subtext

• •

Where the Words Come From

He tries to trace the shadow

his pen makes on the page

as he writes. It keeps moving,

changing shapes as if it has

a will of its own, an agency

beyond the word’s ability

to slip next to each other;

to re-inscribe the future

into familiar patterns

easy enough to follow

without thinking too much

for at least one more day.

(February 23, 2022)