Mother tongue

April 13, 1981

Drive all my noun to verb. Scatter the articles like laundry on the wind whipped madly from the timid line. Seal up the prepositions and save them for the new day. Box all the fragile-wear, subject and objects, and hide them where my gerund won't be finding. Yes, this is a moment for go and come, fly and furrow, swim and seek. Rouse all these proper nouns from sleep; split the infinitives; run! Drive all my noun to verb. Press this creature speech to its glory gallop. Do not rest until the Mother Tongue has moved the herd to green again.