The speechwriter

For seven years

I wrote speeches for important people.

I put my words in their mouths

And they spoke them.

For a while it was fun

Playing ventriloquist.

But after wagging their tongues

From morning till night

Mine would get tired and tied.

I lost my head

From thinking so much

With theirs.

First my voice acquired a foreign accent,

Then went bad and got lost.

Generous reward offered

To anyone who finds

And shoves it down my throat

Where it belongs.

                                                         -- Panama, January 23, 2005