What are the mechanics
Of creating my own voice
What gears do I need to turn
What sounds do I need to hear
Until I recognize the sound
Of my thoughts loud and clear
Instead, I wonder and think
Did someone put them there
Is that why the machine shakes
And sputters out smoke
Is it lack of conviction
In the words that I spoke
The diagrams are detailed
Covered in handwritten letters
Addressed in my name
Yet there are words I don’t know
Too many words I can’t look up
The machine moves too slow
The assembly line churns out
Emotional Intelligence and Connectivity
And I spit out a dollop of a smile
Smile, smile, smile, smile
Factory settings are better than dysfunction
And function could take a while
Are these the mechanics
Of creating my own voice:
Grease the gears with years
Crunch the bolts like bone
And mimic until the clicks sound familiar
Until the voice I hear is my own