Verbal Evolution

A poem
by Chris Hibbard

Verbal Evolution

As a toddler
my words peeked shyly
out one eye
from the shadows of my mouth

As a child
they ran out onto
the tip of my tongue
without looking both ways

In my teens
my words borrowed my father’s beer
and cruised around my lips
in a stolen car of drunkenness ’til morning

In school they snuck
into the ears of girls
and found extra
unnecessary syllables

And today
having propped my mouth open with laughter
so as not to bite my tongue
my words take flying leaps
and never come home

~ by chris hibbard on December 1, 2008.