sin against literacy: adjectifying fall
the conscientious writer… at pretty leaves peeks
no falsifying language, slapping ‘y’s and ‘ing’s,
only simply words needed: to express beauty

Autumny (adjective)

characteristic of autumn

Collins

Literacy (noun)

the ability to read and write proficiently

dictionary.com

Conscientious (adjective)

exercising attentive care to avoid errors or omissions : concerned with doing something correctly : meticulous, careful

governed by or conforming to the dictates of conscience : scrupulous

Merriam-Webster

In Malaysian boleh, what was once gumption
within cultural frame shifts… until mordacious
Sat in exhilaration, counting syllables,
searching for my demonym… for “from everywhere”

Boleh (verb)

Malaysian English. To have the power, ability, or capacity to do or deal with (something) successfully.Boleh (verb)

Malaysian English. To have the power, ability, or capacity to do or deal with (something) successfully.

Oxford English Dictionary

Gumption (noun)

enterprise, initiative

common sense, horse sense

Merriam-Webster

Mordacious (adjective)

sharp or caustic in style, tone, etc.

dictionary.com

Exhilaration (noun)

a strong feeling of excitement and happiness

Collins

Demonym (noun)

a name for a resident or native of a particular place, such as Floridian or Swede

vocabulary.com

Illustrious and shinning, just under the skin
Indistinct idiolect – tickling memory
You were a susurration: humming in my blood
Only thing acceptable, in my closed phloem

Illustrious (adjective)

notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity or achievements or actions : eminent

shining brightly with light; clearly evident

Merriam-Webster

Idiolect (noun)

a person’s individual speech pattern

dictionary.com

Susurrus (noun)

a whispering, murmuring, or rustling sound

Collins

Phloem (noun)

tissue that conducts synthesized food substances (e.g., from leaves) to parts where needed; consists primarily of sieve tubes

vocabulary.com

Bees do not fly directly from hive to flower
They asseverate to kith dancing directions
The bee with the most rizz wins like at a nightclub
So alike our kids and theirs blinded by impulse

make a beeline for (idiom)

to go quickly and directly at or to (something or someone)

Britannica

Asseverate (verb)

to affirm or declare positively or earnestly

dictionary.com

Kith (noun)

familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives

Merriam-Webster

Rizz (noun)

combination of charm, energy and style that makes someone or something attractive to many people.

Collins

These tears salt staining red cheeks, cogent of before
This olio of cultures, sour on the palette
That bright koi pirouetting, we swim in what’s known
This one moment suspended, breathe to breath stolen

déjà vu (noun)

an uncanny feeling that one has been in this same place or had this same, specific experience before, although it is actually new to one

Collins

Cogent (adjective)

appealing forcibly to the mind or reason : convincing; pertinent, relevant

having power to compel or constrain

Merriam-Webster

Olio (noun)

a dish of many ingredients

dictionary.com

Koi (noun)

a colorful, decorative fish of the carp family, originally bred and displayed in Japanese ponds

Vocabulary.com

pirouette

(noun) a rapid spin of the body, especially on the toes as in ballet

(verb) do a pirouette, usually as part of a dance

New York Times

Find your redivivus hope, your joss paper dreams,
In slow motion open breathe, Drinking incense smoke.
When you lost that fierce beauty, blinded from life’s awe,
I lit a candle for you, these words thru me spoke.

Redivivus (adjective)

living again; revived

dictionary.com

joss paper (noun)

In Chinese and East Asian contexts: paper or papercraft resembling and symbolizing money or other valuable items, used as an offering to a god, spirit, or deceased person.

Oxford English Dictionary

Fierce (adjective)

marked by extreme and violent energy

marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid

violently agitated and turbulent

ruthless in competition

Vocabulary.com

Impervious I still-sat – stone turned woman-shape
Your inveigled words worthless, as rain washes the salt
Seriation of arguments – devolved to heartaches
Features faded to soft rock, memory crystalline

Impervious (adjective)

incapable of being influenced, persuaded, or affected

dictionary.com

inveigle (verb)

influence or urge by gentle urging, cajoling or flattering

New York Times

Seriation (noun)

a serial arrangement or sequence; the act of arranging things in series or succession

Collins

Devolve (verb)

to pass on (something, such as responsibility, rights, or powers) from one person or entity to another

to pass by transmission or succession; to fall or be passed usually as a responsibility or obligation

to come by or as if by flowing down

to degenerate through a gradual change or evolution

Merriam-Webster

Mayhap we learn to be chic, aware of chintzy
Mayhap the herbivorous, learned others love
Mayhap hyperphagia, forages a bit much
Mayhap everything is just, perspective undone

Mayhap (adverb)

perhaps

dictionary.com

Chic

(noun) smart elegance of style and manner [ said esp. of women or their clothes]

(adjective) stylish in a smart, pleasing way

Collins

Chintzy (adjective)

of very poor quality; flimsy; of low or inferior quality

embarrassingly stingy

vocabulary.com

herbivorous (adjective)

feeding only on plants

New York Times

Hyperphagia (noun)

Compulsive overeating.

WordSmith

forage (verb)

of an animal : to eat growing grass or other plants : graze

to search for something (such as food or supplies)

Britannica

found buoyancy waking to an earthquake
when gloom gave way to versicolor dawn
ineffable lightness I couldn’t shake
filling my body a contagious yawn
and as expeditious all feeling gone.
this is the fine line mortality walks
on one side duress as a pale moon stalks
on the other a contained striving waits
each morning rises a choice of which small box
until the earth moves and pressure abates

Buoyancy (noun)

the ability or tendency to float or rise in liquid or air

the power to keep something afloat; upward pressure on a floating object

lightness or resilience of spirit; cheerfulness

Collins

Versicolor (adjective)

changeable in color; of various colors

dictionary.com

Ineffable (adjective)

defying expression or description

too sacred to be uttered

vocabulary.com

Expeditious (adjective)

marked by or acting with prompt efficiency

Merriam-Webster

duress (noun)

compulsory force or threat

New York Times

Spent by or on behalf of consumers
a pernicious economic tangle
created by destroying producers
Humans minified to greed and scramble
Our prowess will all life on earth mangle
No robustious defense can I here make
a litany against capitalism
doesn’t feed my children, undo our mistake
freeing from false evangelicalism
needs interconnectedness, a clean break

consumer (noun)

a person who buys goods and services

Britannica

Pernicious (adjective)

causing great injury, destruction, or ruin; fatal; deadly

Collins

Minify (verb)

verb

To diminish in significance or importance; to regard or represent (something) as less significant than it really is; to depreciate, belittle.

Oxford English Dictionary

Prowess (noun)

distinguished bravery

extraordinary ability

Merriam-Webster

Robustious (adjective)

boisterous; vigorous

dictionary.com

Litany (noun)

a prayer consisting of a series of invocations by the clergy with responses from the congregation

any long and tedious address or recital

vocabulary.com