For The Sake Of The Rhyme

And always, I try to find
a better way to say these things:
Mostly, I just want to be clear. But of course,
I want the words to be beautiful, too.
Their flow, their rhythm,
their sounds, the shapes
the lines make on the page-
And so sometimes, I have to remind myself:
Just be honest. Too easy to revise too much,
find I’ve polished away the truth,
and all for the sake of another rhyme.

© Mark Reep 2007