Of the Wonder of Words

Words; such quaint and curious things

Like ink-shaped puppets on a string

They draw from us life’s darling sighs

Or fill the dark in curs-ed cries

Painting mind-pictures in the air

They form our worry and our prayer

The wander-lust of wonder stirred

And spilled in ink-jots shaping word

Word; the poet’s rebel-lure

The sermon wee lad must endure

The good, the bad, the bitter-sweet

In endless possibility

A palette of infinite vaunt

They hurt and heal, they soothe and taunt

The mien of thought spoken and heard

Empowered by this thing called word

Foolish and wise access alike

The freedom to this verbal might

And in the syllables we choose

We will reveal thought’s hidden hues

We ought to ponder carefully

Which ones to keep or to set free

For they fall fast and undeterred

In dynamite drops formed in words

Word; language of lip or pen

To inspire, teach or mislead men

Therefore we must give earnest heed

To what we read, think, write thence read

For in this little ink-swirl jot

Lies both the bud and bloom of thought

A seed of potent power incurred

In architecture of a word

© Janet Martin

 "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."
- Luke 6:45

 "I like good strong words that mean something."
- Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

 "The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do."
- Thomas Jefferson

 Watch your thoughts, they become your words
Watch your words, they become your actions
Watch your actions, they become your habits
Watch your habits, they become your character
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."
- Anonymous

 "A word is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day."
- Emily Dickinson ("A Word is Dead")

 "Words may show a man's wit, but actions his meaning."
- Benjamin Franklin