The Words Left Out

The words left out
of the poem are afraid*
the magic of their birth
will remain with the poem,
will not follow as they search
air, oceans, earth for the writer,
the right speaker, to hold them
one or two at a time,
and place them precisely
where they’re perfect,
where they sound their vowels,
their consonants and silences
and breath the meaning
they were made to make.

*(Yannis Ritsos 1996. Monochords. Paper Bark Press.)