We speak as others

We speak as others,
that is I now speak
as another, speak
as I read
another, speak as I
hear another speak.

We hear ourselves
as we hear others,
when we listen.
I am not others.
There are no others
but other selves.

There are no selves
but other-selves;
when we speak,
when we listen,
listen to ourselves,
we speak as others.

We see ourselves
as we see others,
as others see us
we see ourselves.
We are not others,
we are ourselves.

There are no selves
only others,
there are no others
only selves.

You say the words

You say the words
like words that are said
like words that have been
said

You tell the story
like a story
like a story that is
known

You speak the words
and you hear them
you hear them as
they are heard
by others

You speak the words
as another speaks
them, as they have
been spoken by
others

In the words of
the story is the
story as heard
by others, as
spoken by others

The story is already
a story we tell
all stories are already
stories we tell
that’s what makes them stories

That as we tell
ourselves the story
we tell others
others tell it

No you no me

No you no me
no saying you and me
no world that is
our world
no Word, that is
always our words
and is said so.

For even alone
I am not alone —
the speaker and the
auditor, I am
self and other
I speak and hear
as others hear
I speak and listen
as others listen
in speaking-listening
of self and others.

The unheard word
is unheard
there is no unheard
word
it is nothing
the unheard word is
nothing