I wrote an essay and shared it here a few months ago with the same title. Yesterday, I turned it into a poem.
how each one
carries its own weight,
its own intention.
Alone,
a word is meaning.
Together,
words become movement:
a passing comment,
a shaping thought,
the foundation of belief.
They tell the world
who we are,
and what we stand for.
Through language
we offer ourselves:
our hopes,
our fears,
our convictions.
Sometimes we do more than speak:
we influence,
we persuade,
we alter the direction
of another’s becoming.
Words shape us
the way hands shape clay-
pressed, smoothed,
fired in heat,
sealed for keeping.
Some exchanges fade quickly,
barely leaving a trace.
Others mark us
for a lifetime.
That is when
their true weight is revealed.
Words can wound or mend,
lift or belittle,
gather us together
or drive us apart.
Once released,
they cannot be retrieved.
Sown carelessly,
they fracture trust,
tear at the seams
of families,
communities,
even nations.
And yet,
they also hold
extraordinary promise.
Chosen with care,
words can encourage,
comfort,
steady trembling hearts,
invite understanding,
make room for peace.
So the question turns inward:
What words will I choose today?
Will mine add to the noise,
the division,
the harm,
or will they open space
for healing,
for listening,
for grace?
If we remember
the power we carry
every time we speak,
perhaps we will choose
more gently,
more deliberately,
and begin
to mend what has been torn.
Peace has been my wish,
my dream,
my long-held hope.
Some days
the light inside me flickers,
dims, and I struggle
to keep it burning.
It is then
I return to borrowed words:
spoken often,
forgotten easily,
set aside daily:
Love one another
as I have loved you.
No conditions.
No exceptions.
Love.
Just love.
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Read 30 times
Written on 2025-12-21 at 15:29
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The Power of Words
Today I am thinking about words,how each one
carries its own weight,
its own intention.
Alone,
a word is meaning.
Together,
words become movement:
a passing comment,
a shaping thought,
the foundation of belief.
They tell the world
who we are,
and what we stand for.
Through language
we offer ourselves:
our hopes,
our fears,
our convictions.
Sometimes we do more than speak:
we influence,
we persuade,
we alter the direction
of another’s becoming.
Words shape us
the way hands shape clay-
pressed, smoothed,
fired in heat,
sealed for keeping.
Some exchanges fade quickly,
barely leaving a trace.
Others mark us
for a lifetime.
That is when
their true weight is revealed.
Words can wound or mend,
lift or belittle,
gather us together
or drive us apart.
Once released,
they cannot be retrieved.
Sown carelessly,
they fracture trust,
tear at the seams
of families,
communities,
even nations.
And yet,
they also hold
extraordinary promise.
Chosen with care,
words can encourage,
comfort,
steady trembling hearts,
invite understanding,
make room for peace.
So the question turns inward:
What words will I choose today?
Will mine add to the noise,
the division,
the harm,
or will they open space
for healing,
for listening,
for grace?
If we remember
the power we carry
every time we speak,
perhaps we will choose
more gently,
more deliberately,
and begin
to mend what has been torn.
Peace has been my wish,
my dream,
my long-held hope.
Some days
the light inside me flickers,
dims, and I struggle
to keep it burning.
It is then
I return to borrowed words:
spoken often,
forgotten easily,
set aside daily:
Love one another
as I have loved you.
No conditions.
No exceptions.
Love.
Just love.
Poetry by Melinda K Zarate
Read 30 times
Written on 2025-12-21 at 15:29
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
