On Words

When wielded wisely, words can heal, surprise, and make our spirits rise. But they can be misused to abuse,

Spread lies, sow strife, or end a life;

They can cut like a knife and lay a fellow low,

Cast a bring light, or throw us into an infinite night;

Be neat, sweet, petite, and knock us off our feet.

Or lead to our defeat.

They can be mean, obscene, or used to spread fake news via memes on our computer screens.

They can give shape to our dreams or be the stuff of nightmares.

Their power can leave us staring, glaring, or swearing.

We may lose sleep over them,

Wondering if the price we pay for saying them is too steep.

But if they came cheap and didn’t matter, how worse would things get?

Any nitwit can get in a snit and spit whatever shit they like on social media and be the focal point of attention,

Racking up likes, retweets, and mentions;

All because they have an inclination for condemnation,

A penchant for prose pugilism that leaves decency, civility, and the whole of humanity

Battered and bruised with every word they spew.

Regardless of what some may think,

Words aren’t the final refuse of the weak.

Ultimately, it’s up to each of us to choose the words we use or abuse.

And while this may not be news, it bears repeating.

Though we may be seething, we must

Think before speaking.