In English, we have words for everything:

Names and tidy labels stain our lives,

Brand each moment with a familiar ring.

Beneath the letters, something else survivesщ۬
An ancient rhythm, resonating deep

That has no syllables, no metric scheme,

Spoken by infants and those fast asleep.

Show me in your Webster’s what can redeem

A tiny casket, how it feels to drown.

Describe the imperfection of a kiss,

Why many children are afraid of clowns,

Why his bad jokes are what you miss.

Defensively, we churn out words each day

To mask the fear of what we cannot say.

Originally from St. Louis, Katie Vagnino is new to Eau Claire where she teaches at UW-Eau Claire. "Ineffable" first appeared in The Road Not Taken, reprinted here by permission of the author. Learn more about Katie here.