The Ampersand

To the Ampersand- a poem

Hello. I wrote this poem this summer, for fun, and came across your blog today and thought I’d share.
There is a colon between our two
separate parts, let’s add a semi in there
to make us depend upon each other.
I want to verb you, so we should really
just dash out of here, punctually,
once they give us our sentence. Period,
period, why must you get in the way
of our desire to keep on going? I know,
it would be a mess out there without you—
all those little ellipsis running around…
But you, ampersand, oh, your voluptuousness,
how your rolling, round curves save me
from a comma splice. Why don’t you
comma little closer so you can finish
this endless list? Please don’t think
I would ever underscore your importance;
no one else brings things together quite like you.
Out of a crowd, you stand—so symbolic—
your only competition may be the mark
of exclamation. But don’t worry, the mark
vacations all but a few days a year,
while you, my dear, I need daily.

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