"My Favorite Four-Letter Word"

My favorite four-letter word
   is not a mere noun,
   like
   ball, door, roof, or tree.

Nor is it a festive verb,
   like
   fold, lift, read, or toss.

Nor is it an intriguing adjective
   like
   cold, iced, warm, or worn.

My favorite four-letter word
   certainly does not have its origins of the body,
   like
   those scrawled on school bathroom walls
   and innocent trees,
That are usually endowed with a hard consonant
   and an equally soft smile.

Nor is it of the more lofty sort,
   like
   Heal, Pray, or Soar,
   or
   of course,
   L O V E.
For my favorite four-letter word would be
   embarrassed at such adoration
   and notoriety.

Though it communicates firmness,
   inevitability, and trustworthiness,
I long to hear my four-letter word
   as an expression of agreement
   in the most playful of ways,
As if giggling through its past experiences
   and wariness that a Den Mother knows all too well.
A measured excitement that creates
   just enough uncertainty to make a mystery
   out of any invitation.

My favorite four-letter word has a long opening
   shhhh sound
   that can be twirled into any pitch, phrase, or mood,
Yet also glides on the page
   with an abundance of soft shapes and curved edges
   that few words have.

So when I ask my friend if she'd like to come over,
   the one four-letter word I most want to hear is
   S U R E . . . 

     

 

January 2023

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©2022, Michael Smolens