In fairy stories
true names have power.
I discover them
on crumpled paper between
the bras and cereal,
forgotten on the floor.
“Chili powder, diapers, tampons,”
on the back of a receipt;
or, “fixadent, turnips, beer,”
in meticulous cursive
on pink paper.
Sustenance
and sanitation;
turnips and toilet paper,
greeting cards and waste baskets.
These things
shape us.

