Ways to Read This Poem

With your eyes
    mouth half open
  staring at the words
wanting to make sure they all still
   make sense
 trying to figure out the pattern
      the rhythm
 the structure
    the rhyme
 the lack thereof.
You are not sure whether you read
                       the last part correctly.
Re-reading the part about the eyes.
This time you are
             determined
             dedicated
             conditioned
             paralyzed
             forced
      but you read it again anyway.
Now you wonder if the words are
                      just mocking you
       since you are trying to both
       follow along
           and
               play along
  with the game of autology
considering whether the phrases are self-defining
   or
whether your definitions impose that appearance
   by
assuming that you are the intended reader
   through
      your
        arrogance
           or
             maybe the author's.
Now that you have
              figured
            out
          the
        game,
     perhaps it is time to try to play again
only this time, start at the beginning.