Words

they're so flexible

and move so smoothly

on the page

on the tongue

man-made inventions

constructions

yet they elicit power

they can bless

or condemn

evoke tears

or a guffaw

(I like that word "guffaw"!)

the truth is

they lied

words do, in fact, hurt

they can be weighed down

with shame

evoke anger

rage

they can haunt

and cause wounds

that make one

slowly

bleed to death

but words

can also open a latch

on a prison door

turn on light

that can flood darkness

words can change

a life

give direction

and power

they can--

spoken rightly

set free

words are fun

to play with

as Ted Giesl well knew

like play dough

we can strethc them

press them

shape them

use them

to create beauty

In the Beginning

in a land before Time

was the Word

a power unshaped

therefore yet free

unencumbered

The Word went crazy

creating

coloring

loving

lighting

shaping

warring

dancing

and no matter how

we try to trap It

fit it into our small minds

It is still

a wild Thing

making life

making beauty

calling us

to divinity.