THE VOCABULARIAN

for Jacques Harlow

          “Abash, abate, abet, abstemious  . . .”

          Began the list of words in seventh grade

          We had to know and put in sentences,

          And by year’s end we had a whole parade

          Of nouns and verbs, adverbs and adjectives

          To march our minds into the larger sphere

          Of consciousness that ample language gives,

          Where things un-thought before could now appear.

          Which makes me wonder what ideas yet

          Remain incognizant to me for lack

          Of terms my curiosity would abet

          And keep my freighted line of thought on track.

               So, unabashed, I’ll not abate my quest

               Nor be abstemious to find the best.

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