What Are These Words
By: Jehangir Saleh
Written: December 2, 2007

if not an attempt at fire
if not moments prior to rain
clouds still deliberating

what are these words
if not hesitation that precedes everything
language boiling
collecting, forming like sea foam
like colonizing bacteria
building heat
resistance

will I allow these to speak
or to invade our understanding
pushing forward
and forward still

if you are quiet enough
you can hear them crackle and burn
you can read into these words
mould them as you wish

I don’t know what these words mean
but accept full responsibility
until you receive them
and they belong to you