On the Utterance of My Name

The rearrangement of vibration,
The soft, undeniable movement of lips
And careful arch of the tongue
Simulate meaning, echoes
No less haphazard
Than the shattering of glass and
No more significant
Than the grave of one forgotten.
Yet somehow I acknowledge,
Offer recognition,
Ignoring the ache to
Turn away, an empty shell of anonymity,
Or say politely
That the person they're asking for
Isn't here.