| portmanteau | tote |
| combination | drawstrings |
| ingress | exhalation |
| plush | riband |
| foam | crepe |
| recesses | crinkle |
| moulded | atomiser |
| lubricant | billow |
| muzzle | luscious |
| assemblage | salve |
| smooth | stilettos |
| black | weal |
| steel | pumice |
| tapered | tallow |
| grooved | aromatherapy |
| symbiosis | cordial |
| indurate | ottoman |
| buttressed | recumbent |
| heft | bliss |
| ratchet | operatic |
| crosshairs | maestro |
| bloodless | ardour |
| torque | crescendo |
| declutch | conducting |
| reverberation | timpani |
| recoil | exultation |
| rupture | soaring |
| pithed | bodiless |
| perforated | suds |
| punctured | immersion |
| spatter | smirch |
| encore | encore |
| flawless | purged |
| dismantle | uncluttered |
| reconceal | divested |
| dematerialise | triumphant |
| quietus | release |
| contract | decree |
| nisi | absolute |
“ – the dangerous words, the padlocked words, the words that do not belong to the dictionary, for if they were written there, written out and not maintained by ellipses, they would utter too fast the suffocating misery of a solitude …” Jean Genet Introduction to “Soledad Brother – The Prison Letters of George Jackson”
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I am glad you have such a descriptive title, because otherwise, I would be totally baffled. Instead of mostly baffled, which is what I am now. I don't get. I mean the words are total opposites, but I don't think I get the connection with divorce.
ReplyDeleteYou get the adjectives on odd weekends. I get the sentence fragements on holidays.
ReplyDeleteDeal!
ReplyDeleteEach word is the summation of a stage of a marriage (reaching the point of adultery or perhaps the attempt tp spice things up) and then going into decline, to be read left to right, left to right in a sequence.Effectively from them moving into together (her the portmanteau his the toe) to the degree absolute.
ReplyDeleteAm I close?
Viv
Oooh that would be telling! But yes to be read down and across like an acrostic in some ways
ReplyDeleteMarc
Got it now, to dark for me at first to see.
ReplyDeleteThe quickest way to end a marriage is murder...
Yikes, hope your OH doesn't read this!
Ah, I got it on second read, between reverberation and recoil!
ReplyDeleteMazzz, you being a gun girl as well!
ReplyDeletemarc
I like the intersection at "encore." I first read top to bottom and didn't notice it.
ReplyDeleteThe weird thing you've just made me realise, is that I don't think I'd ever read either of them down, but always across the two. Each line was written as a pair, though with the echo of the previous line in my head
ReplyDeletevery clever
ReplyDeleteIt was the set of tags that helped me get it. Great cut scenes from the winner in this transaction to the loser. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI began to understand about halfway through, and so went back to read again from the beginning. I love it Marc, so much said in so few words. I'm loving this experimental stage you have going on, keep it up!
ReplyDeleteI admit, I didn't really get it - all I saw was a list of opposites, until about halfway through when I think I finally picked up the thread.
ReplyDeleteI got it...but then I'm weird like that. Plus, my class did a similar exercise in Creative Writing at OU. And I'm used to abstract thought and painting...
ReplyDeleteI would say my number one flaw is omitting too much and expecting the reader to do some work (thinking, reading between the lines) and then going overkill in editing to make things more clear. I end up feeling too wordy.
I much prefer the bare bones, so to speak. So I liked it. It was like a puzzle. And isn't that symbolic for divorce? All the pieces that once fit, scatter. Until all you're left with is emotions that defy words or logic? Useless words that mean nothing, do nothing to convey the reject, failure, anguish, and hatred?
It's perfect, Marc. Just perfect. :)
After reading the comments, I can easily see where it was going but ... I'm not a good judge and often awful at reading anything remotely abstract. Call me Mr. Linear narrative. But I truly admire your brave attempt the step outside of the creative box.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like my thought process after speed reading articles about vacation getaways, two new cars, sports highlights, and the weekend nightlife.
ReplyDeleteI got it, but took a some time to re-read and think about what was actually going on - which is a good way to refresh our reading habits I think. Keep up the obscure work :)
ReplyDeletebravo! love this.
ReplyDelete