Writer’s Quote: Words

Writer’s Quote: Words

by Ameena k.g

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I was listening to a lecture today by a speaker, Mufti Menk, and he was talking about having compassion for our fellow human beings.
It got me thinking, how can we have compassion unless we are kinder with our words. “Words”- a five lettered syllable which has the power to make or break another person. And yet, we throw words around like lightweight.

I say, we, because as much as I do not want to admit it, I am very much guilty of using words wrongly and hurting another with the words I have uttered. This is the reason why I am sharing this poem today by the confessional poet- Anne Sexton. This is a reminder to myself first of all, words need to be handled with care.

I hope you like the poem and get inspired by it.

Words by Anne Sexton

Be careful of words,
even the miraculous ones.
For the miraculous we do our best,
sometimes they swarm like insects
and leave not a sting but a kiss.
They can be as good as fingers.
They can be as trusty as the rock
you stick your bottom on.
But they can be both daisies and bruises.
Yet I am in love with words.
They are doves falling out of the ceiling.
They are six holy oranges sitting in my lap.
They are the trees, the legs of summer,
and the sun, its passionate face.
Yet often they fail me.
I have so much I want to say,
so many stories, images, proverbs, etc.
But the words aren’t good enough,
the wrong ones kiss me.
Sometimes I fly like an eagle
but with the wings of a wren.
But I try to take care
and be gentle to them.
Words and eggs must be handled with care.
Once broken they are impossible
things to repair.

19 thoughts on “Writer’s Quote: Words”

      1. Do you like Sylvia Plath too? She’s another favorite. It seems like every Sexton fan is a Plath fan too. Haha. But I started reading her poetry when I was 15 & wrote poetry myself. First I was reading Sexton, then research led me to Sylvia Plath. At 17, I bought The Bell Jar & still have my copy though I may have to replace it soon. I’ve read it so many times! It is my favorite book of all time because her emotions are so strong & I could/can relate to her. I started having signs of bipolar disorder 2 pretty young. Depression at 11, mania at 13.

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      2. I know right! Its like when you think of Sylvia Plath, the next one that comes to mind is Anne sexton 😄.
        I got Sylvia Plath’s book- The collosus, but I couldn’t relate to the poems there. Nevertheless, as the years went by, I came across some phenomenal poems of Sylvia which pushed her to one of my favorite female poets. Her poems are actually some of my best poems and I recite them over and over- How frail the human heart must be, mad girl’s love song, Mirror and the Famous “Daddy”.
        Thats what I love about plath and Sexton, they pour their hearts into their poems, raw and unfiltered.
        Aw, I read Bipolar isn’t officially diagnosed till like 18. When were you given the diagnosis?

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      3. I haven’t had a full diagnosis. When I was 16, I had a general practitioner tell me I’m more than likely bipolar as she had bipolar disorder too. I would come in frequently for self-harm & depression, then stop taking my meds because I was happy & full of life. They usually don’t diagnose that early but I’ve done loads of research (I know, I’m not a psychiatrist) but if the shoe fits. Everything, my emotions, my mood changes, my drug use, all point to bipolar disorder 2. I’m actually in the process of getting a real diagnosis, going to therapy. I swear I’m not a phony! lol. I’ve had some criticism for my blog since I haven’t been fully diagnosed & understand where people are coming from. But I’ve battled mental illness since I was young, I remember coming to my parents at age 11 because I wanted to die. Generally bipolar disorder doesn’t come full force until your early 20s but childhood trauma (I hate using the word “trauma” because it entail so many things) exasperates mental illness genes, including bipolar disorder. For me, my parents were bad meth users & life was erratic which fights, strangers over using drugs, etc. I hope that because I don’t have a full diagnosis yet, it doesn’t turn you off from my blog!

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