A sound of truth, of sense and of self,
An orchestra that fills the black void,
A meandering melody of wealth,
What does a word mean to you?

A rushing river that cuts through the earth,
A vast lake of deep unknown power,
An ocean of unstoppable, infallible surf,
What does a word mean to you?

The whisper and phrase of a mother's love,
Heard for the first time with a child's ear?
Or the music from stars twinkling above,
Their beauty and song ringing out clear?
What does a word mean to you?

The pain of internal biting and bleeding,
Teeth cut like knives with a barbed tongue,
Neither melody nor starlight worth hearing,
Is that what a word means?

The brutality of rash reflective thinking,
Teeth honed to points, a mouth like a cavern,
No song nor water nor love worth hearing,
Is that what a word is means to *me?