Friday, March 25, 2022

EXCHANGE

I hereby pledge, 
every day, to make you 
fresh music 

using the only two 
means that I've got: 

those syllables of English
speech which are 
stressed, 

and those 
which are not.

I'll arrange these 
small words into 
glimmering patterns— 

based on the ones 
I first learned 
(before I knew 

how to put on a raincoat
or tie my own shoes)
by memorizing, 

then parroting back 
the glimmering
fuss of grown-ups.

But in exchange 
for all that, I want you 
to promise  

to take precious care 
of my instruments: 

the measure 
and pitch of the voice 
in your head 

and the moment-
to-moment endurance
of your breath.