“I took a dream And made it mine I took a them And made they mine.” “Dream,” said more like “drem,” had once rhymed with the word “them.” He’d always found it curious how, in the old song, “them” was a noun you could count. A group. And “they” used to mean…well, what “them” meant now, he supposed. He was only guessing, but there was a calming way about the sounds. A promise. He sang the verses, appreciating that words—like people—changed over time to become something new. Perhaps he shouldn’t dislike words. They were living things, and maybe they could sense his aversion. Was that why they so
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