Spoken Word – A 100-syllable poem by Louisiana Poet Laureate Ava Leavell Haymon

Said aloud, “225” can be a time
of day, stack of 10 quarters,
an area code, the unit price
of a 72 yd. roll of scotch tape
if you buy a 96 item carton.

It can be a single number
in which case it is three digits
or a single name, in which case
it is three words. We somehow
understand these dialogs:
“504?” “No, 225.” “Vogue?” “No, 225.”

Three words on the front cover
of a magazine we haven’t opened
and we know so much! Words,
how do they DO that? Yeah,
How DO they do that?

Haymon is the author of four published volumes of poetry, including her most recent work, 2013’s The Eldest Daughter (LSU Press). For more from Haymon, visit avahaymon.com.