Your Words

We all experience dystopian moments under adverse physical and/or mental influence. Among these, the most common is negative and abusive words. This poem depicts this kind of dystopia.

Each word you spoke, each thorn you flung 

Used to pierce my fragile heart

Each string of happiness hanging on

By the force of dreams in the silence

Yearning for more stillness and delusion

Appearing a reality to the numb

To those who wanted to believe

There was more than hurt behind words

And more than pain behind tears

Your careless words taught me 

That life’s greatest lessons

Are learned through pain

Such as a glowstick

That cannot light up the dark

Until it has been broken

And in these words I say to you

I hope your words have found their grave

And disintegrated to ash

That they have stayed clear of the sky

And not died a dead rose

Whose seeds float in the wind

Hoping to find a forever

Your words have lived their life and

Like all living things must pass away

And I talk with no angst

As they have taught me how to be strong

And so, my parting words 

Will deliver the same

Rest in peace, to your words

Who have put me through 

The darkest nights and shown me 

The brightest lights

Author's Note

This work has been published on http://catharticlitmagazine.com/

Reviews

[Hannah's Writing]

Following is the comments from the reviewer at Cathartic Literary Magazine:
S1, L1-2: These two opening lines provide a strong start to the piece by introducing a complex relationship between two individuals, making it feel more intimate and personal with the use of the 2nd-person perspective. The parallel between “words” and “thorns” metaphorically piercing someone helps to establish an intriguing image that lures the reader in. Excellent work!
S2, L4-6: These three concluding lines provide a strong visual metaphor by creating emphasis on the importance of resilience in the face of hardship. The mention of learning to "light up in the dark", similarly to a cracked glow stick, further illustrates that.
S3, L6-8 The link between hurtful words to the seeds of a withered rose drifting in the wind helps to cultivate a poignant connection. In addition, I really enjoyed the way you depicted the newfound courage felt by those standing up for themselves for the first time.
S5, L1: This last stanza feels a bit cliché to me--I'd advise for you to cut it down to a single line that conveys the same sentiment but retains the emotional weight by staying concise and standing out from the rest of the poem.

General Commentary:
Thank you for submitting this poem to Cathartic Lit! It was a pleasure to read through your piece, and I especially enjoyed your strong usage of figurative language. The themes of your poem are very authentic and universal, and your execution of the ideas of the piece helps to illustrate the overarching message in a relatable, interesting way.