A Metered Life (after Heather McHugh)

Search through nouns
plow through verbs,

stirred, stirred, shaken
by word upon word.

Fly too close to the beginning
toy have to fall

so unwieldy
this hunting for self in rhyme.

If I bring forth meter
in a broken forest, will they hear me.

Can you see me
in the midst of these dangling participles?

I fear I might
ignite in similes

ablaze, ablaze
in metaphor.