I hunt for words The same way I shop for clothes I sift through racks in thrift stores Because that is where The gems hide. I will find boring words, And ugly words There are also the ones That would be exquisite in someone else's mouth But don't roll from my tongue in the same way. I spend hours searching for verbs and nouns, Adjectives and prepositions. I am grabbing anything that might fit. Then I step into the changing room, Strip down, And try on my words. I slide them on carefully, And inspect myself from all angles. Some I have to spend several minutes with, Others I know are mine in seconds. With the help of a friend, I learn which words Express who I am And toss out the ones I would be pretending in. Next I survey my selection, And though it is a thrift shop, The price tags add up quickly. So I pick out the words I love, The ones that feel the best Against my skin and in my heart. They get to stay. The rest I hang up gently For another day.