I am a writer.

When I was younger, my mother told me 

"Use your words! Use your words!" 

when I wanted something or was trying to get my point across. 

And even though she claims now it was her 'biggest mistake'

becuase I 'haven't stopped speaking since',

encouraging me to use my words really was the greatest gift anyone could have given me. 

And when I learned how to read and write-

I would waste hours of my life rummaging through the dictionary,

attempting to unearth words that truly meant something.

And it was then that I unveiled the undying beauty in the written word. 

My writing is who I am. 

I write because it's in my blood-

it's there!

somewhere...

embedded in my DNA. 

When I write, I can become a superhero. 

I can create mountains, and conquer them. 

Found villages, 

and pillage them. 

I can fall into love and into lust, 

become an empress,

a pirate, 

a siren, 

or a God. 

I write to ease my pain and overcome my grief, 

comfort myself and others in periods of great hopelessness, 

destroy my demons,

to escape from the harshness of reality

and create a world governed by my own free will. 

My words are strong, 

I can bring a pen to a gun fight and walk away with my head held high. 

Yet, they are gentle enough to end storms,

and talk strangers off of the highest peaks. 

Now, I understand that no word is meaningless. 

Every word retains tremendous power, 

but with great power, comes great responsibility. 

Every writer must choose whether we utilize our power for the greater good, 

or shameless evil, 

and personally-

I would rather my words break barriers than build them.