Robert Okaji

Self-Portrait as Comma

I am that pause, hesitation
and delimiter, the curled
caterpillar at leaf's edge.
Caress me, I'll divide your
line, offer order, reduce
confusion. Or, misplaced,
will knot your tongue
to the base of a compressed
lump of syllables humping
across mistaken intent.
I dream dot and dash,
consort with numbers,
coordinate and conjoin,
splice and descend.
Remove me at your own peril.

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