To the poet

If you had a place
and all the space
you would ever need
and every word, sound, syllable
at your command -
at your disposal -
then the infinite and boundless
realm of choice -
a speaker's voice -
and a simple, waiting
paper and pen -
what would you commit?

Which word would come
before -
or after -
what?
adverbs adjectives verbs nouns
tied in punctuation,
syntax and the mediation
of context -
it all matters, one phoneme
tied to the next,
all sound, fury and that fragile
thing called language -
playthings of poets,
slaves of writers -

But to me -
the world and more.
I could not simply settle for
just anything -
for I believe there must be
some way the words
on the page
could make themselves be heard.