Words

Fluttering on the breeze
Words enter hearing ears
Or dripping from the pen
Never disappearing
Words live…words die….
Words fade…words are born…
Words inspire the heart
Words destroy the soul
The babbling of babies
The babbling of the old
Words can drive the calm to anger
Words can calm the angry man
Words can console
Words can crush
Words are the connections
That bind us as humans

When I speak, I might stumble
With no confidence
Not knowing the missing word
That escapes my shaking voice
When I speak, I might succeed
In bringing you in to hear my thoughts
Grandiose or powerful
Or just a glimpse of truth

When I meet someone for whom my words are a mystery
Who speaks a different language
The meaning is lost, but somehow, by glances,
The meaning might be found
If we work to understand
By gestures or words related
It’s possible to know
Part of what we want to talk about

Words matter, words can be trifles
Words are shouted, words are whispered
Words are curses, words are blessings
Words are cruel, words are kind

For every word I’ve written down
For every word I’ve spoken
For all the words I’ve read
For all the words I’ve thought
I can never imagine the pain
Of knowing no language,
Of speaking no words
Of never hearing the human voice
The missing link of human love
The sounds of words

Between us…