When I encounter a word I don’t know
I check the books and screens.

Even after that, there remain words
I cannot find the meaning of.

Some are multisyllabic thefts
from languages not mine.

Some might be mis-spellings
or typos that look correct until not.

Some congregate in sentences
but so many just sit there

refusing to surrender meaning.
And then there are the words

I always thought I knew:
tree, rain, stone, island, myself.

Michael Penny was born in Australia and now lives on an island near Vancouver, BC. He pursues his interest in sustainable development as chair of the municipal Advisory Planning Commission. He has published five books and in numerous literary journals.