Un Edit

My life's limited
by the power of the words
I firmly edit.

Fear paralyzes
an already timid tongue,
seeking the right words.

An uncareful word
banishes without mercy
despite my wishes.

Unspoken words bind
tender thoughts that do not dare
to reveal themselves.

Befriended words build
stories that touch other's True
and soothe my sore soul.



Song Choice: Brave by Sarah Bareilles

This poem is linked up to Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads, Tuesday Platform and Poets United Poetry Pantry 417.


40 comments:

  1. I wonder who is the god of proper word choice, Apollo? Athena? Hermes? Chalchiuhtlicue? A different one for every sense of rightness we yearn for. Wonderful title!

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    1. I tend to be fond of Benzaiten. Thanks Brendan!

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  2. I love the lines:
    'Befriended words build
    stories that touch other's True
    and soothe my sore soul.'

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  3. Words can be a comfort in lost times..you convey that brilliantly

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    1. We can also lose ourselves in words, if we are not careful. The Word Forest is lovely, dark, and deep---and sometimes dangerous.

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    2. Oh yes Magical Mystery Teacher - it's both lovely and dangerous and worth exploring.

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  4. Gosh this is so poignant and heartfelt! As poets we do tend to be in constant search of the right words to convey our ideas and emotions 💖

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  5. Lovely! This bit is so evocative: "Unspoken words bind/tender thoughts that do not dare/to reveal themselves".
    -HA

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  6. Words to have a certain power to break or sooth. You have captured that perfectly here Rommy!

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  7. Loved each word here, beautiful.

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  8. Let 'em fly. There's no tomorrow.

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  9. Mercy? We don't need no stinkin' mercy! Um... sorry, got overexcited there.

    I love this chain so much, the structure, what it says about writing (and living), everything... The second stanza made me nod a lot.

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    1. The structure started out as an experiment, but I was glad I attempted it.

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  10. Then it is not only the words but the oration when sincerity must be seen and felt. Beautifully written Rommy.

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  11. "Fear paralyzes
    an already timid tongue,
    seeking the right words."

    A iconic stanza that well-represents every poet's fear.

    Love the alliteration in it, too.

    The poignancy with which you describe the vulnerability of approaching the act of writing strikes home. The raw honesty of the struggle! Beautiful!

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    1. The alliteration was a delightful bit of serendipity in writing.

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  12. Yes, who is the God of words? I'm afraid too often I have trouble editing when I should. Beautiful writing

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    1. Editing is a dragon anyone engaged in writing must eventually confront.

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  13. I love the befriended words that touch each other's True.

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  14. This felt so familiar--the ruthless internal editing and the soothing of the rawness left by allowing the words to come back. :)

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  15. Life penetrates every aspect of living. Even to the poet there is the editing_separating sheep from goat

    Happy you dropped by my Sunday Standard today

    Much🌻love

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  16. Much food for thought here! Intrigued by the first stanza. I think we all edit our words a bit...not a bad thing.

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    1. No, certainly not a bad thing at all! I've written some silly things that were better used as fertilizer for better words to grow.

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  17. I so relate to this piece. You have articulated the 'word' quagmire-of-rethink beautifully, here.

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  18. I see it in the same light as Wendy does. I love how you manage to convey a tentativeness ... and I love the notion of befriended words. May all your words befriend you!

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  19. I wonder if all poets feel this way? Searching for the befriended word--love this piece!

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