Spit and Lyricism and Worse

Our words should not be made of spit alone.

Words want the wool and softness of the tongue,

The way it twists into the danger zone

Of love or tries to find its way among

The higher thoughts of mind. Words also need

The harder, sharper shapes of teeth to form

Precision’s argument and plant the seed

Required by clarity. Words want the warm

Sonority, vibrations of the voice

Box, deeper throat, breath of lung—and the part

That sphincter lips must play. Still the most choice

Sounds echo with the sprawling of the heart.

But then when agony arrives, omit

All these, except the force of snot and spit.