Rusty Hinge

When I speak
does it scare you?

Should I squeak quietly
as an oiled rusted hinge
who knows the way a door turns
yet can not creak to say?

LIFE
is the door
I
am the hinge
that has been deficit
of oil frequently
I might say

but yes, yes,
I agree
a rusty hinge can
oxidize and break

So try …
oil me if you must

But…
it had better be heavy weight oil!

For I am not tempered
to stand a test of crime
against my word

And
keep in mind
oil seeps through me
as fire on a bed of straw
on dry August days
and
sometimes eagle eyes
can spot
fingerprints on glass
too clearly at times
… I admit

STILL
don’t think I’ll turn to clay
How can I?

The day will never come
when old rusty hinge of iron
forfeits to oxidation
and sedation of the will

We can
flow along smoothly
oil and hinge
as
I will creak … you will oil
moan …

BUT

never, ever
try halt my process
for I am an original
and so by these means

I

W
I
L
L

SPEAK!