Words are like friends,
companions of each day,
yet they may betray us,
sharper than a honed blade,
emerging from unexpected places.
They wound in ways
we struggle to comprehend,
coming from abusers, friends,
loved ones, even family.
Why such harshness?
Don't we all have feelings?
Words can uplift, encourage,
yet so often, they wound.
If it's so easy to unleash arrows of pain,
why can't we choose kind, thoughtful, respectful terms?
"Sticks and stones may break my bones,
but words can never hurt me"âthe biggest lie ever told.
Words wield retribution, impose sanctions, spread corruption,
yet we believe they can be rays of sunshine.
Such hypocrisy,
that we ignore the power they hold,
both to heal and to harm,
to break and to mend.