THERE HAS TO BE A WORD

A WORD THAT PUTS THE THING IN PLACE

WITHOUT WHICH THERE IS ONLY SPACE

THAT’S LEFT UNFORMED WITHOUT A TRACE

OF WHAT MIGHT BE OR MIGHT HAVE BEEN

BY WILL OR GRACE

THE PERFECT THING

TO PASSIONATELY EMBRACE,

PERCEIVED UNSHADOWED AND UNBLURRED

BECAUSE THERE WAS THE PERFECT WORD

I’M LOOKING FOR THE WORD

I’M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE WORD

THAT TELLS ME WHO I AM AND HOW

I CAME TO BE AND WHERE I’LL GO

AND LETS ME KNOW MY MIND IS FOLLOWING

THE FLOW IT SHOULD 

–OR NO.

I CAN’T SLOW DOWN

UNTIL I’M ANCHORED SOLIDLY

UNTIL IN MY GEOMETRY

THE PROBLEM OF THE WORD FOR ME

IS SOLVED PRECISELY

QED.

BUT WHAT IF FINDING 

THAT RIGHT WORD OR PHRASE

OBLITERATES WHAT I DEFINE,

TRANSFIXING PREMATURELY 

WHAT’S MOVED AWAY ALREADY,

SHED THE SHELL OF MEANING I IMPOSE,

ACCRUING LIFE THAT GROWS AND SHOWS

ANOTHER SIDE, ANOTHER POSE, 

ANOTHER SET OF CLOTHES,

AND I REACH SPEECHLESS,

EMPTY AND EXPOSED

SEARCHING FOR THE WORD

FOREVER UNDISCLOSED?

I’M WHAT I SAY I AM

AND YOU ARE WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE

BUT ALSO YOU ARE WHAT I SAY 

YOU ARE, AND I AM WHAT YOU SAY

I AM–BOTH PROPOSITIONS TRUE.

EVENTUALLY 

WE MUST AGREE

AND FIND A MUTUALITY

OF YOU AND ME 

THE NOUNS AND VERBS AND ADJECTIVES

AND SOUNDS THAT CAPTURE US 

WITH CLARITY 

COMPLETELY

FUNDAMENTALLY

ESSENTIALLY.