let them lie where they lie,
the consonants can take the abuse
because of their hardness,
the vowels need protection.

soft and flowing like a mountain
of mother teresas,
the vowels disguise themselves
among the consonants.

each propped next to their meaning
and watching each added mix,
it's there their meaning changes
and changes.

til finally it's one big olio
of phonemes, becoming a goop
of daffodils to some
and coffin nails to others.

as the blind look
and coo 'how beautiful!'
and smiling with crooked teeth
thinking they see the horizon.

09/27/2005