Kuebiko

Cover image for the Kuebiko word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Kuebiko

n.
a state of exhaustion inspired by senseless tragedies and acts of violence, which force you to abruptly revise your expectations of what can happen in this world, trying to prop yourself up like an old scarecrow, who’s bursting at the seams yet powerless to do anything but stand there and watch.

In Japanese mythology, Kuebiko is the name of a kami deity, a scarecrow who stands all day watching the world go by, which has made him very wise but locked in place. Pronounced “koo-web-i-koh.”

Clockwise

a close-up of flower along with polaroid pictures

Adronitis

Cover image for the Adronitis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Holiette

Cover image for the Holiette word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Hanker Sore

Cover image for the Hanker Sore word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Ecury

a close-up of cave drawings and symbols

Anchorage

a person's arm extended over river rapids