The Wall

The Wall

12/24/2016

We surround ourselves with sturdy walls

Built tough to keep us safe,

To block out the harshest words,

The anger, the pain, the hate.

The things we do not wish to face

Stay outside our thick stone walls,

But there’s something we can’t see

That even if it’s oh so small

The words that hurt begin to chip

And dig the wall away,

Creating holes that show our souls—

The pain we can’t keep at bay.

Those words are like a little rock

That chip away the stone,

And words do hurt, just like stones and sticks

They just might break the bone.

That little stone digs at the wall

And though it takes some time,

A misplaced word that starts to hurt

Causes our souls to intertwine,

And breaks away the sturdy wall

Making the hole grow ever deeper

Until eventually the words break through

And like the nefarious reaper

Those words cut at us, inflicting wounds

Whether they were meant to hurt or not—

Those holes don’t close, they show our souls

And expose ourselves to rot.

Most often many create the holes

But sometimes it’s only one

That says the things that hurt us most

And chase away the sun.

Every wall has chips and cracks

That we try to fill with putty,

But it’s never as strong as the original

Thus leaving our walls less sturdy.

So careful with the words you say

No matter what you think,

Because you’ll find a crack left in the stone

And make the hole ever deeper.