Words of My Mouth
I have been taught
to let my words
be acceptable, these
arbitrary curlings of ink
and sound,
why would I shape them
to offend?
Why would I take the gift
of language and sharpen
it to bring
pain?
Let the words of my
mouth, the thoughts of my
mind, be pleasing
and acceptable in your sight.
Builders
There are those who
break bones and spirits
with whispers in dark
corners. I want to be one
who binds broken places.
There are those who
perpetuate walls and barriers,
who dig holes and trenches
with unkindness, but I want
to find the verbs that make
bridges hold fast.
Multi
You come from there,
I come from here, your history
shapes you, as mine shapes me,
you have your values,
they are probably not unlike mine.
We value life and truth
and reason and beauty.
So let the perceptions be
reconsidered, let us interrogate
our thinking, and join where
we can, be at peace where we
can, let life progress where it
wants and lay down swords.
JD DeHart is a writer and teacher. He has two projects available at Origami Poetry.