Revised Poem: Daily Grind "A Poet's Words"

Posted by Melissa on January 3, 2012 · 2 Comments 

Revised version:

A Poet’s Words

A poet’s life begins by twisting words
out of context, like dripping water, a towel

A poet lives in translation like a bastard child
of language and diaspora, escaping sea for sea

I am a poet who walks between two lines
On my left, there is a city with questions, on my right,
there is an ocean dripping water, twisting words

Today, I awake a poet. Today, I twist oceans

Home has forgotten its words so that I may speak
in tongues of another land, escaping sea for day

Twisting, twisting words, believe me when I say
I have forgotten what an ocean means

 

Old version (A poem in response):

A Poet’s Words

To be a poet means twisting words
out of context, dripping water, towel

A poet lives in translation, bastard child
of our country, escaping homeland, diaspora

I am a poet who walks between two lines
On my left, there is a city with questions, on my right,
there is an ocean, dripping water, twisting words

If I wake, I will tell you one thing only:
My home has forgotten its words so that I may
speak in tongues of another land

Twisting, twisting words, believe me when I say
I have forgotten what an ocean means

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