My Words

i scrape these words from beneath my skin

and indeed they are all mine

each selectively and carefully chosen

in a secret process lost to time

i pull these words from within and out

they slide between my many layers

there lays my faith i have no doubt

regardless of any other players

i shape these words from deep within

some are more malleable than others

and then like an anal audiophile

i ensure that all my records have covers

i gouge these words ever so carefully

with just a prod a poke a tease

like a fully fledged master of my art

it’s a not a matter of what i please

i find these words under my eye lids

from behind my retinas they creep

then like the posts in a dysfunctional tent

they poke out from behind when i sleep

i don’t know when my turn will be over

and if i don’t say it now i may not get another chance

i hope what i write gets a really good read

and not just a quick furtive glance

i’m trying to get them out and down

or is it an agitated in and up

it's so easy to get caught and scrambled

my mind runneth over, not my cup