Logophobia
there have always been words
that say what need to be said
exposing to the light
that which loves the dark spaces
in our bodies
in our world
we collect these words
one behind the other
string them along
make them make sense
fill our mouths to the brim
with the texture of them
a collection of thought
figured out
and then
something changes
not the climate of course
we have been told this does not exist
along with all the other thing
we are told does not exist
by way of attaching prefixes
post-
anti-
pre-
a way of resurrecting fears
that never died in the first place
always there lingering in plain sight
we become other words
combinations that did not exist before
a new list of collective nouns
new words to describe
the systematic grooming of a group
to be referred to as one entity
be us person,
place
thing
state of mind of being
in this new collective
we become a litany of nothing scientific
though fully recognizable
I mean,
just the other day
in what I thought
was a civilized conversation
my unwillingness to agree with false facts
turned me in their eyes
into a battlefield of belligerence
a cacophony of chaos
such a criticism of compromise
a concern of community
the more I refused to bend my tongue
to their will
I watched them become
a clutch of pearls
a bullet of bullies
a boast of orange
shrouded in an agony of shortsightedness
they issued a warrant of warnings
wrapped in an abortion of anger
who would fear a murder of crows
when surrounded by
a disassembly of democracy
a hazard of humanity
a choke of holds
