Ari Koontz

a. [noun] the lake on the verge of a storm and the taste of “maybe” after years without speech, a gull soaring just below the breeze;

b. [verb] the act of a small blade of grass pushing up against dirt and snow and concrete until it finds the one square inch where its green can come in, where its roots need not fight the earthworm for nourishment;

c. [adjective] the quality of light before sunset, or the emotion associated with finding a good book in a bin marked “free”;

d. [verb] a gentle movement of the fingers.

past participle: that time of night when you are not tired but your eyes keep sliding shut but you’re determined to make it to the clock striking twelve because if you do, if you just stay here for long enough, something will appear to you anew.

use it in a sentence: It’s both the silence and the moments between, the ___ing and the knowing.

first known appearance:

september 7th

language of origin:

the one inside your head that may or may not make a sound

synonyms:

plum jam, windbreaker, moon phase, chutzpah

antonyms:

broken pottery, days-old coffee, the act of forgetting to take photos

See Also:1. LIMINAL2. COURAGE3. UNBOUND

Ari Koontz (they/he) (Instagram: @ari.october) is a queer nonbinary writer, artist, and baker currently residing on the shore of Lake Superior, where they are an MFA candidate at Northern Michigan University. Their favorite sweets include summer sunsets, lemon squares, and every cat that exists.