Ode to the Letter T
Journey's end, crossword's
choice in the shape of a crucifix,
eternal companion
to dot the i.
Stretch out this
consonant and you'll
imbibe a British staple,
fine as a cup of Ceylon.
J's cousin. Swing a capital
L upside down
and you'll find one
with an amputated arm.
Tender's start-up, same
for toggle, triumph, and tag.
Twinned often, likes to clone
itself in the middle of words.
Sound of a clock's tock
or a father's angry tssk.
Essential rising — to, toward,
Jack's beanstalk ladder to sky.
Doris Lynch lives in Bloomington, Indiana and has published
poems in Calyx, River Styx, Shenandoah, and the Hopewell Review.
The Indiana Arts Commission has awarded her three individual artist's
fellowships, two in poetry and one in fiction.