ephemerid

A short lifespan leads to restlessness; somewhere within the next few years, there has to be some El Dorado fdr the ephemerid.

(Group chorus) Hi ephemerid.

"Night Music" displays exultant craftsmanship, a use of difficult and demanding forms, a gleeful flaunting of farfetched words - not absurd but fetched a long way ("mackled," "ephemerid," "funebrially," "hexahedral").

Momentarily, the hemp re- tarded the stiff fingers, and the corpse performed a slow pirouette, like the half turn of a thrown knife seen by an ephemerid, or the tumbling of a derelict through the abyss that separates the worlds.

Named for the ephemerid, or mayfly, which lives for only a day, the society may be a misnomer, considering the longevity of the aged broadsides, sheet music, playing cards, valentines, pamphlets, tickets, political campaign material, manuscripts, trade cards, invitations, photographs, letterheads and other items it has collected for sale.