The angry officer declared.

“We can’t let guys like him besmirch

Those things for which we all have cared!”

The warrant, good—the judge had signed.

They tore the subject’s place apart.

And what did all those searches find?

Beneath the floor—a beating heart!

“Now this is awfully weird!” cried one—

“It really freaks me out here, Yo!”

But Fate was merely having fun,

Alluding to old Edgar Poe!

Looks Can Fool You, 66

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

66: sow

The sow was troubled where she ate—

She saw the farmer—sharpened knife!

She worried now about her life:

Would she be on his dinner plate?

But, no, he had a field to sow—

He had no plans for pork that night.

He loved that sow—it wasn’t right

To kill her for a meal, you know?

But, later, hungry, he reneged.

He caught the sow there while she slept.

She’d been caught napping (so inept).

And so, that night, our farmer pigged.

Looks Can Fool You, 65

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

65: slough

Pronunciation varies here—

You hear all kinds of different things:

Can be confusing—rarely clear—

Such problems our weird language brings!

A snake sheds skin—and that is slough,

Which rhymes, I see, with cuff and rough.

But when you feel you’re in a slough,

It rhymes with blue and you and goo.

You’re feeling low? You’re in a slough,

And that can rhyme with pow! and ow!

But people say these different ways—

So if you’re forced, you know, to choose?

Here’s what I do in such a maze:

I find another word to use!

Looks Can Fool You, 64

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

64: sewer

The sewer paused her sewing, for

She smelled an awful smell.

“My dear, where are you going?” asked

Her husband (who was swell).

“That sewer smell! The basement! Oh,

I’ll go and check the source.”

And he was glad to see her go—

He was a wimp, of course.

The hours passed—but no return.

The husband mused and shrugged.

“Oh, well,” he said with slight concern,

“At least I won’t be hugged!”

Looks Can Fool You, 63

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

63: separate

“You think it’s time to separate?”

The husband asked the wife.

“And do you think that each of us

Should have a separate life?”

“Sure—go ahead—just file away,”

Said his once-loving wife—

And smiled, stayed sharply focused while

She honed her Bowie knife.

Looks Can Fool You, 62

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

62: secreted

I secreted away the gold

That I had found—the Klondike Strike!

But now that I have gotten (very) old,

I have a problem I don’t like:

I don’t remember where I stashed

That yellow stuff from underground.

And now the markets—all have crashed—

Have made me need some gold around.

Is there a drug that I could take?

One that secreted memory?

Then separated true from fake?

Oh, that would be of use to me!

Looks Can Fool You, 61

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

61: sake

She sipped her sake, smiled and sighed—

She was so glad that I had died.

Of course, she’d helped me on my way—

That poison kind of spoiled my day.

Because I loved her—for her sake—

I said I loved her (poisoned) cake.

So now I’m lying on the floor—

I’ll eat no cake forevermore.

My only consolation prize?

That poisoned sake … her shocked eyes

As she has realized her fate—

Revenge is sweet—there’s no debate!

Looks Can Fool You, 60

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

60: row

Oh, we heard quite a row in the street near our house—

Near the row of apartments nearby.

And the voices were loud, and the threats were absurd,

And the tempers were flaring so high.

So I went to the street where I sought to bring peace—

And to see if this strife I could fix.

I got shot and I’m now in a boat—how we row!—

And I think that this river’s the Styx.

Looks Can Fool You, 59

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

59: resume/résumé 

So, feeling ill, I paused a while—

Ignored my partial résumé.

When I’m not well, I’ll stop, for I’ll

Not get much done on such a day.

But then the illness fled, and I

At last could work—I could resume

My efforts, for I’d vowed to try

To be her husband—be a groom.

But when I checked the mail that day?

A wedding invitation there.

And do I really have to say

Whom she would wed? Some billionaire!

Yes, that dear woman whom I’d craved—

Yes, that dear woman whom I’d sought—

Yes, that dear woman who’d behaved

Egregiously. Oh, she’d been bought!

Looks Can Fool You, 58

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

58: resign

“I think I will resign right now!”

He bellowed at his boss.

And so he did—but noticed soon

A quite substantial loss

In all his varied bank accounts.

“Oh, this is not so fine!”

He cried aloud—then cried again:

“I guess I will re-sign!”

The boss was not so willing, though—

He’d seen this stuff before.

So when that former employee

Came by, he slammed the door.

Looks Can Fool You, 57

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

57: reside

The time had come—oh, this we knew:

Reside the house where we reside.

The clapboards? Rotting. Through and through.

We could not view our home with pride.

The project now is underway—

The ripping, wrenching sounds we hear!

But they’ll be done some far-off day.

We’ll be in debt—oh, that is clear!

Looks Can Fool You, 56

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

56: rerun

I watched the rerun (Netflix, Yo)

About a very famous race—

Olympians: yes, quite a chase—

Those runners? They could really go!

I won’t rerun the film again—

Well, not until my mind fades more,

And I forget that foot-race war—

And don’t remember who will win.

So when your memory fades a bit,

There’s one advantage (as you know?):

You don’t remember how things go—

And I am kind of pleased with it!

Looks Can Fool You, 55

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

55: relay

I should relay some thrilling news

About a relay race ahead.

And I won’t let you here excuse

Yourself. So be there—or be dead.

For I will run the anchor lap—

And certainly (you know) I’ll win.

So be there, dear old friend, old chap,

Or you’ll end up like Anne Boleyn.

Looks Can Fool You, 54

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

54: refuse

“I refuse to pick up refuse!” cried

That spoiled child I heard.

And then I felt an awesome whoosh—

And saw a giant bird

That swept the little brat aloft.

The bird’s words as he flew?

“You don’t like picking up the trash?

I’ll make a meal of you!”

And so the brat who had refused

To do what he should do

Became a bird-meal—later on,

A kind of refuse too.

Looks Can Fool You, 53

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

53: recreation

I loved those recreation sites

In boyhood—all those playgrounds, parks.

They seemed but one of childhood’s rights—

And there were all the lights and darks

Of childhood. Friends and bullies reigned—

A kind of life for us writ small

Where things were done but not explained—

Where things made sense—or not at all.

In memory I often do

A recreation of those sites—

I think they help me travel through

These troubling days, these darkening nights.

Looks Can Fool You, 52

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

52: record

He set a record—did you hear?

The most books read, a single year.

So we record that stunning feat—

This record will be tough to beat.

And he won’t beat it (sad to say)

His brain blew up that final day.

It simply could contain no more—

The price he paid is on the floor.

Yes, this is gross, I won’t deny.

A nice—but so explosive guy.

Looks Can Fool You, 51

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

51: rebel

You cannot be a rebel if

You choose not to rebel.

This seems so obvious, you know—

The ringing of a bell.

But choose the bells you listen to—

Be careful that the sound

You follow to rebellion won’t

Dispatch you underground.

(Unless that’s where you want to be!)

Looks Can Fool You, 50

het·ero·nym

Noun: one of two or more homographs [words that are spelled the same]

that differ in pronunciation and meaning

(such as a bass voice and bass, a fish)

First Known Use: circa 1889

50: raven

“I want to raven”—so he said

While he lay, hungry, in his bed.

Outside, a raven heard the man,

And since it was a kind of fan

Of humans (guys like Edgar Poe),

He thought he’d try to help, you know?

And so he tap, tap, tapped upon

The bedroom door—at crack of dawn.

The man in bed was frightened now—

He feared that tapping sound somehow.

And when he opened, looked outside,

He saw—well—something that had died.

The raven left there on the floor

A critter that was nevermore.

The man decided not to eat.

“I think,” he said, “that is no treat.”

And he went on a diet, Yo.

And ravenous? Oh, not no mo’!