Over the horizon

by CD Richards

If only nauscopy were really true,
we'd know of ships ere they sailed into view.
Imagine if before you'd sighted land,
you knew on solid ground you soon would stand.

There's little doubt it could engender glee,
when choosing numbers for the lottery,
to know exactly those that will be picked;
financial woes? We'd have all of them licked.

Some say that they know what the future holds,
but I prefer to wait 'til it unfolds.
How would it be to know what lay ahead,
If in that vision you were stone cold dead?

Of course, that is the final fate of all;
but surely, it would really cast a pall
to view tomorrow as it were the past,
and find out that's when you would breathe your last.

So keep your precognition to yourself,
and leave the tarot cards upon the shelf;
yours is a game that I don't want to play,
I'll take this life and live it day to day.

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Today's word: nauscopy (n.) the alleged ability to spot a ship or land when it is over the horizon.

My much-treasured Christmas present for 2017 is a book by Paul Anthony Jones: "The cabinet of linguistic curiosities". Each page contains a descriptive story about some obscure or archaic word. It occurred to me it would be a fun exercise to try and write, each day, a poem featuring the "word of the day" from the book.

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Over the horizon

by CD Richards

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