The Words

The words that guide

And move your soul

The words that leave marks

And help you grow

The words that strike your heart with pain

And remind you of mistakes from several years ago

The words that explain what it means to be loved

And make you feel like you belong

They say a picture is worth a thousand words

But a poem delivers wisdom

A present without a bow

A cup of tea that never empties

A picture is worth a thousand words

A poem may be only one hundred eighty five

A picture does not heed warning 

And a poems meaning never stops

The words that offer freedom

An escape from reality for a little while

The words that give you strength

And remind you that you are God’s child

The words that leap off the page

And into your heart like that’s where they belong

The words that give you morals

And take you away like a love song

The words that shape you

And make you...well, you

The words that teach you what it means

To be a decent human being.