what i imagine

By Kate McLaughlin

were it that easy, that words alone could save us.
sometimes i let myself imagine
grammatical rebels and daily syllables
of resistance with bold punctuated uprisings.

if words alone could save us,
i’d write all night. in my grammar book,
recruitment would be what hanging prepositions exist for.
hangin’ at all the cool spots, they’d get millennials
to sign up and join in.

dangling surreptitiously, irrefutable proof of
political corruption would be regularly gathered.
obtained by those sneaky participles, of course.

words of compassion and scientifically based research
would always talk louder than money—literally.

‘and justice for all,’ along with other empty phrases,
would be sent to a dictionary boot camp to ensure
they attain their true meaning.

females written in the passive voice would be archaic
grammar. the rule would be women directing action verbs,
issuing commands and making countless interjections.

i’d write similes that could fly like superman and they’d
reunite migrant families, break up nazi rallies and stop
speeding bullets.

and i’d create metaphors that could morph into their conjured
images, like, stories are a respite, words are an oasis,
providing a vacation to the over-pronounced, weary activists
and a livable picture of the world as it could be.

this is what i imagine,
during my nights of hyphenated sleep,
if words alone could save us,
if similes could fly like superman.

Kate McLaughlin lives and works in Portland, Maine, with her rescue dog Greta. She keeps her elected representatives on speed dial and is known to attend political rallies. She is fond of dogs, books, gardening and the occasional vodka martini. She is not fond of winter or Senator Susan Collins.

Photo by Ihor Malytskyi on Unsplash.