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Think of the Words
- Wesleyan University Press
- Chapter
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53 THINKOFTHEWORDS losttoashortpencil,wordslikemilk, eggs,celery,gonetothelibrary,I fedthecatsallflyingthroughit, usingitup.Andthaterasercomingdown, thosesecondthoughts,thathow-do-you-spell-that, thosechangesofheart—serious,begone!—when alinedrawnthroughwhateverword woulddo.Whenasingleshoe appearsinthestreet,think ofthescramble.Someonelifted,carriedoff, someonerunning,someonethat distraught,thatdrunkor indifferent,thatsomething.(Who’sright? mybrotheraskedmymother beforeanyoverwroughtTV.)No,erase. Delete.Ifwerevisit thepencil,I’dwriteafewmorewords towearitdown.I’mallwornout,Iheard againandagainthroughmychildhood.Three generationsaftersupper,such mullingforthenight.Wornout?Ithought ofatire—youcan’tgetapenny initstread—orpantsoutattheknee,shirts thinattheelbow,neverwho wereallyare,lifethat seemsunstoppable.Neverthesmall, harderaserattheendofit. ...