THE LOST WORD
She's lost a word
and searches for it everywhere -
behind the sofa, at the back
of dusty cupboards and drawers.
She picks through the buzzing rubbish sacks.
Under the carpet she finds lots of others
she'd forgotten she'd swept there,
but not the one she's looking for.
The trouble is it's small - only two letters -
though no less valuable for that.
She stands racking her brains
for the last time she used it
but all that comes to mind
are failed attempts
when her mouth was full
of someone else's tongue.
(-esther morgan)
She's lost a word
and searches for it everywhere -
behind the sofa, at the back
of dusty cupboards and drawers.
She picks through the buzzing rubbish sacks.
Under the carpet she finds lots of others
she'd forgotten she'd swept there,
but not the one she's looking for.
The trouble is it's small - only two letters -
though no less valuable for that.
She stands racking her brains
for the last time she used it
but all that comes to mind
are failed attempts
when her mouth was full
of someone else's tongue.
(-esther morgan)
