She said: Feeling sad.
That Last Infernal Prompt
She was the only casualty of the delphic clue
so obscure no other blogger knew quite what to do
with a word like “xiphisternal.” What other site was rude
enough to pose a prompt word so juvenile and crude?
She tried to write a ballad that would win her wide renown.
Instead, the stress of writing it was what brought her down.
That heart attack (her cause of death) was ironically infernal,
for the last pain that she felt on earth was sadly xiphisternal
Prompt words today are juvenile, casualty, ballad, delphic, xiphisternal and down.
To save your looking it up as I was forced to do, the xiphisternal joint (or xiphisternal symphysis) is a location near the bottom of the sternum, where the body of the sternum and the xiphoid process meet.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Well you got to the bottom of that one quickly. I have an interesting theory on that.
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Which is?
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It’s a tough word to use. I can’t find its meaning!
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Sadje, I defined it at the end of my post. Look under the line that gives the prompt words at the end.
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Oh, sorry didn’t see it before. Still hard to use in a casual sentence.
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Probably unnecessary, too.
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Yup, I agree
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And xiphoid??😂😂
Sent from my iPhone
>
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So clever!
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I… just… wow…
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I heard your words, I saw your struggle, your photo broke my heart. I felt your pain and I thought “awww…” But then I perked up! Chance are it was not your intention, but Thank You(!) for explaining this certain shooting ache I feel unto this day, after that chest crunching car wreck years ago. Somehow, explanatory words put a shape to pain so that it can be better contained, by information, of all things! Works for me, anyway.
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Glen, I don’t think I ever knew about the car wreck. Surely I couldn’t have forgotten…
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Thanks for the help so we didn’t need to find the dictionary!!!
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You’ve got to be truly inventive to incorporate a word like this.
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It was a stretch, I must agree. I must also add that the person who created the prompt did not even use it in his poem!!! He just used it as “inspiration.” I registered a complaint. Much as I appreciate those who create the prompts, I really do get tired of difficult words that get in the way of the poem and force it to their own ends. The least they can do is to attempt their own prompts!!!
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I agree. I teach my students to try and test the tests they create for their own students before they administer those tests.
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I just got rid of all my old teaching files and tests. Wish I’d thought to do that before I did.
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Can you believe I’ve lugged them around with me for 40 years? That’s when I quit teaching.
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I’m amazed by how you used the prompt words. Well done!
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Thanks, Serendippitysays!!!!
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