missing words

in my teens, twenties, then
more completely in my thirties
I gave myself to words

trained myself to say ravenous
instead of hungry, indisposed instead of
sick, dormant not quiet

I thought: I'll grow in synonyms
until better translations come along
thought spirituality must

be about sophistication until I
saw the naked power in words
like: no, help, and please.

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words: Peter Schwartz, Maine (Sitrah Ahra)
image: Jeff Crouch, Texas (more)

- originally posted in April 2009