Words Can Hurt Or Heal

This poem really speaks to me because, like the author, I am in love with words.

Words By Anne Sexton

Be careful of words,
even the miraculous ones.
For the miraculous we do our best,
sometimes they swarm like insects
and leave not a sting but a kiss.
They can be as good as fingers.
They can be as trusty as the rock
you stick your bottom on.
But they can be both daisies and bruises.
Yet I am in love with words.
They are doves falling out of the ceiling.
They are six holy oranges sitting in my lap.
They are the trees, the legs of summer,
and the sun, its passionate face.
Yet often they fail me.
I have so much I want to say,
so many stories, images, proverbs, etc.
But the words aren’t good enough,
the wrong ones kiss me.
Sometimes I fly like an eagle
but with the wings of a wren.
But I try to take care
and be gentle to them.
Words and eggs must be handled with care.
Once broken they are impossible
things to repair.

American poet Anne Sexton (1928-1974) was known for her personal, confessional poems. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967 for her book Live or Die. 

My friend Kristina introduced me to her poetry. I remember looking for her book in the Barnes & Noble in West Des Moines when it was still at 22nd St. and University Avenue.