Woke up this morning
Wondering about you and your place in life
I thought about your heart
And felt your pain
The one you will feel when words come at you
At a speed so fast, hit you unawares
And leave you reeling for you did not see them coming
Words, the kind that comes off a boxer’s gloves and jibes at your whole being
Words, the kind that make you quake
And question everything you believe in
Words, the kind that leave salty tears which sting in your eyes
A bile taste in your mouth
A pang of pain in your belly
And a knot of anger in your heart
Words, the ones you wish those you trust and once trusted didn’t say
While you hope that you never say them to others
Words, words, words
A mere set of 26 letters
So, powerful they make or break
Words, words, words
Full of ironies
Callous enough to break a heart
Arrogant enough to end a friendship
Thoughtless enough to cause irreparable damage
Words, words, words
A mere set of 26 letters
So powerful, they make or break
Soothing, they can heal a fractured spirit
Promising, they end wars
Sweet, they make you fall in love
Melodic, they become the sound bites of your experiences
The soundtrack of your life’s story
The strings of your life’s journey
Connecting one end to a new beginning
Words, words, words
They travel far and wide
With great velocity
And potent vigour to infect the
Inner recesses of your entire being
So, I thought about your heart
And its strength to deal with the words
That will come your way
As you journey through life
And I wanted to say…
Don’t ever let anyone tell you they will speak
To you as an act of favour and you let them
Don’t ever allow anyone tell you they will be your friend
As an act of favour and you let them
Don’t ever give anyone the permission
To devalue you in words or actions
Don’t ever permit anyone with
A haughty attitude or look into your space
Don’t ever accept the notion that you are less
Because you have not
Don’t ever commission anyone with the task of
Building and adding value to you with their words
For they could one day change their mind
Leaving you high and dry
Don’t ever allow any group of people or persons
Make you believe they are doing you
A favour by letting you hang out with them
Or become part of their group
Don’t ever create the room for those
Around you to speak words that will take months
Or years to heal into your life
Don’t ever position yourself to be spoken
To with contempt or disdain
Don’t ever position yourself
To be berated or belittled with words
And if life’s unpredictable waves brings any of this your way
Don’t cower in shame or self pity
You must learn to reposition yourself and
Create a new rhythm for your heart
And soundtrack for your life
Above all, you must learn the power of your words
And speak accordingly to yourself and those around you
Speak the words, you want spoken to you
Life is a stage and you have your role
No, you cannot relinquish your part to anyone
It is yours to play to the best of your ability
In life we need people
But don’t ever let your need and desire
For anyone’s love or approval override your self-worth and value
Again, I say…
Don’t ever let anyone tell you
They will speak to you as an act of favour
And you let them
Don’t ever let anyone tell you
They will be your friend as an act of favour
And you let them
Or didn’t I tell you that you are so bad to the bone
You can do bad all by yourself
Again I say…
Don’t ever allow anyone tell you
They will be your friend as an act of favour
And you let them
Don’t ever give anyone the platform and audience
To tell you they will speak to you
As an act of favour and you let them
For you are not to be pitied
Nor are you the daughter of as lesser God
(C) Belinda Otas
