along with his poems

to the one who asked for them

a bookmark 

the reader

is the lock

for the poet’s key

the reader 

is the key

to the poet’s lock

the reader

of a poet’s poems

is a poet

the poet

is a reader of 

a reader

the poet and the reader 

are one and the same as the

reader and the poet are

take my word for it

the poet said

no  said the reader 

it is far too valuable

the reader said 

you have my attention

i salute you 

the poet said 

chanting in unison 

the poet and the reader

are each other’s echo

then when

the word silence silenced them

they exchanged books