Part F: The A-Z of Unusual Words

I am a day late with this, but this officially closes the letter E and opens the letter F. This contest will be open until Tuesday, Nov 26.

I am going to be brief with the instructions. If you want to understand the requirements, how I judge and why I made the contest, start here.

My own interpretation:

I went looking for a new word this time. I found one in the world of geology. From the Brittanica website,

"felsenmeer: (German: “sea of rock”), exposed rock surfaces that have been quickly broken up by frost action so that much rock is buried under a cover of angular shattered boulders."

The most fascinating things happen when rock and water meet. Cave systems, beaches, eroded canyons and geysers are just a few of the examples where this happens. Ice is an especially powerful tool for changing rock quickly and powerfully.

Felsenmeer (this is both singular and plural) form through a process called frost heave. Water settles into cracks and pockets. Ice expands inside these areas with enough force to crack rock when there is nowhere to go. This deepens the crack and the process repeats during the next freeze. Over time, a rocky flat can shift into a field of piled boulders that can be dozens of feet deep. These features are most commonly found in areas that freeze often, like alpine, arctic and antarctic lands.

Metaphorically, this makes me think about the power of rest when making progress. The hustle culture is about having something going at all times. While this may feel productive, sometimes it means a long slog of tiny gains. It can also lead to burnout and resentment.

Taking breaks can look like less work, but it can also inspire bigger leaps toward reaching goals. That time spent "frozen" is not wasted. In fact, some studies show that your brain replays the task you're trying to complete hundreds of times while taking a short break- this means when you pause, your brain makes more attempts than if you actively tried.

Walks, dreams and vacations do a lot to spur creativity for me. Newness inspires me and pulls me out of my thought ruts. To this end, the felsenmeer represents how taking a pause (or a "chill") can turn a solid, rocky landscape of sameness into something entirely different. It is a lesson I need to incorporate more into my daily life.

Felsenmeer

You, of ordered lists and swift-moving hands

see my jumbled thoughts and

still body and think

I am drowning

in unfulfilled promises.

It is true that I am frozen,

but I am not still.

Deep beneath,

in my heart of gray basalt

the stillness you fear

has cracked through

the rigid walls

of thought

that I believed

I must stay in

Now, I am all angles

but no right corners

I can feel jagged earth

where smooth surfaces once were

and I am no longer anything

you have the words

to describe.

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I am excited to see what you all come up with next! Again, sorry for the delay. Please leave your entries in the comments below, and don't forget to check the original page (linked at the top) for the detailed instructions.