Today's word: limitrophe (n.) a borderland, a neighbouring country.

Like the US, and most nations, there are those who are staunchly anti-refugee in this country. However, building a wall would not be useful for a nation surrounded on all sides by water. Instead, the catch-cry here, which the conservative government has used for many years is, "turn back the boats". This reflects the fact that most immigration which is not pre-authorised takes place via sea journeys from south-east asia, mostly Indonesia.

The subject of "illegal" immigration is complicated. There must be controls, both because unlimited intake is not possible, and for the safety of those seeking to make such a journey. On the other hand, people fleeing their homeland in fear for their lives and seeking refuge elsewhere are not criminals, and should not be treated as such.

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.

Thanks for reading.

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