hyoid

Between ligament and muscle, the hyoid. The hinge of speech. The bone Neanderthals lacked.

hold your tongue 

grab it by the root and tug

until the tension of its sound is flattened

to a punchline

tongue tied you never tried

to pronounce Truth

only hissed in dialects

designed to dilute wisdom into water

each flick of the tongue 

every patter of your lips

casts a spell, a vibration

contamination of the honest air

swallow your words 

and pray you do not choke

there is no heimlich

only 

the hyoid bone 

to keep your tongue in place