The verbs for which there are
no rhyme nor reason, for whom
adding letters e&d will not do.
Your sleep never becomes sleeped.
You have to commit them
to part of who you are,
be am is are was were been.
You have to wear the weight of them,
bear bore borne.
Some crawl into the past and then return,
come came come.
Some are about the rhythm itself,
spring sprang sprung.
Oftentimes they are a hero’s journey,
begin began begun
seek sought sought
speak spoke spoken
win won won
ring rang rung.
Some are insistent,
like they may be trying
to tell us something,
bet bet bet
read read read
let let let
thrust thrust thrust
said said said
upset upset upset
quit quit quit.
They live in your memory
like ghosts you’ve
dream dreamed dreamt.
Some are penalties for what you’ve
choose chose chosen
do did done,
poems unto themselves,
drink drank drunk
light lighted lit
lay laid laid lead led led lie lay lain
feel felt felt
mistake mistook mistaken
tear tore torn
lose lost lost
know knew known
weep wept wept.
You must remember.
You must remember
the spells you
wake woke woken
give gave given
draw drew drawn
sing sang sung
write wrote written.