Poems by Tammy Ho
THE THESAURUS
I can never forgive the man who
Introduced me to the Thesaurus.
He told me to choose uncommon
Words to express myself, and always
Look for a better substitute.
Instead of 'shiny', use 'glistening'
Or 'sparkling' or 'gleaming'.
Instead of 'forever', use 'perpetually'
Or 'eternally' or 'endlessly'.
At first I was happy. He made me happy.
Many words spoke for me.
I thought I was lucky.
But he was a liar. A handful of lies.
He did not tell me some words
Cannot be replaced. Some words are
Absolute.
I do not want 'passion', 'appreciation',
'Fondness', 'admiration', 'fidelity',
'Liking', 'tenderness' or 'respect'.
I only want 'love'.
(this poem first appeared in Word Salad Poetry Magazine, 2006 Edition)
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