Words…

Mostly, I like my words naked,

plain and simple

sometimes straight shooting,

raw and palpable

at others sharp and jabbing words

with their asperous edges

leaving blisters on my palms and fingers

hot-headed words, scalding my tongue

but the feeling in my bones is indescribable!

Oft there are days when I have to eat them

the lacerations on my throat then

leave me abstaining for days!

thus I shun bitter, acidic words

letting them stew in their juices

just to make them more palatable.

I do dress them prettily in metaphors too

to preen and please and garner some applause

also sometimes in malaphors to generate weak laughs

usually poking fun at self

which leaves my ribs a bit sore.

I hide behind obscurity too

for sometimes their forwardness

startles and baffles me

I fear then, I give away too much of me!

I paint surreal images too

but the orange pain that warms my skin

prefers not to hide behind lace-like layers

that tries to curtain it

thus leaving me exposed.

leaving them hanging in air does not help

they follow me like question marks

demanding to be articulated

playing with words all the time,

I become a plaything for them.