Soft Eyes Jagged Nails

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.