NaPoWriMo – 30 Poems in 30 Days – Day 3
WORDS ARE A CRIME
words are a crime
uttered from a place deep
buttered with a sick sticky substance called hate
words are a crime
poisonous delivery
from fingers on a keyboard
a tongue dripping with bad blood
and steamy halitosis
words are a crime
whispered slowly and hotly
into the ear of a lover
she doesn’t look like you
her skin is dark
you pierce her with a white rod
the anger is centuries old
she cries out in passion
you inflict her with pain
saying mean and nasty things
she loves it
she’s sick
you’re sane
words are a crime
little seeds dropped
sprouted and spoiled
instilled with doctrine they don’t understand
they follow suit because you are the teacher
words are a crime
your culture is hidden behind skin that betrays it
you pass with glee loving the anonymity
walking with the wealthy
protected by the judicious
all the while feeling fradulent
you act out
report those who you fear
you are more like than who you claim to be
911 what’s your emergency?
I’d like to report a suspicious person
he looks black
he’s just staring
looking at the houses
he’s staring at me
now he’s running
those assholes
they always get away
help! help! help!
pop!
words are a crime
For more delicious servings of poetry this month, please visit these bloggers as they are also participating in NaPoWriMo!Â
© 2012 – 2014, TamekaMullins. All rights reserved.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
I’m blown away – that’s the power of words, your words, Tameka. Absolutely relevant!
A strong poem with an even stronger message, wow.Love your creativity…
http://sulekharawat.com/2012/04/03/comfortably-numb/
Hello.
WoW! Words can indeed be a crime when spoken from that place of hate, but they can also be a source of encouragement & support when uttered from the heart with love. Powerful words indeed Tameka. Thanks for sharing.
http://thoughtsofbeautyinthestillnessofdawn.blogspot.com/2012/04/day-3-cosmopolitan-flower.html
The raw emotion here is palpable. Wow! How you move me with everything you write. Such talent!
Oooo then I’ve killed many people because of my sharp tongue…
You words are efficacious and powerful. They serve to make me reflect on how I use them in relating with people.
Words are born from what goes in my heart and head.
OMG, this poem, and especially those last lines, brought me right there all over again to the anger and sadness I felt when I first heard the recordings of the 911 calls neighbors made. You could hear the screaming in the background and the single gunshot. Well done.
Thanks so much Corinne. This was a hard one to write. It makes me sad when people use words to hurt.
A few sad events inspired this. It was a way for me to process things. Thanks so much Sulekha.
Andy how right you are my dear! Words have the power to lift us up or bring us down. In this piece I focused on the negative aspect, but you know I know the beautiful energy words can have. But sometimes we have to analyze the bad to fix it. Cheers and thanks for always stopping by!
Martha, your words touch me deeply. Thanks so much!
Melissa, I can’t imagine you ever hurting a soul. This piece was focusing on the extreme ways words can hurt and seep into the DNA, but I’m sure you’ve never used words in this way. Impossible. Thanks for your comments as always! 🙂
Sweepy, what happened to Trayvon Martin haunts me daily. This was not easy for me to write at all. I truly hope his family gets justice for his death.
Crazy powerful, Tameka. I’m saddened when people use their words that way. You’ve illustrated the harm well. Thank you.
I agree Rachel. It hurts my heart. Glad you liked the poem…