Step right up,

don’t miss it,

this single vowel

holding up seven

consonants like

seven continents

on an invisible barbell,

three on the left

and four on the right,

the fourth one tilting

the whole thing forward,

giving it lift, giving it

that voiceless dental fricative,

that little extra oomph

we all need to keep

going in a word

in a world that goes

without saying

and all in just

one syllable.

Paul Hostovsky’s latest book of poems is Mostly (FutureCycle Press, 2021). He has won a Pushcart Prize, two Best of the Net Awards, and has been featured on Poetry Daily, Verse Daily, and The Writer’s Almanac. Website: paulhostovsky.com