Out for a Spin

Each day (except Sundays) in April, I'm writing poems with some obscure words starting with the letter of the day, and then doing a small watercolor to go with it.  Today's Letter is S in this Blogging A to Z Challenge.  

Out for a Spin

The saffron sun began to slide
To meet the sabulous dunes;
Scintillant on the waves it waved
Switching places with the moon.

Scintillescent stars began anew
Their saturnalian dance
Scattery through the sky at first
Till dark gave them their chance
 
Over skerry's shore, above steel sea
where saponacious waves collide
I scamander while looking up
Contented in this ride.

By Donna JT Smith ©2026

Thank you to The Phrontistery for providing lots and lots of lesser used words!

Sabulous - sandy; gritty; growing in sandy places
Saffron - orange-yellow
Saponaceous - soapy; soaplike
Saturnalian - riotously merry
Scamander - to take a winding course; to meander
Scattery - dispersed; sparse
Scintillant - sparkling
Scintillescent - twinkling
Skerry - small rocky island
 

 

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Rabbity Rabbit

Today's Letter is R in the Blogging A to Z Challenge.  I'm writing poems with some obscure words starting with the letter of the day, and then doing a small watercolor to go with it. 

Rabbity Rabbit

A radicivorous rabbit
Sat in my backyard;
His ears erect, his nose rugate,
Officially on guard.

He’d finished all my carrots,
stared with rutilant eyes;
His next thought, “Oooh, some radishes!”
I resignedly surmised.

He seemed rather calm and cool
Though not averse to rollick;
And if any danger should approach
His escape would be shambolic.

No rampallion, just a russet rabbit,
Searching for a meal,
A little respite from the sun,
Perhaps a time to heal.

No recaption, nor rustication
Was due, because this fellow,
This runagate rabbit, garden bound,
Was so rufous and fluffy and mellow.

I determined then that I would plant
Carrots and radishes galore
And if they didn’t grow fast enough
I’d buy fresh stuff at the store.

By Donna JT Smith ©2026
 

Thanks to The Phrontistery for the radical words:

Radicivorous - eating roots
Rugate - wrinkled
Rutilant  - shining, glowing ruddily
Russet - reddish brown
Rollick - exuberant jollity: to frolic gaily
Rampallion - scoundrel; villain
Ruction - disturbance; uproar
Recaption - reprisal; taking back that which is unlawfully obtained
Runagate - fugitive; vagabond
Rufous - reddish or brownish-red
Rumbustious - boisterous
Rurigenous - living or born in the country
Rusticate - to send into the country; to banish to rural areas
Rusticity - rustic manner; simplicity; rudeness
Shambolic - disorderly or chaotic

 

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Quiety in the Queach, Please

Today's Letter is Q in the Blogging A to Z Challenge.  I'm writing poems with some obscure words starting with the letter of the day, and then doing a small watercolor to go with it.

 

Quiety in the Queach

In a queach there lived a squirrel
Who loved his stand of trees
Until a chipmunk bold and loud
Arrived like quiff from sea

This chipmunk (let’s just call him Chip)
Was quidditative, full of quatsch
And all the Squirrel (let’s call him Squire)
Could do was sit and watch

He heard this querimonious Chip,
Quicksticks, shatter quiety;
Rustling leaves, racing ‘round stumps
This crazy quoz quelched propriety.

Poor Squire quinched and covered his ears
At all Chip’s quippery
Then quick as a quack Squire hatched a plan
To resume blessed quiety

Squire gathered acorns, seeds and such
And placed them in Chip’s nest
Now Chip’s quantifying quietly,
Shhh...this quiety is the best.

By Donna JT Smith ©2026

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Pansy

Today's Letter is P in the Blogging A to Z Challenge.  I'm writing a poem with some obscure words starting with the letter of the day, and then doing a small watercolor to go with it.

Pansy

A perky little pansy has a papilionaceous face
Perched in a paradisiacal pannikan or any happy place
I’m usually fairly panurgic but it’s misapplied to plants
On my list of "what to do", they’re on the side of can’ts
I’m very good at plastic plants since they don't need much water
Silk or paper will do, too, as none of those are rotters.
So pansy find another home, just leave and take your cup
Hanging around with me would mean your time will soon be up.

by Donna JT Smith ©2026

 

Words selected in the poem are found at The Phrontistery:
Pannikin - small metal cup
Papilionaceous - of, like or pertaining to butterflies
Paradisiacal - suggestive of a place or state of perfect bliss
Panurgic - good at all kinds of tasks

 

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Orarian

I felt great this morning...well, yesterday, so I could post this today.  I could do the dishes, take a shower, walk a bit, go to ukulele and attend a concert.  That was a busy day, yesterday.  I'll let you know tomorrow if I paid for it!  Sometimes that happens... So now for the letter O for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  I'm writing a poem a day and doing a watercolor to go with the poem. 

 

Orarian

Along the oundy sea
Is where I live and be
No need to overcross
Through waves that churn and toss
For either side of pond
I’d be equally fond
This orarian life is great
No need to obambulate

by Donna JT Smith ©2026

 

Words found at The Phrontistery:

Obambulate - to wander about
Obambulate - to wander about
Orarian - coastal; a coast-dweller
Oundy - wavy
Overcross - across; over

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Navigating Waters

Today is the letter N.  I almost didn't write or paint.  I was just tired and unmotivated.  I allowed myself to quit - for today and maybe for the rest of the month.  I think allowing myself to not do it, gave me the freedom to go ahead and start messing around without the goal in mind.  So here it is afterall.  N for today's A to Z Challenge. Phew!

It could use some flying gulls passing over, but they seem so trite.  Nifty, but nonessential.

Navigating Waters

A nascent natty artist
attempting navigation
Of natural water-colors
Sailed in with irritation

As a newbie, a noddypeak
Her brushes new and spry
She muddied cotton papers
To create cerulean skies

Navigable waters next were
Splashed from side to side
Ultramarine made up the sea
And white spray crested tide

It’s too bad that she couldn’t wait
For all the paints to dry
For now they've run together and
Drowning colors make her cry

Next time she’ll set a timer
When she has another go
And be more careful to let it set
So there's less ebb and flow.

by Donna JT Smith ©2026 

Thanks to: The Phrontistery for their alphabetical listing of obscure words.

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Not Malacophonous

Today's Blogging from A to Z Challenge is the letter M.  I am doing obscure, little used words to write a poem and then do a watercolor to go with the poem.  I did some magpies...I'll try again...or not lol!..

Not Malacophonous

A mischief came, just passing through
All mabsoot, slightly snarkey
I heard their imitations
And their malapert malarkey

Their magpiety was loud and brash
They mafficked through the day
And though they tried their best to sing
It just sounded like “Hooray!”

No time to be malacophonous
We always wax magniloquent
As magpies, we are what we are:
Quite the opposite of elephant.

By Donna JT Smith ©2026
 

Thanks to: The Phrontistery for their alphabetical listing of obscure words.

Mischief - a group of magpies
Mabble - to wrap up
Mabsoot - happy
Maffick - to celebrate exuberantly and boisterously
Magniloquent - speaking in a grand or pompous style
Magpiety - garrulousness
Malapert - bold; forward; saucy
Malacophonous - soft-voiced
Malarkey - humbug; nonsense
Maunder - to grumble; to drivel; to mutter
 

  

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Lightning Bugs

Today's Letter is L in the Blogging A to Z Challenge.  I'm writing a poem with some obscure words starting with the letter of the day, and then doing a small watercolor to go with it.

Lightning Bugs

Like largifical flickering stars,
These lepid creatures of light,
lambent fireflies flit
with legerity of sprites.

 Definitions:

largifical = ample, bountiful
lepid = pleasant charming amusing
lambent = flickering, touching lightly, glowing
legerity =  lightness, nimbleness

Credit: https://phrontistery.info/l.html

  

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Kool Ketch

Welcome to unusual K words for my Blogging from A to Z Challenge. 
This is a blue watercolor.  I didn't leave any white space in the water, because I was just practicing water and sky at the time.  But I decided to add a sketch-a-ketch, lol! I cut it out and laid it on top of the background...Tah-dah.

Kool Ketch

What a catch of a ketch I’ve caught
A ketch to roll on seas
A sweet little ketch with two great masts
And sails that set me free

Let's toss a kennebecker in
With lotion, food and books
We’re off to see some kelpies
Or a kraken in its nook!

Set the sails for sailing, kith,
Hoist our anchor high
We’re ready to be casting off
There are no clouds in the sky!

 

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Jumentous Sense

Welcome to the Letter J, for the 10th day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge and National Poetry Month - and evidently the "see how many things you can juggle at once" month.

There are ssoooo many interesting words beginning with the letter J.  It’s easy to just make a poem artificially forcing their use.  I am going to only pick a couple or three to use in a poem, instead of filling it with jaw-jaw.  I have a ways to go on doing professional donkey illustrations...but it didn't take that long.  That's a plus.

Jumentous Sense

A jumentous jubate animal
Is a donkey or a mule
One jackanapes, one jolterhead
Only ridden by a fool

They jounce and jaunce around the field
Headstrong and juvenescent
Bucking, kicking, waving heads
Both act like adolescents

Give me a steady full grown mare
Or trustworthy gelding steed
Directives via hands or legs
Is just the jussive that they need.

A donkey or a mule can be
Quite adequate to mow lawns
But I prefer a full grown horse
to jauncing jumentous cons.

By Donna JT Smith © 2026

Here are the cheats from Phenology.com.  Go there for more great words.

Jackanapes - impudent child; conceited fellow
Jaunce - to prance; to cause a horse to prance
Jaw-jaw - empty, sterile chatter
Jolterhead - clumsy oaf; blockhead
Jounce - to bump or jolt
Jubate - maned; having or possessing a mane
Jumentous - like a horse
Juvenescent - becoming youthful
Jussive - expressing a command

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Pen and Inkling

Today's A to Z Blogging Challenge is the letter I.  My topic is writing poetry (because it is National Poetry Month also) for each letter using little used or obscure words and then illustrating with watercolor.  The link to other participants with other themes are available below by clicking on the link.

Pen and Inkling

An itinerarian of this earth
Illapsing in and stopping
To catch my breath
And pause a while
ickle more to do than hopping.
immixing writing for a bit
from A to izzard, then
Painting as immure I sit
Incognizant of when
Impavidly I wave my brush
And pigment flows to yield
An illustration
For the prose
pen aided brush
to yield.  

by Donna JT Smith ©2026 

Ickle - little
Izzard - archaic name for the letter Z
Itinerarian - traveller
Ilke - kind or nature
Illapse - to glide in
Immix - to commingle
Immure - to imprison; to shut in
Impavid - fearless; undaunted

 

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Humgruffin Hijinx

It is day 7 of the AtoZ Blogging Challenge of posting each day, except Sundays.  

I have chosen to write a poem for each letter of the alphabet using some little known or little used words, and then doing a quick watercolor to go with the poem.  Today we are on the letter H:

Humgruffin Hijinx 

There once was a hungry humgruffin  
Who loved to eat blueberry muffins
They made him act hobbish
Quite silly and slobbish
I surmise that curmugeon was bluffin’.

His horrisonant rants were just hooey
He loved treats especially gooey
He craved a sweet jelly
Satiating his belly
And puddding just got him all dewey.

So to those who don't like being bitten
Bring him honey and he will be smitten
Like a sweets-loving boy
a hobbledehoy
With a purr like a sleepy-eyed kitten!

by Donna JT Smith ©2026

Did you know or figure out the H words?  Most words I have found using the website "The Phrontisery". Here are the H words definitions in case you don't have the time or inclination to look them up:

Humgruffin - terrible person
Horrisonant - dreadful-sounding 
Hooey - nonsense; humbug  
Hobbish - clownish
Hobbledehoy - awkward; gawky youth  

This took me all day, Wednesday, to try to finish.  I had to go the the bank and the pain was too distracting.  I am hoping it will get under control, or I will just be opting out on days I just can't do it.  I hate giving in, so we'll see.  But this one I almost didn't get done.  It's the night before and I still "need to" do the watercolor.   I don't NEED TO do anything.  I have to remember that.  If you are so inclined I would love prayers for healing.

 

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Galliard Gull

Today's letter is G for my AtoZ Challenge.  I'm doing a poem (for National Poetry Month) and a small, quick watercolor to go with the poem.  There's a link below to click to visit other participants this month.  I've included definitions below, also, so you can check them if you can't guess them (or don't know them).

Galliard Gull

A gull is such a galliard bird

With rabble rousing gabbling

As they’re given more to screams

Than quiet bits of babbling

They love a shiny gewgaw

They have a playful streak

And gad about to grab some chips —

A harmless little gleek

Gadzooks! You’d think a seagull

Would cry out ”Gaddyloo!”

And not be so gallionic

As it strews its loo gradoo

Gar! I am just a gawdelpus

Who loves to look at skies

Until a seagull screams and drops

Some topping on my fries.

By Donna JT Smith ©️2026

Gabble - to chatter or talk inarticulately

Gad - to wander about idly or in pursuit of pleasure

Gadzooks - a mild oath

Galliard - bright, gallant, lively

Gallionic - uncaring, indifferent

Gar - mild oath

Gardyloo- warning cry Gardyloo is a warning cry used in Scotland to warn passersby that dirty water or urine will be thrown out the window.

Gasconade -to brag or boast

Gawdelpus- a helpless person

Gewgaw - toy, trifling object, bauble

Gleek - a trick or joke

Gradoo  - clutter, gunk, grime

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Sorry, I'm in a Fluckadrift

Yesterday and the past few days have been busy and uncomfortable, so this part is short and to the point.  A to Z Challenge, April post a day except Sunday.  Letter F today.    Hoping today is easier so I can get back to enjoying the month.  I got a doctor's note today to excuse me from jury duty next month.  They'd have to let me bring my own chair and let me stand up any time I wanted to and walk around a bit.  I don't think they do that. I like jury duty, but I think I'm finished doing that.

Sorry, I’m in a Fluckadrift

I’m in a fluckadrift writing poems

But don’t floccipend, or ignore them

Though I can be folliful

And some times quite comical

I’m in hopes that I’ll write a fair gem.

By Donna JT Smith ©️2026

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fluckadrift: Old Scottish, meaning a haste or hurry

floccipend (flock-sip-end): to regard as insignificant

folliful: like to play pranks (derived from folly

Ergotising Elflocks

A to Z Day 5 Letter E:

Ergotising Elflocks

On sandy dune by the sea
my daughter was ergotising;
her golden tresses whipped by wind
the elflocks were revising
her decision to omit the braid
to keep her hair in line.
In just a few more minutes
strands would form into vine.
Over sand I rushed with comb,
her brush and hair ties, too.
With encraty she sat real still
As through her hair I drew
The teeth of comb to tame that knot;
A daunting hour's endeavor.
Still, essorant hair with braid and bow
won't stay that way forever!

by Donna JT Smith ©2026

ergotise:  to wrangle

elflock: lock of tangled hair

encraty: self control

essorant:  calm

 

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A to Z and the Progressive Poem

Scroll below if you are looking for the Progressive Poem with my line.

or

Welcome to the AtoZ Challenge!  Today is the letter D...little known or lesser used words, my  poem and my quick 5x7 watercolor... I should have a book when I'm done!

I tried to combine the two challenges, but it was taking too much brain power.  I needed to remember to take the trash out, and that wouldn't happen if I used all my brain power up.

Dit's a Poem

Donna found a little lamb;

its fleece was dag and darkled.

She gave the lamb a good dealbation

and glitter till it sparkled!

The lamb is now soft and dumose

With fleece that fairly billows.

She's sure that if she shears it off

She'll fill a dozen pillows!

by Donna JT Smith ©2026 

 Tomorrow is E...I wonder what's gonna happen.  Wait for it! (I am...)

 

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Progressive Poem is here! 

In April, National Poetry month,  a poem begins to grow! The Progressive Poem has begun blooming on contributors' websites.  The list is below. Each day a new line! We have three lines so far.  Today is my day to contribute the fourth line of our poem. 

To rhyme or not to rhyme. You have two guesses.  You will probably only need one.  This is me, right?  I've done poems without a rhyme, but that's not the way most of the time... HOWEVER, "building" is NOT an easy word to come up with a true rhyme...gildings...that's what I've got.  Either that, or an ear rhyme...I mean a near rhyme.

Tabatha created this lovely map of the Land of Poetry to go with her first line. I just couldn't help it (but I did stop!), I had to start putting place names in...poets for now.  Anyone want to add some place names??  There's enough room for all. I put it the map below the poem.

On my first trip to the Land of Poetry,

I saw anthologies of every color, tall as buildings.

A world of words, wonder on wings, waiting just for me

(new line from me)

birding for words shimmering, flecked in golden gilding.

 

 Enjoy the journey! Next up – Janice Scully at Salt City Verse!

Does anyone want to add a place name to the map?

Click on the links below to follow the progress of our April poem!

Thanks, Margaret Simon, for getting us in line!

April 1 Tabatha Yeatts at The Opposite of Indifference

April 2 Cathy Stenquist at A Little Bit of This and That

April 3 Patricia Franz at Reverie

April 4 Donna Smith at Mainely Write

April 5 Janice Scully at Salt City Verse

April 6 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care

April 7 Ruth Hersey at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town

April 8 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities

April 9 Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche

April 10 Janet Clare Fagel at Reflections on the Teche

April 11 Diane Davis at Starting Again in Poetry

April 12 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance

April 13 Linda Mitchell at Another Word Edgewise

April 14 Jone MacCulloch at Jone MacCulloch.com

April 15 Joyce Uglow at Storied Ink

April 16 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link

April 17 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge

April 18 Michele Kogan at More Art for All

April 19 Kim Johnson at Common Threads

April 20 Buffy Silverman at Buffy Silverman

April 21 Irene Latham at Live Your Poem

April 22 Karen Edmisten at Karen Edmisten

April 23 Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe

April 24 Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading

April 25 Tanita Davis at fiction, instead of lies

April 26 Sharon Roy at Pedaling Poet

April 27 Tracey Kiff-Judson at Tangles and Tails

April 28 TBD

April 29 TBD

April 30 TBD

Cachinnating Gulls on the Chabble

Today is the letter C in the AtoZ Challenge.  So here we go!  I'm doing a watercolor and a poem a day (except for Sundays, when I may be posting something else... or not).

Cachinnating Gulls on the Chabble

 

Laughing gulls gathered for tea –

a spot of fish and clam debris –

afloat on chabble of the sea.

one skreeched a joke and laughed "hee-hee"

and thus began the raucous spree –

a cachinnation jubilee –

that lasted until half past three.

And though I screamed, "Just let it be!",

they felt no guilt at bothering me.

by Donna JT Smith ©2026

To hear and see Laughing Gulls, click here.

 

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Bifurcate

Day 2 of AtoZ is the letter B, and it's April so I'm celebrating Poetry Month.

I'm writing a poem using a little used or interesting word (or two), and doing a related small watercolor on cotton 140lb 5x7 paper.  Both poem and watercolor are pretty quickly done, so I won't be able to swear to the quality of either...but I'll give it a go.  Usually I've prepped a number of pages beforehand with titles and links and sometimes the writing and art, but not this year!  No, this year I'm winging it!

Can't Bifurcate the Book

I’ve read a lot of pages,
I must put down my book.
It’s time for eating supper
And leave this cozy nook.

But I don’t have a bookmark
To use for bifurcation...
So I’m afraid I must remain
In bogus consternation!

Donna JT Smith ©2026

 

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A Limerick for an Abdominous Frog

Day 1 of the A to Z blogging challenge.  I am writing poems and doing mini watercolors again this year.  Welcome.  I'm trying to sign up on the page that show the participants...should have checked in earlier.  I'll get registered soon.  Enjoy the new vocabulary and limerick.  And here is the link to other participants in the AtoZ Challenge this month...lots of categories...it isn't just poetry and art!

I'm usually ahead of schedule with posts ready to go up, but I didn't realize how close to April we were!  I'm scrambling to write and paint.  Here's a freshly and one-shot deal frog....for A!  Lol!  My goal is a watercolor, a poem with a fun vocabulary word beginning with the letter of the day.  This one has 3.

 

An Abdominous Frog

There was an abdominous frog
Who sat in an anchoritic bog
Though camouflaged green
He could always be seen
Overlapping his abditive log.

by Donna JT Smith 3/31/2026 

Tomorrow B...I wonder what I am doing.