The Aroma of a Word

The aroma of a word
has caught itself in
the back of my throat;

so I can both
taste and smell its
delight and impact
all at once.

It smells
and tastes
of ginseng.

It lingers there -
a fragrance seeking
respite and

germination;

a planting of
its tuberous meaning
and earthy hints toward
complexity

in something I shall
call for now -
a soul.

How might I
tend it to fullness,

that it may rise and
murmur its very longing
and desire;

a sound to set us free
from a stifling oppression -

a croak to release us
from a kind of silence
that is soaking wet
with anger and remonstration.

That word
has found itself
mingling in my mouth
and waiting

itself to be born.

We must wake up
to the aroma of the sounds
that are building;

without them, we might
never find our way back
to what it means to be

human.

image from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/233694668141998033/