A word perches on the tip of my tongue.
It spins fear while contemplating what comes next,
When it finally musters the courage to fly forth.
Life changing sometimes feels like life ending...
And so, it trembles a bit with thought pressing hard
Against its silence.
What if the word, once loosed, carries the power to hurt
Or maim? Am I ready and able to shoulder the blame
for damaging blowback to my life or my loved ones' lives?
Let's not be absurd. It's just a word,
After all. Take a deep breath, let it fall
To find its own level, its own receptacle.
Surely someone somewhere will know
It was meant for them. They'll take it in
Without distortion, feel the urgency
Behind its intent, its living essence.
Such are the ruminations plaguing one
Who acknowledges the power of utterance.
Then comes the little shit's voice.
Who do you think you are?
You're so full of yourself.
Do you really imagine you can shift the balance
By simply opening your mouth?
You're delusional. Shut up and crawl
Back under your rock, you slimy slither.
Alas, it's no longer child's play.
This worldview has had its day.
No more will the forces of oppression
Operate unseen behind the scenes.
The curtain was yanked back.
People have awakened.
Critical mass has been achieved.
Without understanding what I do or why,
I hold my tongue, reserve a word
For this exact moment. Will it have the power
To do or undo? To interrupt, even for a millisecond,
The downward spiral humanity's caught in?
To refuse the lies underpinning society,
Yet grant us authority to envision our world differently?
To shift, ever so slightly, the warp and weft
Of common decency and this, our shared story?
Obeying an inner law, I release it into the world,
Anticipating an echo, resonant proof it was heard.
I know it sounds absurd, but...
What say you?
YOU ARE READING
Magpie Pearls
Poetry~ This poetic journey started when I began questioning why I write poetry. The assumption I'd come across pearls of wisdom to impart is quickly challenged by readers of "Magpie Pearls", leading me to explore truth in a broader sense. Is truth univer...
