The first word was a noun
The first thing was a box
It was needed
The first feeling was a pre-
A preposition
It was in
Before there was anyone
Before there was any thing
An in
The second word was a verb though
Nothing happened
“Ask”
“Ask”
Not a flap reacted.
The first action taken was repeat
To repeat was the first action taken
Then along came the first people they
Did it again
The first position was difficult at first but soon it was easy
There was the main part, which was straight and wide, and then the offshoot: flexible, sore
The latter dangled and wrapped around the other applying steady pressure
The former expanded, not visibly, until it was flush
A plane tucked into a crease
A fine, fingery clutch held
There was nothing symmetrical and that was familiar
There was a good bit of resistance
The words are already there, you just have to read them
How to read came later, when all that once was sheer was very dense
And a system of regular measurements had developed
Necessarily, the pronoun emerged so one might refer to another
The sun was equal and new
It stood in for one person when another person
Wanted it to
The dreams are already there
You don’t even have to sleep, they’re all over
One person—possibly the first—
Dreamed about a horse-
Like thing while hammering for shelter. Another
Dreamed of a useful pulley
While erasing tracks—
Aha!
Was the first exclamation, and still the only.
Feelings increased by the dozens
No matter how ingenious or disturbed.
People were good, they wanted to understand each other.
They faked it. They were good. When one was tickled
With a feather, they all cried, DO IT AGAIN!
LESLEY YALEN