Present-Tense

a close-up of a stopwatch

Present-Tense

adj.
intimidated by the awareness that you’re in the present moment, right now, inhabiting the single fleeting second that exists, feeling like a surfer riding a cresting wave across an infinite sea, desperate to keep your balance, but unsure whether to lean forward or lean back.

From present, the moment at hand + tense, in a state of nervous strain.

Epistrix

several doors standing in a dark room

Aftersome

rows of opaque and clear marbles

Daguerreologue

Daguer-reologue

a man sitting in blurred silhouette at a desk

Archimony

a person looking at broken furniture

Austice

a leaf imprint in the mud

Vellichor

shelves with many books stacked and organized

Halfwise

a train coming towards the camera shot from the tracks

Inerrata

a hand holding a broken cup

Tirosy

a close-up of a young child's face

Pithered

stacks of papers and folders piled high on a table

O’Erpine

a person looking at a grave

Harke

a dreamlike image of a person's face over water

Keyframe

a large rock in the water with emanating ripples

Backmasking

a woman's face with a double exposure

Ecury

a close-up of cave drawings and symbols

Blinkback

a wall full of pictures and objects

Zysia

a kite soaring above an empty landscape

Present-Tense

a close-up of a stopwatch

Archimony

a person looking at broken furniture

Xeno

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

Hickering

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

Cullaways

a lone sand castle on a beach at low tide

Tillid

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

Catoptric Tristesse

Cover image for the Catoptric Tristesse word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Wenbane

a person standing on a ledge looking at a city skyline

Karanoia

a neat stack of white paper

Apolytus

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