Reading a Poem

Do not simply read
a series of poetic words.
Do not sit idly by
and let sounds wash over you.
Rather,
break the spine of the poem,
let it bleed words
'til they splash
on the floor of your mind.
Twist muscle and sinew of meanings.
Let them cry out in agony or song,
but free them
to dance across synapses,
to fly across the wires between thought and message
and let them bare their teeth;
to gnash or,
perhaps,
chew over.
Cut in deep to reach the very meat,
flay it open, dig through the guts.
Do not merely skim but
give it voice, intonation, depth.
Let your voice be heard
over the thudding of the poem’s heart.
Let it reverberate within you
and illuminate
the valleys of your soul.