i don't know how i can put this
but i hope you understand
(who am i kidding,
you probably know better than i do)

these words, on this page
it's the best i can come up with
but they don't quite hold my intent
don't convey what i mean
(you know what I'm saying, right?
you've been here before)

poetry is supposed to be
thoughts on paper
thoughts given voice
but these words aren't saying
what they ought to
(you feel me?)

it's always the hardest thoughts
that are the hardest to portray
the ones that hurt the most
and mean the most
and affect the most
all these secrets that
I don't know
how to
share
(you know what i mean?)

english is such a coarse tongue
a language of stolen words
and inadequate grammar
how can anyone
communicate with it
if even i, a native speaker
cannot make myself
properly understood?
how can i make anyone understand?
(if you have secrets to speech and comprehension
please bestow me with such power)

h.f.m.