Words

Words

I play with words
They are my toys
Which help me sing
Of light and joy
Of children laughing as they play
These words I like, so let them stay

I work with words
These are my tools
Which help my tangled mind unspool
The little strands of random thought
That twist around in wretched knots
And lay them straight inside my brain
These words salve so much mental strain

I fight with words
They are my guns
To fight the wrongs that have been done
Show how the world ought to have been
Excoriate with tongue and pen
These evil folks who try to rule
My words expose them all as fools

I suffer words
They are my cross
To bear always my pain and loss
To ruminate on my mistakes
Over hot coals my soul is raked
These words that burn me till I shout
I have no choice, just let them out!