“Ode to the Letter B” by Aracelis Girmay

B, you symmetry, you, under-blouse. Half butterfly, two teeth,
sideways: a bird meets the horizon.

To say you, B,
out loud I must
suck in my lips, almost smiling, top lip kiss bottom lip,
then push the whole mouth out,

‘B’

B is like a set of lips.

  BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
  BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
  BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

In three rows, B is like tire tracks,
the heels of shoes, horse’s hooves exactly side by side.

B,
without you, Blouses would be louses,

& Blow would be low,
Bird, ird,
& the song would go A, then C.

Without you, what could I, would I ever use?
To end the word ‘VERB’?
To begin words like:

Beso

Besos

Because

Bodies

Bloom