Ode To the “A” Key on the Keyboard

Noelle Lee

You _re _n _stonishingly 

import_nt letter, to the point th_t it’s

h_rd to type without

pressing on you, h_rd

to remember to push the underscore key

inste_d of “_”. When

I do type you, by

_ccident, I

hope th_t you _ren’t 

squ_shed and stifled so th_t

your bre_th c_tches in your thro_t, bec_use

th_t prob_bly 

hurts.

You are the line le_der,

of both b _nd c,

of the vowel club you st_rted, 

(before b st_rted the conson_nt club with c, without

_sking your consent)

_nd of _ll the other letters,

b through z.

You le_d your five 

_nd twenty siblings in the gr_nd  p_r_de 

of words,

“the _lph_bet”, n_med mostly

_fter you, bec_use you just h_ppen to be the firstborn,

_ ch_lk white pencil 

tip mount_in spre_d with snow, 

w_tching over _  v_st sky

of t_p d_ncing

keys.