dear world,

please listen

these are the words of a girl 

who has words, but nowhere to put them

she reaches into her soul 

and pulls them out, one by one

lining them up neat and clean in a symmetrical row

she touches them, one by one

lets their sounds roll around in her mouth

dime a dozen, like a lamb to the slaughter, photographic memory

they flow, but not smoothly

so she chops them up into little bits

and stitches them back together

she smoothes out the creases with the heels of her hands

and pastes them into a poem 

but it is not right, something is still not good enough

so my dear world, listen to this girl

as she searches, still, for the perfect set of words