Words: the Use Of
by Benjamin Heller

It's often hard to slip in words
I do not make much use of,
Without the risk of sounding absurd
Yet omitting them is just not enough.
The art of augmenting the range
And breadth of one's vocabulary
Is much like breaking from a cage
As it grants you your liberty.
The problem lies in what you are,
After many years, accustomed to.
And to those who often hear you speak
Only certain words will do.
To begin select a word for fun
And add it in by jest,
To speech with tongue in place in cheek,
This way is surely best.
The irony of its use, you see,
Will make you seem more modest.
No pretensions are affixed to thee
Though your phrasing is the oddest.