Defining Moments

When I say "sluice"

I hear the water

Draining down the spout

Pouring into a bucket

At the far end

It's a stunning example

Of "onomatopoeia"

A rather complicated string

Of letters

For such a simple

Definition

It is

Sluice

And whoosh

And teensy

And all the words

That fill the

Auditory centers

Of your brain

With images

That let you see

The world

The way a bat sees

The cave

With echolocation

It is ecstasy

As my senses combine

To form an image

Greater than the sum

Of its many

Inputs

I close my eyes

And smile

Mouthing the word

Over and over

My brain

Lights up

Picturing the sluice

And hearing the water

Whooshing down

Its length

Like a beautiful

Symphony

Played solely in

The mind

#favoritewords #poetry #challenge #onomatopoeia