Wrong Words
My father has many good qualities. He is generous, hard working, funny, intelligent, and tender. But he has a dark side which he allows to get out of control in fits of temper. During these times he has beat family members. His language can become vile, using words he would never use when he is not in a rage. I remember some of those bad words he would call me when he was having one of his fits. They were Wrong Words, words that no parent should ever call their child. Yesterday I changed the name of this blog to Wrong Words from Recovery Poetry. I intend double meaning in Wrong Words, first that abusive words are wrong, and secondly, that the words of this blog are about what is wrong. I hope that you, the visitor, finds the new blog title attractive and catching. I would welcome comments on it.
And now here is a poem I wrote about abusive words, some of which I was called:
Sticks or Verbal Bricks
Sticks and stones
May break my bones,
But words will never
Hurt me.
NOT!
Sticks and stones
Can break my bones
And leave
Long lasting bruises.
But cruel words
Are heard
and mentally recorded
The tape can play forever.
stupid
ugly
bastard
bitch
clumsy
weird
ignorant
witch
good-for-nothing
shorty
skinny
fatso
go-to-hell
Cruel words
Echo down the chamber
Of our lives
Remainder.
We might more wisely choose our words
If we knew cruel ones wreck like rape.
It's lifelong work in either case
To repair the soul's damaged tape.
Copyright © 1993 by Al Johnson
And now here is a poem I wrote about abusive words, some of which I was called:
Sticks or Verbal Bricks
Sticks and stones
May break my bones,
But words will never
Hurt me.
NOT!
Sticks and stones
Can break my bones
And leave
Long lasting bruises.
But cruel words
Are heard
and mentally recorded
The tape can play forever.
stupid
ugly
bastard
bitch
clumsy
weird
ignorant
witch
good-for-nothing
shorty
skinny
fatso
go-to-hell
Cruel words
Echo down the chamber
Of our lives
Remainder.
We might more wisely choose our words
If we knew cruel ones wreck like rape.
It's lifelong work in either case
To repair the soul's damaged tape.
Copyright © 1993 by Al Johnson
posted by Al Johnson at 11:01 AM
3 Comments:
((((((((((Al)))))))))
I am so sorry you went thru all of this. You never deserved that, no child ever does.
What you wrote to me was so kind. Pls do not feel badly about your name....it is nice to associate the name Al with kindness and caring thoughtfulness. How sweet of you to be concerned though.
Blogging has helped me....at least the poetry has helped release some deeper feelings. I also belong to a couple of forums which have been very helpful.
Thank you again....thank you for your friendship.
Take gentle care,
Tina
Touching. It reminds me that, even with all the recovery work-- trauma processing, all of it--the old tapes are still so hard to erase sometimes. I actually kinda liked "Recovery Poetry." It sounded like something you could almost trademark. But "Wrong Words" is meaningful.
Marj, thanks for your helpful comments. I'm still waffling between calling this blog Recovery Poetry or Wrong Words. Maybe I'll put up a blog poll so visitors can vote.
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