At one time a line of words

 

March 5, 2006  (I was 61)

 

At one time a line of words

would come to my attention

in a tone of potential importance

and I would immediately write it raw

record it where I would encounter it again

or as often examine it then

listening to it

to think of what it might say next

or of what was said before

and to consider how those sounds sounded

Now after many a line of words

potential importance seems to be relative

Words that would not save the world

are relegated to the memory file

where they are easily forgotten or obscured

or absorbed by resounding sounds

and it is the consideration that is lost

the expressive struggle to say what it was

in such a way that another might believe it

or might offer an irresistible revision