John Biscello

In the beginning was the Word.

And the Word grinned like a lascivious jackal, like a cruel scythe,

and we were seduced.

A votive placed in our niche spreading small light

as Word-symbol flashed before our illuminated eyes:

the darkened hollow in the nape of an apple,

which when translated becomes both kiss and lips.

Words started pairing and proliferating

meaning a multi-versal vocabulary of longing and ache

brought kiss to lips, knife to bark, shout to twist,

missive to scribe.

Words in captivity, and unqualified conviction, between you and I,

shrunk the gap of distances while blending pronouns

into something hybrid and unrecognizable.

We expand and widen by asking,

and by test-proofing drive-bys

authored by poetic license.

In other words, there have never been any words for this,

only clumsy sincere attempts and measures

meant to resemble words

or word-like drift.