joshua mertz's Shared Poems

Sometimes I feel like
A ventriloquist who is
Playing to the deaf

Words say nothing
Yet here we are
Talking of things
We cannot say
And that say nothing
And yet
Here we are
Talking

It comes before that which it modifies
A clumsy lover, yet persistent and efficient
John hit Bob on the arm
Only John hit Bob on the arm
John only hit Bob on the arm
John hit only Bob on the arm
John hit Bob only on the arm
(or if Bob is an amputee)
John hit Bob on the only arm
Each lonely only wholly holy
Perfect in meaning
Luminous in righteous perfection
Misunderstood, a bastard word
Proud and fearful
Condemned to only work for fools