sayfish – n. a sincere emotion that seems to wither into mush as soon as you try to put it into words – like reeling in a shimmering beast from the deep only to watch it wriggle limply on the line, which makes you want to leave it down there, languishing unexpressed, where it’ll grow dark and slender and weird, with ghostly blue eyes and long translucent teeth.
That is an excellent description in a definition. A thing shimmering into mush as you look at it. I’m sure some movie has a great visual of this, but I think about something fading and dissolving as I focus on it.
I think I’ve sometimes had this emotion when I start to get annoyed or angry at someone (or a situation). As I start to process the emotion, it fades and disappears as I realize I’m being irrational.
Or more likely, I’m just hungry and over-reacting.
I don’t usually think it lingers or grows, but maybe I’m just repressing things. Who knows. Still a great definition.
From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows