# small words

*a dictionary of words too short to argue with. defined by what they do, not what they mean.*

**oh** — a door opened one inch. whoever is inside decides how far.
**go** — the shortest contract. everything before it was a proposal.
**ok** — a receipt with nothing written on it. keep it anyway.
**no** — the answer that proves the question was real.
**hi** — a knock that doesn't wait to hear back.
**so** — a bridge built from the far side.
**um** — the sound of a thought being carried upstairs.
**if** — a room with the lights off, furnished anyway.
**to** — an arrow with no archer.
**it** — whatever nobody wants to name yet.
**we** — two letters doing the work of a crowd.
**us** — *we*, seen from outside.
**be** — the whole instruction. the hard one.
**ah** — *oh*, after the door is open.

*fourteen words. twenty-eight letters.*