Be Kind

“Watch the fuck where you’re going you stupid motherfucker!” 

Those were the words that she said to me 

As I sat in solitude on the bus ride home from a long work day… 

Air pods in, listening to Snarky Puppy featuring Lalah Hathaway. 

She was the picture of im-perfection, with the stench of about 5 too many Casamigos  

Seeping through her pores 

As she stumbled onto the bus in a drunken stupor, 

Unable to keep her feet beneath her. 

“Fuck you… BITCH!” I screamed inside my head. 

And I just proceeded to brush it off 

Like a piece of dandruff, 

While secretly stashing it deep down inside 

Along with other phrases that I know all too well: 

“Why didn’t you…”, “I wish you…”, “How DARE you…”, “I hate you.” 

Phrases that will continue to jack hammer 

Through the concrete flesh 

That is constructed around my spirit. 

Forcefully chipping away 

With crushing vibrations 

Slowly destroying me 

Hurting me 

Damaging thee 

Very essence of my being. 

And guess what? 

Sometimes those words get stuck… 

I mean, WTF?! 

And they start to create apprehensiveness 

Where there used to be none before. 

Baby believe me when I say that  

There is power in the tongue 

To wreak personal havoc and destruction. 

I mean, it has the power to speak life and death 

With just the inhale of a single breath, 

And we are taught that as children in Bible study. 

Yes, stones and sticks can deliver hard licks 

But words… 

They can rip hearts from chests, 

Cause emotional and mental distress 

And human beings damn sure don’t make Band-Aids to cover 

Those wounds. 

A few months ago 

The sweet lady that lives next door to me 

Was having a heated conversation with her boyfriend of 8 years  

That could be heard through the wall.  

Constructive criticism escalated to heated discussion 

And he told her that he had cheated on her…  

With her sister, and that he would rather be with her. 

My neighbor doesn’t say a word after that.  

She just secretly stashed those words deep down inside. 

But her spirit was not as resilient as mine. 

She wasn’t conditioned to contain the hurt 

And it completely consumed her. 

Those words festered in her sacred place until they transfigured into a full blown tribulation, 

Until she no longer loved herself. 

A butcher’s knife to her throat by her own hand  

Is how her brilliant flame was extinguished. 

Baby believe me when I say that

There is power in the tongue 

To wreak personal havoc and destruction. 

I mean, it has the power to speak life and death 

With just the inhale of a single breath, 

And we are taught that as children in Bible study. 

Yes, stones and sticks can deliver hard licks 

But words… 

They can rip hearts from chests, 

Cause emotional and mental distress 

And human beings damn sure don’t make Band-Aids to cover 

Those wounds. 

Think long and hard before you say certain things 

Because your words have the power 

To shepherd someone onto a ledge 

Or to usher them down from it. 

Choose the latter.  

 

James Heilman

6/26/23