words

What Are These Words

a fresh chance to be,
these words
are a beating heart,

they speak
when the mouth won't move,

they carry the hope
of a new day -
a new way -

they are experiment,
they are release -
the unspeakable
brought into the open -

what could be,
what is,
potential oozes
from the pen,

life is a poem
these words hold power,
they speak the soul,
they are their writer
laid bare

The Doing

look past the words -
anyone can say who they are
or what they believe -
what do they do;

to know another,
tune out the noise
and open your eyes
to what they do;

in seeing
you'll find
who they are

words cannot hurt
a mind trained
not to react
to what is beyond
its control;

what is spoken
can cause no pain,
for you choose
how the words land
and your response -
understanding, 
they are not yours -

choosing to be water
unimpeded by a rock
is your opportunity
to show your strength;

own what is yours,
allow the rest to slide away -
these unworthy words
cannot change you